Gradual Unfurling of New Wallaby Coaches

[redstragic]

"In an arrangement similar to Cricket Australia's contracting process, the anointed 32 players will be ranked in value by Wallabies coaches Robbie Deans and David Nucifora before being offered contracts reflecting their position in the pecking order."


Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/u...y-contracts-20120404-1wd7d.html#ixzz1r6jLDEpW


Awesome, why stop at a pecking order of 32. There should be a pecking order 3 - JON, Nuci then Dingo. The players would become indentured serfs earning boiled cabbage and allowed to continue living at the masters discretion.

 

[RedsHappy]

Very interesting article that, very.

The Aussie S15 teams are struggling to make their 30 team number constraint work effectively to win games after just 6 Rounds.

So we now learn that - on cost cutting grounds - only 32 Wallaby contracts will be offered, with individual's $ compensation levels plotted by Deans and Nuci. Only 10 players over a match day 22. With a new 4N starting. 4 June Tests this year. A huge BIL next year.

Make sense?

 

[redstragic]

Very interesting article that, very.

The Aussie S15 teams are struggling to make their 30 team number constraint work effectively to win games after just 6 Rounds.

So we now learn that - on cost cutting grounds - only 32 Wallaby contracts will be offered, with individual's $ compensation levels plotted by Deans and Nuci. Only 10 players over a match day 22. With a new 4N starting. 4 June Tests this year. A huge BIL next year.

Make sense?

2015 WC in the bag. This is genius, can be nothing other than a complete success. In fact I hear the Queen is on her way here right now to present the WC to JON and they have called the tournament off.

I believe by 2015 the franchises will be down to squads of 14 awesome players. Economic rationalism at its most pure.

For anyone that cold not guess, that was sarcasm. St Leonards should have a go at saying nothing for a while.

 

[Sully]

The ARU is clearly in financial trouble and looking at ways to cut costs. But cutting player contracts in such a competitive market is clearly suicidal. I wonder what the long term strategy is?

 

[suckerforred]

Wrote this across in the "elitist" thread, but applies here as well...

"O'Neill was speaking at the launch of Pacific in Union, a new partnership between the ARU, the International Rugby Board and the Australian government's development agency AusAID, which will send ''rugby ambassadors'' into Pacific island nations in an effort to promote social and cultural development."

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/union-news/aru-cuts-back-on-its-wallaby-contracts-20120404-1wd7d.html#ixzz1r6yeKnHo

OK. I appreciate that the ARU is doing their bit for promoting the game in the Pacific island nations, but I have a couple of questions.

Is this where the 'savings' for less player contracts going to be spent? Or is the same amount of money going to be spent on fewer contracts?
Where is the NZRU in this? I don't deny that Oz rugby benefits from Pacific island relations, but I think NZRU would as well.
What about the 'social and cutural development' of Australia and Rugby Union in Australia?

And relating this back to the initial topic of discussion on this thread - How the f&%^ do we expect to keep these 'elite' 11-14 YO's if they have no clear pathway into the upper levels of the game?

 

[suckerforred]

The sad thing is that the more I read and see from the ARU in the last 12 months, the more I am starting to think that they have lost the plot. I feel that they have lost the view that they have been entrusted with the management of Rugby Union for the wider community in Australia. It is now becoming apparent that it is being run for the benefit of very few. The sad thing is that, not only does this mean that the game is not growing, it also means that there a number of supporters who are being driven away. Admitted these are not the committed tragics such as myself, but eventually the tragics will die. What are they going to do then? Implement a breeding program in Sydeny's north shore for pure rugby blood?

 

[redstragic]

If you are a follower of feminist or intersectionality theory then you'll understand it is that employers have all the power and can do as they like, not the ARU's fault at all, it is the vibe that makes them do it.

 

[Rob42]

"...similar to Cricket Australia's contracting process..."?

I thought that system had been thoroughly discredited by both the cricket team's performance over the last couple of years, and the Argus review. A great system for keeping the golden boys happy, when you have them, but seriously counter-productive once that era passed.

I have no idea how similar this new ARU process is to the CA process, but it's a bad sign if the ARU is comparing the two...

