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Day of reckoning for ABs' top job
S14 sponsor batters Henry's coaching hopes
By JIM KAYES - The Dominion Post | Thursday, 06 December 2007
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4313422a1823.html
Graham Henry's controversial World Cup conditioning programme has come under fire again on the eve of the All Blacks coach's most important day.
Henry will argue to keep his job at 6pm today but will have to defend the indefensible - that the cost of destroying this year's Super 14 was justified.
Others disagree, including naming rights sponsor Rebel Sport whose boss, Rod Duke slammed this year's Super 14 as "terribly disappointing'' and demanded improvements.
"I don't think there is anyone out there who was particularly happy about this year. The fans stayed away in their droves,'' Duke said yesterday.
"It's fair to say we were terribly disappointed with the state of the Super 14, the viewership and ratings, and the exposure that we got,'' the managing director of Briscoes Group, who own Rebel Sport, said.
The sponsorship runs till the end of the 2010 Super 14 and Duke said "conversations have been had'' with the New Zealand Rugby Union that would ensure Rebel Sport got more leverage out of the remaining three years.
"Nothing has been finalised but we are hopeful of being happier down- stream about this year's Super 14.
"We would be looking at the remaining three years with a view of ramping up our exposure and I'm sure Steve Tew and his team would be looking to keep major sponsors at the forefront of exposure.''
Duke's comments are the last thing Henry needs today as he goes head-to-head with Robbie Deans in a battle to coach the All Blacks.
Henry will be the last contender through the boardroom door at the NZRU's Wellington office today, with Hurricanes coach Colin Cooper the first to be interviewed at 1.30pm.
Each coach will have 25 minutes to detail how they would improve the All Blacks with the board set to grill them further in a session that could run for 90 minutes.
The coaches will be interviewed in alphabetical order and the board will meet again tomorrow to decide who is the coach.
However, director Mike Eagle said earlier this week it was possible a decision could be made tonight, though it would not be officially released till tomorrow.
The Christchurch-based Eagle was confirmed yesterday as acting chairman for the interview process. Regular chairman Jock Hobbs will not participate as he is Deans' brother-in-law.
Speculation has been rife in the past week over how the eight directors will vote, with a variety of permutations. What everyone agrees is that it will be close.
What could hurt Deans is that six of the eight directors - Warwick Syers, Paul Quinn, Eagle, Graham Mourie, Mark Peters and Ivan Haines - were on the board when he and John Mitchell were sacked after the 2003 World Cup.
However, complicating the issue is that only Bill Thurston, who joined the board this year, is not complicit in ratifying Henry's World Cup planning.
If the board sacks Henry, it will also concede it was wrong, while retaining him could send the message that the NZRU is not obsessed at winning the World Cup.
That was a message Eagle was keen to deliver this week, but the facts of the board's own decisions, especially around the Super 14, suggest the World Cup was paramount.
The board also has the dilemma of what it will do with the losers.
Deans has been wooed by the Australian Rugby Union to coach the Wallabies and the NZRU will be desperate for that not to happen.
But if Deans is the new All Blacks coach, the NZRU risks losing three coaches who only a few months ago were rated among the best in the world.
Having already lost Warren Gatland to Wales and a large group of All Blacks to overseas clubs, the NZRU won't want to export any more rugby knowledge.
However, a place could be found for Henry's assistants, Steve Hansen and Wayne Smith, at the Crusaders as Eagle confirmed the All Blacks coach cannot coach in the next year's Super 14.
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