McKenzie's axing splits the Waratahs

[travelling_gerry]

NSW Rugby is poised to implode. Board members are in dispute over the decision not to renew Waratahs coach Ewen McKenzie's contract and senior players have condemned the conduct of leading state officials.

The Herald was told last night several NSWRU board members were upset they had not been formally advised the Waratahs were announcing the termination of McKenzie's contract.

It is understood some NSWRU directors became aware McKenzie's contract would not be renewed at the end of the Super 14 season only when they read newspaper reports on Tuesday, which detailed how the Waratahs would that afternoon formally announce the decision that the head coach's five-year reign was about to end.

Many NSW officials are upset at how the McKenzie issue has been handled, and the fallout could be immense, affecting the future of several Waratahs administrators, board members, coaching staff and even players.

Several high-profile Waratahs players and members of the coaching staff are seriously considering their futures, while next Monday's NSWRU board meeting is bound to be volatile, as it will bring together the directors who were involved in the McKenzie decision and those who believe they were "kept in the dark".

The feeling among the Waratahs players has also been highly emotional. Recent comments from Waratahs officials questioning the team's style, have clearly upset leading players.

The Herald has seen an email sent from a senior Waratahs player to NSWRU officials, calling on them to stop airing their dirty linen in the media.

The email was sent on March 26 - the same day the Herald reported that McKenzie's future would hinge on how the team performed over the next three Super 14 matches.

The Herald report quoted NSWRU chairman Arvid Petersen as saying: "I don't think we [the Waratahs] are going well enough yet. I think we're still waiting to see the emergence of a more entertaining and attacking style of rugby. We haven't quite seen that yet."

While he thought the Waratahs were still in the finals hunt, Petersen said: "The performance of the last year-and-a-half hasn't been as good as it should be.

"We're the strongest union in this country, and our fans expect us to do better."

The player's email explained that such reports created tension, uncertainty and were clearly affecting the team.

He asked that any future issue about the players and coaches, be dealt with "out of the public eye". He thought the organisation needed to be "tighter", and "solve any issues in-house rather than through the press."

There is also uncertainty whether Waratahs assistant coach Todd Louden will take over from McKenzie.

After Louden had been the outright favourite for so long, the Herald was told last night there was sudden conjecture about whether he was the right man for one of the most difficult jobs in Australian rugby.

Some powerbrokers are believed to be opposed to his appointment, while Louden's intentions are also unclear, with reports that he may also be a strong candidate to take over from Laurie Fisher as the ACT Brumbies' head coach.

And some associated with NSW Rugby are again pushing the claims of the Auckland Blues coach David Nucifora, who arrived in Sydney yesterday in preparation for Saturday night's match against the Waratahs at the Sydney Football Stadium.

The Herald has been told the decision to let McKenzie go was made by the NSWRU "inner sanctum" last Friday night, following the Waratahs' victory over the Cheetahs - in which the home team started well, faded badly, but still got away with a four-point win.

McKenzie was told of the decision by NSWRU chief executive Jim L'Estrange on Monday, and shortly afterwards it was relayed to the players at a hastily convened meeting before training at the Sydney Football Stadium.

After NSW team manager Chris Webb informed the players of the decision, McKenzie's speech was brief. He said: "That's rugby. Now here's the team …"
He read out the line-up for Saturday night, and then training began.


http://www.rugbyheaven.com.au/news/n...e#contentSwap1

[travelling_gerry]

THE pathway for Ewen McKenzie to leave Australia and resume a coaching career in France has been fast-tracked, with plans underway for him to meet Stade Francais owner Max Guazzini in Paris within a fortnight.

It is intended that McKenzie, whose contract with NSW Rugby will not be renewed after this Super 14 season, will fly to Paris from Perth after the Waratahs play the Force there in round nine on Saturday week.

This would make for an interesting week as the Waratahs' preparation for their round-10 match against the Lions in Sydney would most probably be left to attack coach Todd Louden in McKenzie's absence. But with Louden touted as McKenzie's successor, this would at least offer NSW chiefs a chance to see what he can do.

As for McKenzie, the Herald has learnt he has already met French recruiter Pierre Vandome about the head coaching role at Paris-based Stade Francais, who sit third in the French Top 14 league. They had a breakfast meeting at Coogee yesterday after Vandome received a telephone update on the opportunity from Guazzini, who requested that McKenzie fly to France as soon as possible to negotiate a possible deal.

McKenzie did not wish to discuss the development yesterday. He instead wanted to focus on the Waratahs' round-eight Super 14 game against the Auckland-based Blues at the Sydney Football Stadium on Saturday night.

But it is known McKenzie, whose five years at NSW include making the 2005 final and 2006 semi-finals after holding coaching roles at the Brumbies and Wallabies under Eddie Jones and Rod Macqueen, is excited about the prospect of coaching in France. Vandome confirmed his planned meeting with Guazzini in Paris, telling the Herald yesterday: "We are going to send him over from Perth next weekend to Paris for a short meeting with Max.

"After that, whatever decision is made is up to Max to make. I cross my fingers, but I hope when he flies over to France from Perth [by] the Tuesday after we will know. But you know Max. He wants to meet the coach, he wants to meet the player before he makes a decision."

Vandome said Guazzini was impressed by McKenzie's credentials despite NSW's poor 13th place in last year's Super 14, and that he sat favourably against two South Africans also in contention to replace ex-French halfback Fabien Galthie as coach.

According to the French newspaper Midi Olympique, Galthie has asked for his contract that expires after 2010 to be broken so he can pursue another direction in his life. And it appears Guazzini has agreed, provided a successor is found for Galthie for the 2008-09 season.