 

[RedsHappy]

Nuci and Robbie: Scenes from an HR Session

Fortuitously, a friend of mine has just returned from Instanbul. Although known as the ultimate bazaar, I was still surprised when he arrived back with a purchase of a faded copy of a ‘confidential’ set of rough notes apparently taken in a recent session where Robbie Deans and Nucifora had the awkward task of allocating JO’N’s ‘money for the boys’ budget to nominated Wallabies, mindful of the arduous playing rosters to come.

No one knows how it leaked, but it was covered with all manner of side notes like ‘HR manager: next to useless’, ‘McGahan to double check’, ‘don’t forget GG needs this Monday deadline’, ‘XX (illegible) didn’t perform well at JO’N’s birthday drinks’, ‘cash tight, maybe we can pay after Xmas only’, ‘spends too much on make up’, ‘leaks to traitor Giteau’, ‘plays what’s fucking behind him’, ‘kicks look far better on YouTube’…and so on. These really seem to confirm authenticity, despite origins as above.

What emerges is the complexity of the task and the many factors that obviously apply in these elite rugby inner sanctums. Here’s a sample of the ‘rough notes’, they mostly concern player demands:

Elsom – an extra $75,000 for being nice to/about Horwill is too much, HR say $40,000 max
Genia – how can anyone suggest a fucking top up bonus for box kicks when they’re shit
Palu and TPN – asking for air ambulances from every game is just not on
AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) – Nuci says 50% must be tied to 2012 passes-made count, he won’t take that well
Simmons – PR guy says good looks badly needed for market share, keep him sweet
Cooper – NZ Tourism just offered a top up, thank Christ, JO’N’s lost interest
Mitchell – Higgers has offered to share $s after unfortunate incident
McCabe – told his Mum we’d up the life assurance when he plays for me
Blake – HR manager says ‘silence’ payment is OK upon departure. Worked well before with Foley.
Ma’afu – 34 Biggest Loser tapes were useless, tie bonus to Maccas ban
Horwill – seems to think I’ll top him up just for inspiring speeches before we lose
Pocock – great, JO’N’ says pay direct to his charities and gay marriage groups and it’s tax deductible, cunning fox

The final, just decipherable words:
‘Richie was never this hard, mining boom ruining Australian rugby, it’s all greed over here’

 

[Joe Mac]

Nuci and Robbie: Scenes from an HR Session

Horwill – seems to think I’ll top him up just for inspiring speeches before we lose
Pocock – great, JO’N’ says pay direct to his charities and gay marriage groups and it’s tax deductible, cunning fox

These are my favourites. Cracker RH

 

[redstragic]

I like the image of Nuci and Dingo feasting in their throne room and weighing the worth of the anointed 32 and deciding the pecking order and their pay.

Sounds just soooooooooo........plausible that they could get it right and not alienate anybody. They have one so much good in the last couple of years after all.

 

[The Red Baron]

Ok, J'ON is off his rocker. I have just read the link above, and then an article on foxsports (ugh), In which J'ON is quoted as saying:

"If you're a Wallaby, in the 22, you're likely to earn $13,000 a Test match. If there is somewhere in excess of 12-14 Test matches a year, times $13,000, you can see we won't be out of the money for those top 30-odd players in total terms. When people say you're risking losing them overseas, with those 32 that we've ranked, I don't see there is a risk there."

Well fuck me sideways John, but I do see a risk. First and foremost will be the hesitance to sign a provincial contract. Seeing as the ARU top ups are limited, unless your name is David Pocock or Rocky Elsom, you will have no idea that you will be among the 'elite 32' when negotiating your provincial contract.

Nevertheless, that is not the main problem. The biggest problem with this sort of implementation is that we will see an exodus of fringe Wallabies. Seeing as they are not in the 'elite 32', up and coming players will maximise their earnings somewhere else, and be lost forever to Australian rugby.

Way to kill off the up and coming Wallabies, ensuring no depth or succession whatsoever.

Story here:
http://www.foxsports.com.au/rugby/s...chise-deal-first/story-e6frf4qu-1226319396436

 

[p.Tah]

Anyone think that JON is conducting part of the Players Agreement negotiations out in the media? Not sure I place too much credence on the above until the agreement is finalised.

