Reds 2016

[RugbyReg]

Cameron Lilycrap appointed Physio for the next 3 years.

 

[swingpass]

Cameron Lilycrap appointed Physio for the next 3 years.

can he play 10 as well.

 

[Thinker]

Cameron Lilycrap appointed Physio for the next 3 years.

On one level a great hire. Good physio and all.

Will appears yet again jobs for the boys joining (at least) Graham, Stiles, Thorn, Connolly, Frawley & Robinson who have gone through no due process but are playing vital roles. Unlike the others he has a level of competence and experience.

 

[Sully]

The Reds have had an extensive search for a Physio. They have been looking since before the season started

My concern is the good structure being built around the coaches will be used as an excuse to try Graham again as head coach.

 

[Strewthcobber]

On one level a great hire. Good physio and all.

Will appears yet again jobs for the boys joining (at least) Graham, Stiles, Thorn, Connolly, Frawley & Robinson who have gone through no due process but are playing vital roles. Unlike the others he has a level of competence and experience.

No one else except "the boys" want to work for the QRU at the price they are offering?

 

[RugbyReg]

Frawley is pretty perfectly bloody qualified to be a board member. I'd be happy for him to take over the Chair position too.

 

[Ash]

Cameron Lilycrap appointed Physio for the next 3 years.

I don't like this.

Used him as a physio before, and was not impressed. His old partner Victor Popov was a much superior physio a long time ago. Had the pleasure of being with Popov and then Roger Fitzgerald for years. Would recommend them, but not Lilycrap.

Heard the same from other health professionals who have been involved at the Reds when Lilycrap was at the Reds previously. They were unimpressed with his performance and player treatments.

Looks like more jobs for the boys to me.

Really, really hope he has improved.

 

[hammertimethere]

I don't like this.

Used him as a physio before, and was not impressed. His old partner Victor Popov was a much superior physio a long time ago. Had the pleasure of being with Popov and then Roger Fitzgerald for years. Would recommend them, but not Lilycrap.

Heard the same from other health professionals who have been involved at the Reds when Lilycrap was at the Reds previously. They were unimpressed with his performance and player treatments.

Looks like more jobs for the boys to me.

Really, really hope he has improved.

I have heard the same. Good bloke, good businessman (I think he started a company that sells rehab equipment) and good rugby knowledge but average clinician.

The Reds needed a serious expert, preferably someone with a Sports Masters or PhD/research interests and RECENT experience in high performance rugby to head up medical and rehab.

Instead they went with Crapper (who is employed only part time btw). I doubt things are likely to improve on the injury front.

 

[wamberal]

Dear oh dear. The Reds sound more like an Old Boys Club than a professional sporting franchise.


What is this all about? Ego? Small-mindedness? Stubbonness?

 

[Beer Baron]

Courtesy of Wayne smith:
Meanwhile, the QRU astonishingly is still not ready to make a call on whether Richard Graham should remain as coach. The QRU board will meet tonight but former Wallaby Damien Frawley, who has been commissioned to write a review of the Reds’ High Performance group, still has not completed his report and the matter will drag on, seemingly indefinitely. It may be that a decision will be made to declare the position open and that Graham might reapply.
By contrast, however, Auckland’s Blues have moved smoothly to replace coach John Kirwan with Tana Umaga so they can begin rebuilding.

 

[Beer Baron]

Once again - Australia needs to follow NZ's lead

 

[TOCC]

The Reds needed a serious expert, preferably someone with a Sports Masters or PhD/research interests and RECENT experience in high performance rugby to head up medical and rehab.

Instead they went with Crapper (who is employed only part time btw). I doubt things are likely to improve on the injury front.

The S&C and medical department is bigger then just Crapper. Damian Marsh is the new head of S&C and recognised as one of the best in the fields, he will be key to the Reds injury prevention in 2016.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Sully]

I'll point out again that the Reds have been looking for a physio for six months and couldn't find anyone interested.
Lillicrap must have got better in the last eight years. I have no idea how good he was before.

 

[Beer Baron]

Agreed injury prevention is much more a S&C role than a physio. Any half serious injuries will be off to the specialists anyway who will recommend their top physio's.

