Iluvmyfooty
Phil Hardcastle (33)
It also helps when you get the cream of the crop out of school and have some very talented players to work with
Waratahs 2013
- Thread starter fatprop
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It also helps when you get the cream of the crop out of school and have some very talented players to work with
Any idea that Tim Horan thought of instantly makes me doubt whether it is a good idea.
Here's a few more names to go with the lottery.
I hear that Simon Poidevin has been working wonders with the Randwick Under 14's. Perhaps his hat should be thrown in the ring along with the coaching luminaries above.
David Nuci could also be available having plenty of previous Super rugby experience, and recent U20 RWC experience.
If you want a foreigner, how about another Saffer. The last one seems to be doing OK at the Ponies. P Divvers is underemployed. He could be a good fit with some of the board members.
There's a bloke called Papahatzis operating out of the Manly area with plenty of coaching experience.
I am not seriously suggesting any of these, but in the spirit of the silly season........
I hear that Simon Poidevin has been working wonders with the Randwick Under 14's. Perhaps his hat should be thrown in the ring along with the coaching luminaries above.
David Nuci could also be available having plenty of previous Super rugby experience, and recent U20 RWC experience.
If you want a foreigner, how about another Saffer. The last one seems to be doing OK at the Ponies. P Divvers is underemployed. He could be a good fit with some of the board members.
There's a bloke called Papahatzis operating out of the Manly area with plenty of coaching experience.
I am not seriously suggesting any of these, but in the spirit of the silly season........
I like to watch
David Codey (61)
Faaaark, the money is just about always right.........
Schadenfreude
John Solomon (38)
Robbie Deans for Coach!
Inside Shoulder
Nathan Sharpe (72)
He has...but I'd check the state titles results before offering him the job
P
Paradox
Guest
Phil Waugh. Player power choice.
waratahjesus
Greg Davis (50)
If we follow the brumbies model, Phil Waugh for his accused abuse of power as a player should be an assistant.
Whomever was there this season needs to be seriously questioned, particularly whoever was defensive coach this year should be gone as a priority, we went from a bloody good defensive unit to the pants in a season.
As for Bowen, he has been backs coach for a couple of seasons, our whole approach was catch and pass for a number of years, my old colts side had more guile in the backs.
Mumm? well wasn't he forwards this year? Worlds slowest reaction time forwards and he stays? meh
The coach quit, the team manager has left, and the chairman has resigned. Greg Growden asks Waratahs chief executive Jason Allen the hard questions.
Greg Growden: Was [Waratahs team manager] Chris Webb sacked by you?
Jason Allen: I can't comment on that.
GG: Why not?
JA: Because that is a private matter. Chris Webb is finished with our employment.
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GG: There have been allegations of a salary cap concern, which a number of other provinces have denied being involved in. This involves a province being involved via an invoice system where they have been able to pay players through their club. Are the Waratahs in a salary cap breach? Are they involved in this?
JA: I can assure you that the matter has been raised with the ARU, and the ARU are investigating it. And they've requested that they comment on it.
GG: So you can't comment on that situation?
JA: No, I cannot comment on that situation.
GG: So you cannot confirm or deny that your province is involved?
JA: I cannot comment on that situation.
GG: So do I have to go to the Australian Rugby Union for comment?
JA: Please.
GG: Michael Foley. When are you hoping to announce his replacement?
JA: We've started the process with the board. We've been able to get a link-up now with board members, because a lot of them are currently travelling. The rugby subcommittee met yesterday. So we've already started a process of looking at a shortlist of candidates.
GG: When are you hoping to announce a coach?
JA: We're hoping to do that quickly. We haven't got a timescale on it, because it really depends on the timing of talking to all the people at the moment.
GG: Your captain Benn Robinson has said that he hopes there is player input in this appointment. Will there be player input? Will they be part of the decision-making?
JA: Absolutely. I'm hoping to catch up with ''Robbo'' this week, when he gets a gap in his training. I've already spoken to the team and Al Baxter, who is their player representative on the board. So we're getting to the bottom of how they'd like to be engaged.