 

[I like to watch]

Clearly JON is attempting to reduce the wages bill, but don't the ARU have an agreement with RUPA about % of the total revenues?
Or is he saying that revenues have gone down the shitter and he needs to reduce player payments to ensure they are not getting more of the pie than was negotiated?

 

[Gnostic]

If 32 players are contracted and they don't perform or get injured where do the back-ups come from? This simple fact along with the demonstrated issue that it is harder to lose your spot in the Wallabies than get selected in the first place (eg. Giteau, Elsom etc etc) tells me that the Wallabies are set to be a very select Old Boys club that is chosen at one time on performance but performance is not a pre-requisite to remain in the position.

As I type this I see that is indeed the plan, that way Deans and JON will not be alone in collecting a pay packet in 6 figures (or 7 if the rumours be true) and continuously fail to perform, yet always have reasons for that under performance.

 

[redstragic]

The ARU has opted for shorter contracts to cut down its exposure to players who are on long-term deals, but have become ''underperforming assets'' by either being out of form, injured or have no possibility of becoming a Wallaby. It will also put the pressure on numerous fringe players to continue performing.


Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/u...layer-deals-20120416-1x3uo.html#ixzz1sI3kGTd5

Let the assets feast on boiled cabbage in their mud huts with thatched roofs whilst the master of the lands omnipotently drinks flagons of Chardonnay with his hearty jesters.

Our new moto; Rugby, get broken playing for your country and get boned.

 

[RedsHappy]

Now rolled out in technicolor, and effectively, apart from RD, a new coaching group. At least the ARU has clearly recognised, after 4 years of silverware and RWC chasing, that an entirely new coaching group was needed under Deans:

Qantas Wallabies coaching staff finalised for 2012

4/23/2012
By ARU Media Unit

The appointments of Tony McGahan, Andrew Blades and Nick Scrivener has completed the Qantas Wallabies coaching team for the upcoming 2012 Castrol EDGE Rugby Series, which includes the inaugural Southern Hemisphere Rugby Championship featuring Australia, Argentina, New Zealand, and South Africa.

McGahan will return to Australia in the newly created position as the Qantas Wallabies Coaching Coordinator once he completes his duties at the top Irish province Munster.

The Queenslander has been in charge of Munster for the last four seasons having initially landed in Ireland in 2005. He had previously coached Japanese club IBM after having begun his career in Queensland where he coached both the Nudgee College and Churchie first XVs, and the Easts club in first grade, prior to heading overseas.

The former Physical Education teacher is no stranger to some leading Wallabies players.

He coached both ex-skipper Rocky Elsom and fellow loose forward Richard Brown at Nudgee College, taught star flanker David Pocock in the classroom at Brisbane’s Anglican Church Grammar, while later mentoring current Wallabies captain James Horwill and fellow team regulars winger Digby Ioane and hooker Tatafu Polota Nau, during his time as coaching coordinator of the Australian Under-19 side.

McGahan’s experience as a head coach is considered a major asset for the newly created role, where he will have a significant involvement in the overall coordination of the coaching and management team, as well as the player liaison, assisting head coach Robbie Deans.

Former Wallaby Blades takes over as the team’s forwards coach, returning to the position for a second time after a wide-ranging career which has also included experience with both the Brumbies and the Newcastle Falcons in the English Premiership.

Blades assisted Eddie Jones and then David Nucifora during his time on the Brumbies coaching staff.

This was followed by two seasons in the Northern Hemisphere from 2002-04 where he was forwards coach for the Newcastle Falcons in England’s club Premiership. He returned to Australia take up a forward-orientated coaching position with the Wallabies in 2004.

A Rugby World Cup-winner as a player in 1999, Blades moved into coaching at the conclusion of an on-field career that included 32 Test appearances for Australia between 1996 and 1999 - a period which included the 3-0 Bledisloe Cup series win in 1998 and Australia’s second Rugby World Cup success a year later.

He also played 47 matches for the NSW Waratahs between 1992 and 1999, with that career split by one season with the Queensland Reds in 1995 when he featured in the state’s Super 10 championship-winning side.

Blades will have responsibility for both the scrum and lineout as part of his duties.

Scrivener, who has coached at both the Brumbies and in Scotland, joins the Wallabies for the first time as the team’s Coaching Assistant.

