Next Wallabies Coach.

[Strewthcobber]

The rush to appoint Cheika is looking more and more like a bad idea - especially if reports of 5 year contracts are true. There are obviously differences as to what and who Cheika wants to bring with him, and what and who the ARU are prepared to accept. We're not even talking about the $$$ yet.

Take the time to get things right, that way both parties can negotiate without a gun to their head. It will be better for everybody.

Enact the contingency that must have been planned for within the current setup - presumably one of the assistants would have taken over if Link fell sick on day one of the tour.

It's an exhibition match and 4 tests that, with respect to the opposition, are now very low priority - key players would have and now possibly will have been rested anyhow.

Appoint the new coach (probably Cheika) in the New Year after the players have their off season and let everyone start afresh with a clean slate and common focus on the Worlld Cup

 

[It is what it is]

Thought Carter had a shocking defensive game on Saturday. Main cause of the first two kiwi tries - just didn't look like he was making enough effort to get into position quickly.

I think you are right.
He was beaten for outside speed in one of them and was lazy on covering the inside ball on the other.
He's learning though and I like the cut of his cloth.
He has a lot of upside potential that will come with experience, confidence and playing in a more effective forward pack.
The system that sees him playing wide in defence on occasion will leave him exposed to a speedster or footwork.
The greatest value he delivers is as an on ball hard working grinder.

 

[No4918]

The rush to appoint Cheika is looking more and more like a bad idea - especially if reports of 5 year contracts are true. There are obviously differences as to what and who Cheika wants to bring with him, and what and who the ARU are prepared to accept. We're not even talking about the $$$ yet.

Take the time to get things right, that way both parties can negotiate without a gun to their head. It will be better for everybody.

Enact the contingency that must have been planned for within the current setup - presumably one of the assistants would have taken over if Link fell sick on day one of the tour.

It's an exhibition match and 4 tests that, with respect to the opposition, are now very low priority - key players would have and now possibly will have been rested anyhow.

Appoint the new coach (probably Cheika) in the New Year after the players have their off season and let everyone start afresh with a clean slate and common focus on the Worlld Cup

I thought it was a good idea to rush but have changed my mind. Cheika knows he is the only person in with a chance. He is sitting on a royal flush, the ARU has a pair of 2's and each knows what the other player is holding. Somehow the ARU think they are in with a chance.

Appoint one of the assistants and let's at least have some impression of due course. No coach should be able to think they can wield so much power. Cheika will have them bent over for the next 3 years if he can do what he likes now. Has the ARU even called White?

 

[fatprop]

Douglas had a handful of forgettable Test matches before last year. He certainly did not play well enough to cement his place in the squad. You can't blame link for that.

Then it was simply poor timing, Douglas already signed oversea's, then had a standout super rugby year. If he hadn't already signed oversea's there is no saying he wouldn't have been one of the first choice locks. Given the performance of our current locks he certainly would have gotten at least one start.

So IMO, it Douglas' fault for signing oversea's too early. Players need to back themselves for the wallabies role before hey head off. Kimlin is probably another example.

I am not actually trying to "blame Link", more a comment on the challenges of small squads and positions that take time to develop into test players.

We are seeing the same issues with Carter and both are quality TH locks. But it takes time for that type of player to blossom, the mobile units have a simpler transition

Look at Retallick as a prime example of the time a tight forward needs to blossom. (yes he is an extreme example, but the principal stands and why I reckon Skelton is 3 to 4 years away from being a proper test lock)

 

[Brumby Runner]

No, no, no, no, no, no...... no.

Very succinct Slim, and I agree with every word.

 

[Hell West & Crooked]

Wasn't the original msg incident allready dealt with, like back in May? And for some reason it was leaked/rereleased?
As far as I'm aware so far...90% of this whole thing can be blamed on MEDIA!
If Beale was in any other sport in aus or any other country..he'd allready be back playing rugby.
He would have had to of done Drugs, stripped naked and assaulted people, bashed his misses or raped for this much press in any other code!
True fans of rugby should remember that and put it into perspective. Beale should be back in rugby!

Managed to get the Wrong End of The Stick the whole way through that Forest... a rare talent - well done.

 

[Braveheart81]

Cheika is being announced at 12:30pm by the ARU.

 

[Brumby Runner]

You didn't exactly make that clear, but I still disagree. Are you suggesting that he should have just been straight banned from the game, or that if Rebels had been better with their discipline then Beale's fundamental character would have been altered? Now that's a long bow.



It's poor management if one of the event blows up after supposedly being settled to the point that it ends up costing the coach and said staff member their jobs.



You can bury your head in the sand all you like mate, but they're killing us out there at the moment. The NRL had the brains to look at what the AFL were doing and how it made them so successful in spite of a shared animosity, so perhaps our boys at HQ and those that think like them - you included it would seem - need to remove their heads from their asses and admit the competition are managing things better than we are.

The long bow about the Rebels improving Beale's character is one I wouldn't be drawing. Yes, I think he should have been shunted at that time and the game since then would have been in a much better place.

If "management" wasn't included in the matter in the first instance it can't be held to be poor management. Poor decision by the victim, certainly in not referring the matter up, and an even poorer decision by the perpetrator in providing an opportunity for the matter to be raised again, but hard to see how it could be laid at managements doorstep that it came out in the end due to ongoing issues with the man himself.