GG: Have you already talked to coaching candidates?
JA: We've already had a chat to a potential coach, and some candidates have spoken to me over the last 12 months. Quite a few of them have kept in touch.
GG: Is there interest in Michael Cheika?
JA: Michael Cheika is absolutely of interest to our organisation.
GG: [Waratahs backs coach] Alan Gaffney is a possible candidate. Is there any truth to the suggestion that a number of months ago pressure was applied on Michael Foley, and maybe Chris Webb, to have Gaffney sacked?
JA: There was pressure on the footy department to make some savings, that they agreed to at the beginning of the year. How that looked, and what that entailed, wasn't finalised at all. So that could have been a combination of many areas. That could have been what we were doing as far as travel costs, some of our
committed costs, trial matches. It could have been a head count reduction. There wasn't any names that were asked or requested at that time. They were looking at a structural change, and Michael Foley came out publicly recently and said they were considering a structural change anyway going into the future. We were hoping to get to a final result with Michael Foley, but that's all changed now.
GG: So at that time, were you asking coaches to look at the cost structure, and where it could be cut back?
JA: The whole football budget.
GG: Are we talking around the time of the Waratahs' South African trip?
JA: No, it happened three months prior to that. We had a review halfway through the season on the whole business. So we changed some head count within the administration as well. We had to remove a head count there, and the footy department were volunteering some savings there as well. We needed to streamline our costs.
GG: Did anything actually occur?
JA: We had some decreased travel commitments, so we were able to start taking some overheads out of the business. The footy department did a terrific job actually.
GG: But was there any pressure applied to get rid of one of the Waratahs staff members?
JA: They were actually given a budget to take out of the structure of our business. How that looked was up to the footy department to present to us. That was a presentation done through the recent review, and Michael Foley presented a damn good case for the footy department going forward, with some savings in there, which from the administration perspective, I was backing and supporting him on that.
GG: What was the logic behind having a season review when the Waratahs still had to play two of their biggest matches, against the Brumbies and Reds?
JA: That's a comment for the board [to make].
GG: But aren't you a member of the board?
JA: No I am not.
GG: But you still would have been in the process of that decision?
JA: I was able to sit through the process. Absolutely.
GG: Were you at that meeting?
JA: Absolutely. I was invited to it.
GG: How did Michael Foley handle that meeting?
JA: Extremely well.
GG: Are you surprised he has left the Waratahs?
JA: I'm very disappointed he has left.
GG: Can you understand why he has left?
JA: From what he's told me, yes.
GG: What about a new Waratahs chairman [to replace Ed Zemancheff, who has resigned]? What is happening there?
JA: We have an interim chairman, Al Baxter, for at least the next month. We have a board meeting later in the month. So the board will get together, and they will decide on the next stage in the process. They all want to be in the same room, because at the moment they are travelling. We have directors overseas, on holidays and work trips.
GG: What are your thoughts on a season which ended up with the embarrassing situation of eight losses in a row?
JA: It is really disappointing. We had a really good opportunity off the field because we had some afternoon games, and we got some great support from the ARU, SANZAR and the broadcaster. They were successful days, and the games were pretty good. The one thing I can say is I'm pleased with how the blokes and the staff have handled it. They've already started their pre-season plan. The guys are well and truly in place for next season.
GG: How is the Waratahs' financial situation?
JA: It's been a tough year. We're looking at a small loss this year. We've still got a lot of actual activity in the market. We do a lot of ''train with the team'' activities, and they're pretty big revenue contributors at this time of the year. Our current forecast would be a very small loss. However, we will still be paying our licence fee to the NSWRU, which is really important because our job, at the end of the day, is to fund the community game in NSW. They will not miss out on their funding.
GG: Were you concerned NSWRU chairman Nick Farr-Jones had commented that he believed the Waratahs had lost touch with the community game, even to the extent that they were considering revoking that licence?
