The Waratahs need Michael Cheika more than ever - but what cost would his return have on Australian rugby?
After another abysmal Waratahs performance last Saturday night, this time losing to the Queensland Reds 46-14, Waratahs head coach Rob Penney was given his marching orders.
Given the plight of Waratahs rugby, an organisation in descent before Rob Penney’s appointment in late 2019, it became apparent that the constant gnashing of teeth, pulling at the skivvy-neck coupled with the patting of the ever-perspiring brow became too much for the ‘Deep Thinkers of Daceyville’ and subsequently the likeable Cantabrian became yesterday’s man.
But for whom has he made way for?
Could it, or should it, be yesterday’s hero Michael Cheika?
But firstly, who would want to coach the Waratahs given their current predicament and short-to-mid-term prospects?
The Penney tenure should be a clear warning to all despite what explanations and excuses the current Waratahs administration may proffer. Being appointed head coach of the Waratahs in this environment is akin to winning a ticket on the Titanic!
As I wrote for RugbyPass in 2020: “Taking over from his fellow Cantabrian Daryl Gibson, Penney has accepted arguably the toughest coaching role in Australian provincial rugby.
“He has the unenviable task of implementing his playing style and regime in a decidedly politicised organisation, operating in an exceedingly competitive professional sports market that subsequently demands success yesterday.
“Penney, and his fellow coaches in former Wallabies Matt Cockbain, Mark Bell and Chris Whittaker, find themselves is in a transitional period for Waratahs rugby, and the transition is not a word immediately synonymous with instant success.
“Penney must learn to play the politics while also balancing the head coaching role if he is to see out his three-year contract as he has no history or power base to draw support from if the Waratahs falter early in his tenure. The pressure is on from day one.”
The only person robust enough to manage the ‘Deep Thinkers of Daceyville’ is Cheika, and he, of course, is a Waratahs insider, if not Waratahs royalty. I suggest he is what they are looking for and I suggest he knows it.
The former Waratahs and Wallabies coach made it known in December last year that he still harbours ambitions to coach and if he truly desired to coach the Wallabies again this is the opportunity for him to re-establish himself in the Australian game.
Melbourne Rebels lock Josh Kemeny says he was "over the moon" about his selection in Dave Rennie's 40-man Wallabies training squad. #Wallabies https://t.co/hpR2TrXbC8
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The circumstances at the Waratahs are almost parallel to those of Rugby Australia [RA] in late 2014 when Cheika was initially appointed as Wallabies coach.
RA was on unsteady ground after the untimely departure of Ewen McKenzie and Cheika brought order from chaos in a near messianic way.
It appeared then-RA chief executive Bill Pulver did whatever he had to do to get Cheika to put pen-to-paper, but it came at a cost.
It is understood Cheika subsequently wielded significant power in the halls of RA during most of his tenure until that was somewhat curtailed by then-CEO Raelene Castle, who brought in now-director of rugby Scott Johnson to oversee Michael Cheika in the later years.
It would be fair to say the Cheika-Johnson-Castle relationship was not a harmonious one and it failed to produce results with the Wallabies exiting the 2019 Rugby World Cup after being soundly defeated by England in the quarter-finals and leaving Australian rugby in a smouldering heap that has taken some time to extinguish.
The crux of the issue is that the Waratahs need Michael Cheika now, but RA does not.
The Highlanders have been hit with an injury blow as Liam Squire has been ruled out for the remainder of the Super Rugby Aotearoa season. #SuperRugbyAotearoa https://t.co/6SAJJqdG0p
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It would be nonsense to suggest that Michael Cheika could coach the Waratahs again and not have to work in some capacity with incumbent Wallabies coach Dave Rennie and Johnson both of whom were Castle appointees and lieutenants.
Therein lies the anxiety and the intrigue considering the understood acrimony in the Castle-Cheika relationship.
At a time where Australian rugby appears to be finding some traction, the blistering issue is the Waratahs. Australian rugby needs their side in the Sydney sporting market to be successful if rugby is to continue a resurgence in Australia.
Yet, the answer to that problem could be in itself a problem to the broader Australian game as Cheika distinctly is his own man and his way does not appear conducive to that of the Rennie-Johnson era thus far.
As Cheika told The Times in 2020: “In a footy team there can only be one boss, that’s all there is to it.”
RA chairman Hamish McLennan and CEO Andy Marinos would certainly have a challenge on their hands if New South Wales were to usher in the second coming of Cheika, but Waratahs are in need of their messiah now more than ever.
Comments on RugbyPass
Wasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
3 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
3 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
3 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
30 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
3 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusaders , you can keep going.
3 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
30 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
30 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
30 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
30 Go to comments