Swaying heavily in McKenzie's favour is his experience of living in France from 1992 to 1994, his ability to speak French, and his first-hand understanding of French rugby culture after playing for the Paris University club.

"Everything is in the basket for Ewen to get a job," Vandome said. "Max likes that he has experience of France, plus his age, his knowledge and everything else. He knows Paris. He played in Paris. He used to live in Paris. He has a good reputation for the French way."

If McKenzie does seal the deal, he can expect Guazzini will grant him full control of the side, says Vandome.

McKenzie's approach would be to add a touch of the southern hemisphere to Stade Francais' existing game but he would not completely impose an Australian blueprint on the team. It is a philosophy that will go down well at a club that is one of the most flamboyant, cosmopolitan and successful in the world.

"As head coach, definitely," Vandome said. "He has to control everything, but be smart and share knowledge with [his assistants and staff]. But he still has to be the big boss because if you leave too much responsibility to everyone it can be a big mess. You can have the advice of everyone, but in the end the decision has to be yours."

Meanwhile, McKenzie is expected to today name Eastern Suburbs halfback Luke Burgess as his starting No.9 for Saturday's clash with the Blues.

Wallabies No.8 David Lyons could also be named in the 22-man squad after his first game of rugby in last weekend's Shute Shield for Sydney University since breaking and dislocating his left ankle in last year's World Cup. If Lyons is named in the squad, he will be poised to earn his 100th cap for NSW.



Dumped coach to take fast track to Paris via Perth - rugbyheaven.com.au

[NTT]

damn shame ... damn shame .......NOT!!

[jargan83]

I'd hate to see an Aussie side implode in such a way. McKenzie will be off to France regardless. It would appear he has supporters within the structure of the NSWRU but was sacked regardless by his detractors.

I wonder who is fast tracking him to Paris?

I also can't help wonder where the players who aren't happy with this decision will end up. Most contracts are pretty easy to get out of (get out clauses etc). So will they leave to go to the 3 other Aussie sides or follow McKenzie to Europe

[GIGS20]

This "implosion" has been building up for a while really, Link is just the victim.

I've been becoming more and more convinced that the coach is not the problem with the 'Tahs, and it might not even be the players pre se. The administration is a basket case, it needs to be thrown out and started again.

Can anybody answer a couple of questions
1 Does membership of the NSWRU board imply control of the Waratahs (because it's not necessarily automatic)
2 Does board membership imply invoolvement in the day-to-day running of the organisation (or is that responsibility handed over to a CEO which is a common structure)
3 Is there a constitutional requirement that ALL NSWRU board members be even INFORMED of the decision to sack the Waratahs coach!

The answer to all of these questions (regardless of what the answer is) tells a lot about this report.

If this Board member has no right to be involved in the decision, then I'll bet London to a brick he's the one who's behind the killing of the ARC, the push to get Sydney club rugby instituted as the third tier and all the other bullshit that's come out of NSW for the past 18 months.

If he does have a right, then why wasn't he involved?

[jargan83]

How many times has the NSWRU had to go under ARU controll because of poor decision making sending then near bankrupt?

[travelling_gerry]

Twice 1989 & 2000

[jargan83]

Thats what i thought. Anyone want to be it happens a 3rd time?

I loved the bit where they said that they are the strongest union in the country (refer to one of those articles)

strongest in terms of Super 14 performance and othe things rugby or off field fiscal management??

[GIGS20]

Jargan......let's look at the key indicators you mentioned

Super 14 performance....no That'd be the Brumbies
Super 14 performance this year equal on pooints with the Force and on a tougher run home....that'd be disputed I'm calling it a no
Off Field Fiscal Management....no they've been bailed out more often than even Qld, ATM fiscally strongest would be the (and probably overall but that wouldn't really be a fair test) second would be Brumbies I think!
Administratively.....read my last post on this subject for my views!
Fanbase...not really, their MEMBER base still lags behind the and (not sure of the numbers but I think the Brumbies?)
Crowds....they might squeak in there....I've not really followed the numbers, but they seem to have a good bunch at the games, maybe that's the indicator, we're getting a pretty good crowd to most of our home games at the moment, we're the strongest Aussie union!

[jargan83]

Thats what i was hinting at GIGS

all we need is a proper stadium to be runaway winners

[hopep]

I think the articel title is a bit misleading. It implies an implosion or division in the team. What they talk about is division at administrative and board levels. Thats NSW all over - everyone wants to be top-dog and they are notoriously Machiavelian in structure and nature.
I very much doubt there will be any on field effect, or that the players are split regards feelings for Link. Very few would have signed if they had that little respect for the coach.

[AndyS]

The administration is a basket case, it needs to be thrown out and started again.

I think we've discussed this before, but the observation I'd make is that the best off-field performances are being achieved by the administrations put in place in the professional era. By comparison, the NSW and Q'ld set-ups have evolved out of the amateur era, and you would have to question whether they are still appropriate given their performance.

It is maybe a little simplistic, but the flip side of the statement "the Force gutted Q'ld rugby" is that they had the players all along - they could presumably have started over as though they were a newly awarded team and achieved a similar outcome. They'd be ahead of where they are now.

[shasta]

The "implosion" seems to be imminent because one faction in NSW is making decisions without consulting the full board. I don't know how the NSW coach is contracted, whether there needs to be an approval from a board meeting to terminate the contract, whether the CEO can do it unilaterally, or whatever.

What I do know is that the one constant in most of the "behind the scenes" politicking and shit slinging in Rugby seems to be the sauces at the SMH.

[GIGS20]

and the NSWRU Shasta, let's not forget them.........even if the issue has nothing to do with them, if shit's being slung, they're getting muddy!