JA: I haven't spoken to Nick about any of that. So I'm only commenting on what I have read. Nick has spoken to me before about the community game and our activities in the field. And he's damn well right. No one dodges that in our place. That's why last year we formed a committee inside the business, with ARU and NSW representatives, with my staff, and we've started a program. It's not a jazzy name with no activity. It's called Community Connection, and we've increased our visits into the market this year by 250. That's not chicken feed. It's 750 activities in the community in this state. To be fair on our guys, you couldn't ask for more than that, because we've only got half the squad for half the year. So you've got very few doing a lot. Could we do it better? Absolutely. No doubt. And we will do it better. I would like to see our players get into the junior clubs and schools, and that will happen.
GG: With the province expected to run at a slight loss, that could put you in a compromising position because the Waratahs coaching job is the plum job in Australian rugby. Will that affect your ability to get the best candidate, because to get the best candidate you will probably have to pay big money to get him?
JA: We wouldn't compromise that opportunity. However, we do have tight financial restraints on the business. If that means we need to make other changes, and have a chat to some of our stakeholders such as the NSWRU and the ARU, we will. There's a call in at the ARU at the moment. They have offered their full support to help us through this process, which has been terrific.
Greg Growden: Was [Waratahs team manager] Chris Webb sacked by you?
Jason Allen: I can't comment on that.
GG: Why not?
JA: Because that is a private matter. Chris Webb is finished with our employment.
Advertisement
GG: There have been allegations of a salary cap concern, which a number of other provinces have denied being involved in. This involves a province being involved via an invoice system where they have been able to pay players through their club. Are the Waratahs in a salary cap breach? Are they involved in this?
JA: I can assure you that the matter has been raised with the ARU, and the ARU are investigating it. And they've requested that they comment on it.
GG: So you can't comment on that situation?
JA: No, I cannot comment on that situation.
GG: So you cannot confirm or deny that your province is involved?
JA: I cannot comment on that situation.
GG: So do I have to go to the Australian Rugby Union for comment?
JA: Please.
GG: Michael Foley. When are you hoping to announce his replacement?
JA: We've started the process with the board. We've been able to get a link-up now with board members, because a lot of them are currently travelling. The rugby subcommittee met yesterday. So we've already started a process of looking at a shortlist of candidates.
GG: When are you hoping to announce a coach?
JA: We're hoping to do that quickly. We haven't got a timescale on it, because it really depends on the timing of talking to all the people at the moment.
GG: Your captain Benn Robinson has said that he hopes there is player input in this appointment. Will there be player input? Will they be part of the decision-making?
JA: Absolutely. I'm hoping to catch up with ''Robbo'' this week, when he gets a gap in his training. I've already spoken to the team and Al Baxter, who is their player representative on the board. So we're getting to the bottom of how they'd like to be engaged.
GG: Have you already talked to coaching candidates?
JA: We've already had a chat to a potential coach, and some candidates have spoken to me over the last 12 months. Quite a few of them have kept in touch.
GG: Is there interest in Michael Cheika?
JA: Michael Cheika is absolutely of interest to our organisation.
GG: [Waratahs backs coach] Alan Gaffney is a possible candidate. Is there any truth to the suggestion that a number of months ago pressure was applied on Michael Foley, and maybe Chris Webb, to have Gaffney sacked?
JA: There was pressure on the footy department to make some savings, that they agreed to at the beginning of the year. How that looked, and what that entailed, wasn't finalised at all. So that could have been a combination of many areas. That could have been what we were doing as far as travel costs, some of our
committed costs, trial matches. It could have been a head count reduction. There wasn't any names that were asked or requested at that time. They were looking at a structural change, and Michael Foley came out publicly recently and said they were considering a structural change anyway going into the future. We were hoping to get to a final result with Michael Foley, but that's all changed now.
GG: So at that time, were you asking coaches to look at the cost structure, and where it could be cut back?
JA: The whole football budget.
GG: Are we talking around the time of the Waratahs' South African trip?
JA: No, it happened three months prior to that. We had a review halfway through the season on the whole business. So we changed some head count within the administration as well. We had to remove a head count there, and the footy department were volunteering some savings there as well. We needed to streamline our costs.
GG: Did anything actually occur?
JA: We had some decreased travel commitments, so we were able to start taking some overheads out of the business. The footy department did a terrific job actually.