 

[redstragic]

Courtesy of Wayne smith:
Meanwhile, the QRU astonishingly is still not ready to make a call on whether Richard Graham should remain as coach. The QRU board will meet tonight but former Wallaby Damien Frawley, who has been commissioned to write a review of the Reds’ High Performance group, still has not completed his report and the matter will drag on, seemingly indefinitely. It may be that a decision will be made to declare the position open and that Graham might reapply.
By contrast, however, Auckland’s Blues have moved smoothly to replace coach John Kirwan with Tana Umaga so they can begin rebuilding.

This is great news indeed. I predicted the report would go on as there are many aspects that will need further investigations and more reports needed to asses these aspects.

Makes sense that there be consistency through this period and RG should stay on till all reports are finalised and fully assessed.

I would say the final report on the 2015 season will be presented in 2021. We'll have an exhaustive plan on how to fix the 2016 Reds to implement then.

This is so Yes Minister it is not funny.

 

[I like to watch]

I'll point out again that the Reds have been looking for a physio for six months and couldn't find anyone interested.
Lillicrap must have got better in the last eight years. I have no idea how good he was before.

Yet every other franchise in every other sport has applicants crawling over cut glass for the opportunity to be the team physio.
Why is it so?

 

[Beer Baron]

...This is so Yes Minister it is not funny.

Maybe RG impressed the board with a machine that goes Ping! ???

 

[RedsHappy]

Yet every other franchise in every other sport has applicants crawling over cut glass for the opportunity to be the team physio.
Why is it so?

I agree - if true that the Reds have been looking that long with no takers, either (a) the salary etc was sub-market and/or (b) word got around what a mess the whole Reds HPU was is in and with (then) no stable head of S&C etc, so good physios stayed away.

I do agree that D Marsh should change things for the better overall.

I also agree that really top flight S&C is getting more and more 'scientific' and specialised and the Reds will hopefully consider also bringing some of the 'next generation' S&C specialists now evolving in sports or fields outside rugby such as AFL, swimming, soccer where huge investments are being made in both technology and expertise in this crucial area.

 

[RedsHappy]

This is great news indeed. I predicted the report would go on as there are many aspects that will need further investigations and more reports needed to asses these aspects.

Makes sense that there be consistency through this period and RG should stay on till all reports are finalised and fully assessed.

I would say the final report on the 2015 season will be presented in 2021. We'll have an exhaustive plan on how to fix the 2016 Reds to implement then.

This is so Yes Minister it is not funny.

Totally. What an excruciating facade and laughable process this is. You'd never know (a) this is actually a key job of the CEO and board to do themselves FFS and (b) that they've had all of 2013, 2014, and 2015 to drectly assess RG's HC capabilities. Yet they need more time and more 'outside expertise' to figure out this bloke's worth in his role.

Re that W Smith article referenced above, there was another intriguing bit in it that I'll add here:

The decision on the coaching position will be made by a more rugby-specific group than the QRU board, according to QRU chairman Rod McCall, although the board would be asked to sign off on the appointment.

That removes any hint of criticism of Graham’s close personal friend and business manager, Chris White, voting on his appointment. A six-year veteran of the Reds board, White played no part whatever in Graham’s appointment as Queensland coach in 2012.

White, though standing strongly by Graham for whom he acts in an unpaid adviser’s capacity, indicated yesterday he would be entirely guided by Carmichael and the state and international players on the board, McCall, Frawley, Mark Connors and Paul McNicholl.

What a very strange leak to Smith. Highlights many 'hidden' aspects of this whole process and re the inner culture and dynamics of the QRU board.

They are only now running from a whole host of complex internal board conflicts of interest? Yet all mention is of 'Frawley's report', and Frawley is a QRU board member.

Why on earth does RG need an 'unpaid adviser' on the QRU board, why did that not cease - to avoid all conflicts and the perception thereof - from the day RG arrived at Ballymore in late 2012?

 

[RedsHappy]

The Reds have had an extensive search for a Physio. They have been looking since before the season started

My concern is the good structure being built around the coaches will be used as an excuse to try Graham again as head coach.

I still see that evolving - and numerous QRU insiders inexplicably wanting it to occur - as a real scenario that could emerge.

The 'RG was not really at fault, he needed a much enhanced HPU which we failed to give him....now looking forward to a much improved 2016 season backed by a superior coaching support infrastructure....'. Just a new excuses variant on 2014's get-out that last year's problems were all down to 'an insufficiently upgraded squad that RG inherited from Link, and new recruits will transform 2015's season....'

In fact, some months back and to the amusement of some posters here, I wrote the whole media release for the QRU announcing just such a move that would preserve RG for 2016 .