Eddie 'ready for overseas'

[Burgs]

Eddie 'ready for overseas'

Danny Weidler (A LEAGUE Journo!)
Sunday, March 25, 2007

Don't be surprised if Eddie Jones quits Australian rugby and heads overseas.

Jones, who is becoming increasing frustrated with the ARU, is known to be about two weeks away from making a decision on his future.

There is a queue of clubs waiting to sign him, and his shabby treatment at home is more than enough of a reason for him to get out.

Jones deserves far better - he is without doubt one of the best rugby brains in the world.

Given the horrible state of the game here, the ARU should swallow its pride and beg him to stay.

Turn it up Danny, apart from the actual sacking following a dismal return, albeit with a diminished squad, everything else Eddie has brought on himself with his huge mouth and bigger ego!
Only reason you would want him to stay so much it to be able to report on the continued disruption between the ARU and QRU.
Eddie is amongst the best technical Coaches but if he disrupts more than he sucedes then he is of little benefit to Australian Rugby.
There are plenty more Australian Coaches out there waiting to be given the chance to show there stuff.
Don't believe me?
Let's have a look at the English Premiership:

Bath-
Head Coach, Stephen Meehan, Forwards Coach, Mark Bakewell, Defence & Skills Coach, Brad Davis.
Leicester-
Head Coach, Pat Howard,
London Irish-
Director of Rugby, Brian Smith
Northampton-
Defensive Coach, Frank Ponissi
Saracens-
Director of Rugby, Alan Gaffney, Assistant Coach, Richard Graham

I reckon there’s a fair chance that any number of them would be glad of a chance to Coach the Reds or any other S14 team!

[frontrow]

It is looking more and more likely, burgs...Check out my thread dude
http://thewholeforce.com/showthread....0990#post50990

[Flat-top]

C'mon Burgs Bath have supplied their fair share of national Coaches over the past few seasons, from Jack Rowell to Andy Robinson and more recently Brain Ashton, John Connoly and Foley...about time we had a bit of stability so hands off "our" Aussies!

[Burgs]

Hahaha, thought I would get some form of comment from you FT
The Bath "love affair" with Australian Coaches is quite interesting, I think there is another three support staff from Australia as well from memory!

[Flat-top]

You are spot on, but then that was never in doubt!

Our Head of Sports Medicine is Geoff Clark (Brisbane Broncos), and the Strength & Conditioning Team are Scott Murphy (Brisbane Lions) and Chris Gaviglio (Australian Discus Champion).

Shame it looks like Out Half Chris Malone (Australian U21 international) is on his way, probably to Harlequins while we are keeping hold of Sage's mate Shaun Berne (from the Powder Blue Brigade), he and Australian born Michael Lipman will be our only two Aussie players...mind you there are plenty other Southern Hemisphere lads in the first team squad.

On a slightly serious note you have to wonder what is wrong with your domestic set-up when so many of these professionals are prepared to move across the world to ply their trade, I know the wages help but almost every one of them uplift their entire family and settle here...I know I would swap in a heart-beat.

[Burgs]

Just a combination of lack of opportunity in Australia and comparatively huge wages in Europe/Japan I think FT.
There are other problems of course but those two are the main players.

There are only five International level Head Coach positions to vie for and, depending on each teams Coaching structure, five to ten Assistant Coach berths.
Below that there would be, in order:

The newly created eight ARC Head Coaches,
Twelve NSW Premier Clubs Head Coaches,
Ten Qld Premier Clubs Head Coaches,
Twelve NSW Premier Clubs Assistant Coaches,
Ten Qld Premier Clubs Assistant Coaches,
Ten WA Premier Clubs Head Coaches,
Seven ACT Premier Clubs Head Coaches,
Eight Vic Premier Clubs Head Coaches.

There are also the assorted Australian Rep and Unders appointments which are only part time positions.

Obviously there would be some blurring of the edges between the listed breakdown however this gives a rough enough thumbnail sketch.
While that looks like quite a few positions, on the World stage, any Coach who wants to get ahead on his career path would need to start looking overseas if he could not land a Queensland Assistant Coach or higher role to ensure he came into consideration for future appointments.

The other aspect which is becoming increasingly apparent is that there simply not enough money in Australian Rugby for us to be competitive with the Northern Hemisphere structures.
With our huge resource wealth the ARU should be trying to tap into these potential sponsors and partners to take Australian Rugby and our domestic competitions to the next level, to raise the prestige and pay for the above listed appointments and to address a major reason for our best players considering leaving Australia and, by extension, Wallaby consideration.
Players should be able to make an attractive (and NH compatible) living between Super 14, ARC and Club contracts if they aren’t able to make the rarified atmosphere of a Wallaby top up.

If they cannot, not only are we continually bleeding our talent, but we are also losing depth for our next generation of Wallabies to compete against and we will continue to see the Reds situation of young guns who haven’t even played Premier Club Rugby pulling on the boots for Super 14 commitments!