A product of Canberra and a foundation member of the Brumbies playing squad in 1996, Scrivener arrived back in Australia last year to take up the head coaching position within the Australian Rugby Union’s Academy programme.

This followed a two-year stint in Europe where he was head coach of both the Rabo Direct Pro 12 (formerly Celtic League) club Edinburgh, as well as the Scotland A side.

Prior to his departure, Scrivener was a part of the Brumbies coaching staff for 10 seasons, working alongside experienced coaches in firstly Eddie Jones, and then David Nucifora, during the height of the club’s success between 2000 and 2004 when the side won two Super Rugby titles while also making another final.

Scrivener has previously been involved coaching at a national level as an assistant backline/attack coach on the staff of the Australian Under-21 and Australia A teams.

The Qantas Wallabies squad for the June Test matches will be announced when the preliminary group of Queensland Reds and Western Force players assemble in Sydney on Monday 28 May.

Playing contingents from the Melbourne Rebels, Brumbies and NSW Waratahs will come into camp after they complete their Super Rugby commitments the following weekend.

An initial group of 34 players will be named, with this being trimmed back to 30 once the opening Test of the year, which is being played midweek, is completed.

The international season begins when Hunter Stadium at Newcastle makes its debut as a Test venue on Tuesday 5 June as the Qantas Wallabies hosts Scotland for the Hopetoun Cup.

This match will be followed four days later by the first of three Tests for the James Bevan Trophy against the new Six Nations champions Wales.

Warren Gatland’s Grand Slam-winning side play Tests in Brisbane (9 June), Melbourne (16 June) and an afternoon Test complete with a Fan Day beforehand at Allianz Stadium in Sydney (23 June).

This will replicate last year’s successful fan day which was held in Sydney before the opening Test of 2011 against Samoa.

The inaugural Rugby Championship, which kicks off after the conclusion of Super Rugby in August, opens with back-to-back Bledisloe Cup Tests in Sydney (18 August) and Auckland (25 August).

These are followed by home-and-away Tests against each of South Africa and the tournament newcomers, Argentina.

South Africa will appear in Perth on 8 September, with Skilled Park on the Gold Coast being welcomed as a new Test venue a week later on 15 September, when last year’s Rugby World Cup quarterfinalist Argentina appears on Australian soil for the first time since the 2003 Rugby World Cup.

The 15-Test Wallabies programme concludes with a Spring Tour which includes Tests against France, England, Italy and Wales.

The trip will be preceded by the eighth and final Test on Australian soil for the year, when the Qantas Wallabies battle the All Blacks in the third Bledisloe Cup Test at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on 20 October.


2012 Qantas Wallabies Coaching & Management Team
Head Coach: Robbie Deans
Coaching Coordinator: Tony McGahan*
Forwards Coach: Andrew Blades*
Coaching Assistant: Nick Scrivener*
Strength & Conditioning Coach: Ashley Jones*
Manager: Bob Egerton
Logistics Manager: Matt Sheppard*
Doctor: Dr Warren MacDonald
Physiotherapist: Andrew Ryan
Analyst: Andrew Sullivan
Media Manager: Matt McILraith

*denotes new member of the management team

 

[Bowside]

What a fucking Motley Crew.

What the fuck is a coaching assistant responsible for?

and Isnt a coaching Coordinator surposed to be more senior than the head coach?

Sometimes I think the ARU's only goal is to confuse and annoy me.

 

[Ignoto]

What the fuck is a coaching assistant responsible for?

 

[redstragic]

2012 Qantas Wallabies Coaching & Management Team
Head Coach: Robbie Deans
Coaching Coordinator: Tony McGahan*
Forwards Coach: Andrew Blades*
Coaching Assistant: Nick Scrivener*
Strength & Conditioning Coach: Ashley Jones*
Manager: Bob Egerton
Logistics Manager: Matt Sheppard*
Doctor: Dr Warren MacDonald
Physiotherapist: Andrew Ryan
Analyst: Andrew Sullivan
Media Manager: Matt McILraith

This is hillarious. We have been joking about TT taking on everyones jobs, love it when the joke becomes reality. By my reckoning there are a few coaches missing i.e. defense, kicking, backs.