Reds 2018

[wamberal]

The damage was done when Graham was appointed, no doubt in my mind about that.

 

[neilc]

Overall game promotion seems to have gone downhill - I think Reg mentioned it last week when he said that he barely knew the Tahs game was on - I was in the same boat, had to check the fridge magnet to see who we were playing, which shouldn't be the case. I would have expected with Barker's background to have had some marketing nous come in but it seems to be the opposite. I thought the atmosphere at the ground on Saturday evening was lacking - the game kicks off and if you're not looking at the field you wouldn't even know it.

I hope that whoever is the next appointment comes from outside the game itself - someone with a track record in sporting management elsewhere would be good, that has no links to Qld rugby and can bring some fresh ideas and real savvy to the place.

 

[joeyjohnz]

Overall game promotion seems to have gone downhill - I think Reg mentioned it last week when he said that he barely knew the Tahs game was on - I was in the same boat,

I was in an Uber to a friends house, who just so happens to live at the top of caxton street. We drove past Suncorp at about 5:30pm, and he asks ''Are the bronco's playing tonight?"

This is a bloke who played junior rep footy for qld, and we'd spent the previous 10 minutes talking about how well North's had played to be 21-nil up against Sunnybank before we had to leave.

 

[RedsHappy]

I was in an Uber to a friends house, who just so happens to live at the top of caxton street. We drove past Suncorp at about 5:30pm, and he asks ''Are the bronco's playing tonight?"

This is a bloke who played junior rep footy for qld, and we'd spent the previous 10 minutes talking about how well North's had played to be 21-nil up against Sunnybank before we had to leave.

I agree with you and nelic above - Reds brand/team marketing in general and game-event in particular seems to have been cut to threadbare levels. And what marketing there is looks more like the work of weekend interns vs professionals who've thought carefully about what's required and given a sensible budget to get it done.

This is what I was referring to above - has downward pressure on income (and a trembling fear of 2009 all over again) forced an essential short-term cost minimisation exercise that will have greater and spiralling negative consequences not too far down the road?

 

[RedsHappy]

Pretty sure that all belongs to Carmichael and Graham doesn't it?

Post July 2011, McCall's excessive, unjustified hubris re the 'Reds/QRU - We Will Build a Dynasty' (remember that?) self-praise and his stubborn arrogance from the beginning over R Graham was also a major factor.

Truth be told, Link too got a bit caught up on the post 2011 wide-beam flattery and began to defocus on the Reds and with McCall's blessing focused from mid-2012 more on gaining the Wallaby HC job from Deans.

The 'Victory to Glory Express' of 2011 soon became a 'Fast Train Wreck to Disaster' by 2014 and on she careened downhill with growing speed. Like the rise and fall of the Roman Empire compressed into a nano second.

 

[liquor box]

I hope that whoever is the next appointment comes from outside the game itself - someone with a track record in sporting management elsewhere would be good, that has no links to Qld rugby and can bring some fresh ideas and real savvy to the place.

100% agree

I would imagine this will not occur, I am sure the vested interests have already picked a favorite son to take over.

 

[duckbill]

With 3 rounds left to go and one realistic win possible (moon dogs) it's time for a end of season summary. Even if they win the next 3 games (which I doubt they will), nothing the Reds have shown this year has given me much faith in the future, the coaching has been piss poor, the selections rather baffling in their stubbornness (Lance and Lucas especially), the much touted focus on defence has been a joke, and last but not least I'm firmly convinced that with QC (Quade Cooper) in the team the results would have been better. As expected the crowds haven't been there, and the style of play has been one dimensional and boring. Apart from a few flourishes that I attribute more to the players briefly and sporadically "extracting their digits" rather than any form of good coaching, I see a long dark tunnel still ahead.

I expressed my concern about the selection of Thorn and nothing has changed my opinion... And let's not even start on QRU management.

I'm sick of the "stay with the team as they need to develop" BS, it has been too long since they were good and rebuilding should take 1-2 years - I see next year as another rebuilding year, and the year after that, and after that...

 

[Tomikin]

The damage was done when Graham was appointed, no doubt in my mind about that.

Single worst signing ever... Dan McKellar not far behind

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[Tomikin]

2

Post July 2011, McCall's excessive, unjustified hubris re the 'Reds/QRU - We Will Build a Dynasty' (remember that?) self-praise and his stubborn arrogance from the beginning over R Graham was also a major factor.

Truth be told, Link too got a bit caught up on the post 2011 wide-beam flattery and began to defocus on the Reds and with McCall's blessing focused from mid-2012 more on gaining the Wallaby HC job from Deans.

The 'Victory to Glory Express' of 2011 soon became a 'Fast Train Wreck to Disaster' by 2014 and on she careened downhill with growing speed. Like the rise and fall of the Roman Empire compressed into a nano second.

Probably the best thing for oz rugby at the time was too appoint Jake White..Ewen was great..but we had a world class world cup winner..in our pocket.. we let him go cos he played winning rugby..

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[SouthernX]

2Probably the best thing for oz rugby at the time was too appoint Jake White..Ewen was great..but we had a world class world cup winner..in our pocket.. we let him go cos he played winning rugby..

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And then we get stuck with Cheika who's been horrible in the top job.

Can't get scalps against the 2 most important nations when it comes to Aussie Rivalries in England and New Zealand.