I don't mind at all if Rugby upholds higher standards than other football codes. I will say again that I have no interest in what goes on in those other codes and I am sure that my attitude will not have any affect at all on the ongoing viability of Rugby v League. Perhaps that's a much bigger issue than my head being in the sand.

 

[Hell West & Crooked]

Interesting Psychology Game to be played here - would love to be a fly on the wall at the ARU:

1. If Chieka wants to insist on full-board support to break the Player-Prima-Donnas over the next 12 months, he needs to allow the ARU to punish Beale n line with the seriousness of that situation. There is a strong school of thought that Beale CANNOT remain in the Australian Setup.

2. If he allows Beale to get cut, then he may loose both Beale AND Folau at the Tahs.

3. If he acts to saves Beale's arse, he may yet still find the bloke still fecks off to the Mungoes next year - as he was always going-to...

4. If he acts to protect Beale, he cannot expect the ARU Board to take hs calls for support against errant players very seriously.

Theoretical, but very interesting.

 

[Hell West & Crooked]

I fully expect he will approach the Job using the 'Ian Chappell' appraoch: "The Bastards won't get me that way"...

 

[Train Without a Station]

I agree with those comments.

We've all reacted to a quote, which Channel 7 at the time said they were unsure whether it was his original quote, or a quite in the context of the Wallaby position.

If true, it makes a mockery of all the comments about Cheika not copping any shit and not suffering fools.

Or, we all may be wrong and he leaves it all up to the ARU to deal with in the hope they deal with it in the truly correct manner.

 

[Bowside]

On the back of one season with the Reds when they came 5th behind the Tahs, and slightly ahead of the Brumbies?

The wallabies were lacking any sense of tactical nous and game plan at the time and the reds had it in spades with some very ordinary cattle.

Many on this forum were calling for it, and I think history has more than vindicated this point of view.

 

[fatprop]

The wallabies were lacking any sense of tactical nous and game plan at the time and the reds had it in spades with some very ordinary cattle.

Many on this forum were calling for it, and I think history has more than vindicated this point of view.

Cheiks isn't going to improve "tactical nous"

But they will be running through walls or replaced.

Assuming he is done and dusted, I wonder whether he will bother about the opposition at all in November and just get the system of play he wants instilled (as he did in his first season with the Tahs) - it was all about getting trust in the systems

 

[Dumbledore]

The wallabies were lacking any sense of tactical nous and game plan at the time and the reds had it in spades with some very ordinary cattle.

Many on this forum were calling for it, and I think history has more than vindicated this point of view.

We played some great rugby in 2010. Some genuinely thrilling backline stuff. It all fell apart in 2011 when Deans freaked out about letting in as many points as we were scoring, picked McCabe and Fainga'a in the centres, and generally put the brakes on everything. The defence improved but, outside that one game in Brisbane, it was all downhill from there.

 

[Muglair]

All of these comments (and many more besides) are totally logical. On both sides of the argument. Again all of the "facts" mentioned on both sides are reasonable assumptions to make from all of the information available from various sources.

A really simple outcome is that the text story and accompanying texts are as per released via the media friendly to who ever passed them on. Beale says yes that is what happened. The ARU says that is unacceptable your remaining contract to December is cancelled. Beale says sorry and rides off to the NRL or Europe.

I doubt if anyone would quibble with that and we all move on to the EOYT and 2015. My main concern even if that is the cut and dried case that the ARU will even screw up that because of some fear of consequences of transparency.

Does anyone seriously believe that "the text story and accompanying texts are as per released via the media friendly to who ever passed them on" is the only relevant issue, or that it is 100% true or there are not other factors. There has been so much speculation on this already and there is no need to go over it again.

I have written before that I question whether normal workplace conditions should be just blindly applied to high pressure professional sports team environments. The reality is that they will be and if you look at all of the speculation I am very curious what rights the ARU will have to challenge the Waratahs and Beale if he wants to stay in Australia with the Waratahs on a basic contract and redeem himself.

Just say he does and the ARU does not object. You would have to assume that there will have been other issues and circumstances disclosed in the enquiry which influence the ARU to take that position. My real concern is that in that case the ARU will be squeamish and refuse to disclose all of the details leaving Cheika to be pilloried and the supporters of the game even more divided. This is the ARU's next big test I think.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Anyone at the Presser?

Cheika sitting next to Bill.

The Pulveriser confirms worst kept secret.

Unusual seeing Cheika in a tie.

Cheika to stay coaching the Tahs in 2015 only. 3 year deal.

GM Pathways (Ben Whitaker) will be travelling with the team (as Manager). Long term options being explored by Billy P.

 

[Braveheart81]

Nathan Grey is defence coach.

Andrew Blades remains forwards coach.

Scrivener and McKay gone.

 

[Slim 293]

Ben Whittaker to tour with the squad as babysitter............

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Cheika swearing at the presser. Expecting to see the States "collaborating meaningfully at national level".

Wanted to take State coaches with him on tour, but logistics and timeframe dictated otherwise.

 

[No4918]

Heaps of parallels with Lehmann's appointment here. What's the chances that continues?