Fans savage 'fragile, mediocre' Waratahs
Fans savage 'fragile, mediocre' Waratahs
Jamie Pandaram, May 20, 2011
ANGRY Waratahs supporters questioned the team's culture and the players' self-belief during a largely accusatory encounter with players and coaching staff.
In the first of a planned series of question and answer sessions between the team and supporters at the Sydney Football Stadium, a panel of coach Chris Hickey, assistants Michael Foley and Scott Bowen, skipper Phil Waugh, leadership group member Drew Mitchell and team manager Chris Webb wore blunt criticism of their performances and style.
Many of the questioners were expressed exasperation at the Waratahs' style of play, a couple rubbished the use of statistics to counter the argument they are not an attacking team, and there was bellowing over the top of chief executive Jason Allen, who was moderating the event.
The most cutting comments were aimed at the club's culture and the mental strength of the players.
At one point NSWRU chairman Edwin Zemancheff, sitting in the auditorium with the members, declared: ''If we have to change the culture, we will change the culture.''
One man said: ''The culture at this club is fragile. When it comes to that point where champion teams say, 'I'm still going to run the ball, I'm still going to play that attacking rugby,' this team doesn't. When it gets into a bit of trouble it goes back into its shell. That's why we see such little attacking rugby, because fundamentally, this group does not truly believe.''
Another, who said he stopped attending Waratahs games eight years ago, added: ''There seems to be to be a sense of mediocrity, that mediocrity is acceptable … there is an absence of accountability … and I don't see any evidence of pride.
''You guys are in the entertainment business, you've got a responsibility to entertain people, so when it comes to accountability, who are you accountable to? It's certainly not the people here.
''[Supporters] have been dished up mediocrity week after week, and they're supposed to accept that and remain loyal, I find that very, very arrogant. I feel sorry that that culture, as I see it, is so entrenched in this particular team.''
When Hickey presented PowerPoint statistics showing the Waratahs were equal fourth among the try-scoring sides in the Super Rugby competition, and pointed to the high injury rate of his team, a disgruntled fan said: ''I am disappointed to hear, Chris, that you're hanging your hat on statistics, when really the only statistic that counts at the moment is that you guys are haemorrhaging fans to the point where it's unsustainable.
''The chasm between you guys and the fans in the biggest I've ever seen, and I've been playing the game since I was a toddler.
''There seems to be no cohesion and no trust between the backs and the forwards. I think that's predominantly why the backs are kicking. They're not convinced the forwards are going to retain the football.''
Waugh rejected suggestions the team has a soft underbelly, pointing to the form of recent seasons.
''If you go through the squad and in a lot of ways, in 2008 and 2009, we overperformed,'' he said afterwards. ''The reality is we came third last year, and if you looked at other teams in the competition, the rosters they had and the players they had on the field in comparison to the teams we had out on the field, with international experience, I think we achieved a lot more than what people take on.
''That is important to recognise, when there's questions about culture I think that being able to do that is a pretty good indication that our culture's in the right spot. I think we've won a lot of games, just, on the back of culture and belief.
''You can look at the Force at the moment, they've got many Wallabies in their team, and they don't know how to win. Whether that's a passion or cultural thing … it's a bit rich to throw that out.''
The supporters intensified their questions of accountability, and when Allen explained that the organisation had drawn an additional 20 per cent in sponsorship money this year, one man cut him off to ask if the sponsors were happy. As Allen continued with his explanation, the man burst out: ''Are the sponsors happy? Answer the question! Yes or no?''
Allen retorted: ''The answer is yes. That's why our sponsorship is growing.''