GG: But was there any pressure applied to get rid of one of the Waratahs staff members?
JA: They were actually given a budget to take out of the structure of our business. How that looked was up to the footy department to present to us. That was a presentation done through the recent review, and Michael Foley presented a damn good case for the footy department going forward, with some savings in there, which from the administration perspective, I was backing and supporting him on that.
GG: What was the logic behind having a season review when the Waratahs still had to play two of their biggest matches, against the Brumbies and Reds?
JA: That's a comment for the board [to make].
GG: But aren't you a member of the board?
JA: No I am not.
GG: But you still would have been in the process of that decision?
JA: I was able to sit through the process. Absolutely.
GG: Were you at that meeting?
JA: Absolutely. I was invited to it.
GG: How did Michael Foley handle that meeting?
JA: Extremely well.
GG: Are you surprised he has left the Waratahs?
JA: I'm very disappointed he has left.
GG: Can you understand why he has left?
JA: From what he's told me, yes.
GG: What about a new Waratahs chairman [to replace Ed Zemancheff, who has resigned]? What is happening there?
JA: We have an interim chairman, Al Baxter, for at least the next month. We have a board meeting later in the month. So the board will get together, and they will decide on the next stage in the process. They all want to be in the same room, because at the moment they are travelling. We have directors overseas, on holidays and work trips.
GG: What are your thoughts on a season which ended up with the embarrassing situation of eight losses in a row?
JA: It is really disappointing. We had a really good opportunity off the field because we had some afternoon games, and we got some great support from the ARU, SANZAR and the broadcaster. They were successful days, and the games were pretty good. The one thing I can say is I'm pleased with how the blokes and the staff have handled it. They've already started their pre-season plan. The guys are well and truly in place for next season.
GG: How is the Waratahs' financial situation?
JA: It's been a tough year. We're looking at a small loss this year. We've still got a lot of actual activity in the market. We do a lot of ''train with the team'' activities, and they're pretty big revenue contributors at this time of the year. Our current forecast would be a very small loss. However, we will still be paying our licence fee to the NSWRU, which is really important because our job, at the end of the day, is to fund the community game in NSW. They will not miss out on their funding.
GG: Were you concerned NSWRU chairman Nick Farr-Jones had commented that he believed the Waratahs had lost touch with the community game, even to the extent that they were considering revoking that licence?
JA: I haven't spoken to Nick about any of that. So I'm only commenting on what I have read. Nick has spoken to me before about the community game and our activities in the field. And he's damn well right. No one dodges that in our place. That's why last year we formed a committee inside the business, with ARU and NSW representatives, with my staff, and we've started a program. It's not a jazzy name with no activity. It's called Community Connection, and we've increased our visits into the market this year by 250. That's not chicken feed. It's 750 activities in the community in this state. To be fair on our guys, you couldn't ask for more than that, because we've only got half the squad for half the year. So you've got very few doing a lot. Could we do it better? Absolutely. No doubt. And we will do it better. I would like to see our players get into the junior clubs and schools, and that will happen.
GG: With the province expected to run at a slight loss, that could put you in a compromising position because the Waratahs coaching job is the plum job in Australian rugby. Will that affect your ability to get the best candidate, because to get the best candidate you will probably have to pay big money to get him?
JA: We wouldn't compromise that opportunity. However, we do have tight financial restraints on the business. If that means we need to make other changes, and have a chat to some of our stakeholders such as the NSWRU and the ARU, we will. There's a call in at the ARU at the moment. They have offered their full support to help us through this process, which has been terrific.
I don't like it personally.
I think things have reached the point where he should open up a bit. He needs to do something to get the fans back on side and part of that would be to be more open and honest about what has gone on.
That interview seems to make it pretty clear that the salary cap issue was Waratahs related. If it wasn't, surely he'd just deny it.
I think things have reached the point where he should open up a bit. He needs to do something to get the fans back on side and part of that would be to be more open and honest about what has gone on.
That interview seems to make it pretty clear that the salary cap issue was Waratahs related. If it wasn't, surely he'd just deny it.
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