The day Cheika arrived and Eddie Jones returned with Englishmen to win a 3-0 series on Aussie soil... that was the day i called for Cheika head.

 

[RedsHappy]

2Probably the best thing for oz rugby at the time was too appoint Jake White..Ewen was great..but we had a world class world cup winner..in our pocket.. we let him go cos he played winning rugby..

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If we look back over the last decade, it is a sad truth that overall it is been far more common for our State and Territory RUs to have made poor/very poor decisions re their HC and AC appointments than good ones.

This delinquency has been extremely costly for the cause of Australian rugby vs other competing codes, and in its own terms.

 

[gel]

Regarding the broader issue of good quality coaches plying their trade overseas I am uncertain what the actual solution is. Euro has more money because their market is bigger and they have a high value currency. Australians are incredibly mercenary and are not likely to do anything "for love".

My specific issue with the qru is their apparent ability to piss people off when they leave - this makes it even harder to attract good quality because there's no secret taat the qru are a bad employer.

It is criminal that the tahs, reds and blues don't feature in the finals almost every year or come close. Yet all three continue to f*ck about with ordinary performances and disfunctional management.

I can only imagine what it must be like to work for these organisations - every day must be like going into some forum of political maelstrom never quite knowing which "boss" is on the gravy train or on the shit heap as it would change on an hourly basis.

 

[RugbyReg]

Interesting snippet in the Brisbane Times report on Barker’s departure.

“Miller, who has already been overseas scouting potential replacements, said chief operating officer.....”

 

[RedsHappy]

Interesting snippet in the Brisbane Times report on Barker’s departure.

“Miller, who has already been overseas scouting potential replacements, said chief operating officer...”

RR - I think it's well known that at least some QRU board members and 'close' others at or around the QRU felt R Barker was not the right CEO going forward. Good and honest man, but not of the experience type and strategic capacity needed.

If Miller is objectively looking overseas for CEO talent (and has removed the QRU's virtual reality special Ballymore car-park extension headset that is designed to solely see no more than 100 metres from HQ) then I for one am genuinely encouraged to hear that.

 

[Brumby Runner]

Regarding the broader issue of good quality coaches plying their trade overseas I am uncertain what the actual solution is. Euro has more money because their market is bigger and they have a high value currency. Australians are incredibly mercenary and are not likely to do anything "for love".

That's an interesting statement Gel. I'm not meaning to deny it, but question the basis for saying they have a high value currency. In comparison to what, and at what time in history?

Before the exchange rate was floated in the 90s, and before decimal currency came to Australia, the long term set exchange rate between the Aussie pound and the British pound was around one pound five shillings (Aus) to one pound (Sterling). With the introduction of decimal currency, the Aus pound became 2 dollars, ie the dollar was worth 10 shillings. The British on the other hand, retained the decimal pound at the same value as the Stirling pound. The current exchange rate is around 55 British pence to the Aussie dollar, ie the old Aussie pound (2$) would now be worth about 1.10 British pounds. Over time, the Aussie currency has actually remained quite stable against the British currency.

I don't know what the relationships have been to European currencies, but presently the Euro is valued at about 16% below the British pound, so it would be difficult to describe the Euro as being a higher value currency than the Aussie.

I certainly do not dispute that players earn more in Europe because of the bigger market and deeper pockets of the team owners.

 

[gel]

I should have been broad and included the pound of course - given some of our guys are in the UK...

Now and the future is when I am talking about - they can;t exchange their money in the past. When else would be relevant? Unless we are talking about coaches that went over there in the 80s and are still working over there. Which we are not.

Earn big euros over there, save it, come back home and exchange into aussie currency - win.

The living expenses are high in some of those countries but unless you are only just getting by, the savings you make over there translate into more money here once converted.

*edit* and we are clearly not talking about individuals "just getting by" - these people are leaving for better pay than what they can get here - meaning they are going to be rolling in it once they return. If the exchange rate is shit, then don't return - so long as the euro zone continues to stay together, they will generally be valued higher than australia because our currency is always going to be volatile.

 

[Derpus]

Uh, BR, you can define the Euro as being higher value by looking at the exchange rate? As in, one Euro is worth more than one Dollar. 53 cents more to be exact.

That said, i don't see the relevance of that to 'having more money' as it was put.

Gel: that's really not how it works. To accurately assess whether you are earning more money in a particular country you need to factor in all sorts of shit. Tax rates, cost of living, etc.

That transferring Euros into Dollars results in more Dollars than Euros does not necessarily mean i will earn more in Europe than in Aus.

Case in point: In England the minimum wage is 7.20 pounds. In Aus it just got increased to $19.83 which equates to 10.85 pounds.

 

[gel]

FFS - we are not talking about low payed people here...

We are specifically talking about guys earning big contracts - not minimum wage.

Sheesh - no wonder I had you on ignore.

 

[Derpus]

Yeah but, that shit scales man. I can earn way more as a solicitor in Aus than i can in England. I checked.

Also, lol.

 

[gel]

Where did I mention solicitors? I have made it clear in my original post that I am talking about the "good quality coaches plying their trade overseas". I made no comment about any other trade or profession.

I did not mention solicitors and was not talking about them at all. What does the pay of solicitors have to do with this at all?