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David Nucifora casts doubt on dual-coaching role for Richard Graham
- Bret Harris
- From: The Australian
- September 03, 2010 12:00AM
DAVID Nucifora has indicated Richard Graham will not be able to continue as Wallabies assistant coach and also be Western Force head coach.
Graham, who is Australia's skills coach and Force's assistant coach, was set to become the Perth-based side's head coach in 2012, but that will be brought forward following the early release of foundation coach John Mitchell to guide South Africa's Lions.
While the ARU does not have any official policy, it has never approved provincial head coaches being part of the Wallabies' coaching staff.
“It's highly unlikely,” ARU high-performance manager Nucifora said when asked if Graham could do both jobs.
“We haven't been down that path before.
“Richard is contracted to the ARU. We released him to work with the Force because we thought it would be beneficial to him and the Force. This is a whole different matter.”
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Nucifora said he would contact the Force to discuss a time-frame for Graham's departure from the Wallabies.
The issue is whether Graham leaves at the end of the Tri-Nations tournament after the Test against the All Blacks in Sydney on Saturday week or whether he stays on for the tour of Hong Kong and Europe in October-November.
“We will sit down with the Force and have a discussion about what is best for the Force and the Wallabies in relation to Richard's situation,” Nucifora said.
“We have to consider both parties and work something out. We'll start chatting over the next few days and try to get a resolution.
“We have to look at the time-frame. Does a replacement come in prior to the spring tour or after the tour?”
Nucifora said the ARU and coach Robbie Deans had to decide in what area of the game the team needed extra coaching.
But he admitted many potential candidates would be unavailable because they would be contracted to European and Japanese teams.
“The first thing we need to do is look at our needs and requirements,” Nucifora said. “Who is available?
“The European season has just started and people are tied up.”
There are several coaches who are already working for the ARU in different capacities who could replace Graham as a skills and backs coach.
Former Wallabies outside centre Michael O'Connor is coaching the Australian sevens team and has previously served as a national selector, Anthony Eddy is Nucifora's deputy at the HPU and assisted him with the Australian under-20s and ex-Test winger and Sydney University coach Rob Egerton will become the Wallabies team manager on the spring tour.
“There are lots of names who spring to mind,” Nucifora said.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news...-1225913506158