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'We've seen that neither of those things have been forthcoming - patience or financial resources': Jilted Rob Penney unleashes on Waratahs decision-makers
After 18 months of poor results, head coach Rob Penney has been sacked by the Waratahs – but Penney has suggested that there are far bigger issues at play at the New South Wales club than the standard of coaching.
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Following successful stints with Canterbury (four provincial premierships), Munster and NTT Communications Shining Arcs, Penney’s arrival at the Waratahs was expected to usher in a new era of success but the reality has been quite the opposite.
Since Penney’s entry at the start of 2020, the Waratahs have recorded just five wins from 19 matches – against the Lions, Reds, Rebels and Western Force (twice). That 26 per cent win-rate is a smidge better than Michael Foley’s four wins from 16 games back in 2012, but is otherwise the worst record for any Waratahs coach since the team’s inception in 1996.
Penney, who was halfway through a three-year contract, has had little time to stamp his mark on the team, however, and has now taken aim at some members of the Waratahs’ upper management for essentially hog-tying the coach during his 18-month stint.
“I think there are other people in governance positions that should be held to account,” Penney told the Sydney Morning Herald.
“The decisions made by people in positions of governance have caused a situation and they feel they need to be seen to make a change because there has been some horrific results. In their eyes, the head coach has to take the fall.”
One such decision includes culling AUD 1 million from the Waratahs’ budget last season due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic – despite Australia’s other four clubs continuing to spend freely.
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“Getting a million dollars taken out of the budget at the back-end of COVID is probably going to cost this organisation more [in the long run],” Penney said. “We were dealing with recruitment with a million dollars less than everybody else.
“For the people who made those decisions, who walked away and thought it was the right thing to do, they just need to reflect on their role within that decision-making. There was some talk of the Waratahs needing to remain solvent, but why didn’t other states seem to have any trouble remaining solvent and recruiting?”
The Waratahs have had to manage without experienced operators such as Michael Hooper (Japan), Kurtley Beale (France), Rob Simmons, Jed Holloway and Ned Hanigan (all England) in 2021 while they also lost Sekope Kepu, Tatafu Polota-Nau, Nick Phipps, Bernard Foley and Adam Ashley-Cooper for Penney’s first year in charge.
That experience has been replaced with unquestionable talent – but there remain few long-term leaders in the side.
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It's been six years since Michael Cheika last took charge of the Waratahs, but could be the man to bring glory back to New South Wales? #SuperRugbyAU https://t.co/71VkVemQav
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) March 29, 2021
Penney suggested he was made a scapegoat by the organisation for poor results when other senior decision-makers needed to be held accountable, including chairman Roger Davis.
“The chairman told me ‘money is no object here, Sydney is a big place, if you need some stuff and support, we’ll be able to get it’,” Penney said. “The other side of the coin was [I was told] there will be patience because of the age profile of the group.
“Well, 18 months later, we’ve seen that neither of those things have been forthcoming – patience or financial resources – to be able to put this group together properly.”
David, however, has rejected Penney’s take on the situation.
“I’m sorry Rob feels the way he does and understand the pain but many of the assertions are either inaccurate, not time sensitive or disingenuous,” Davis send in a text to the Sydney Morning Herald. Our focus now is on the future and building a successful high-performance team.”
Assistant coaches Chris Whitaker and Jason Gilmore have been appointed as interim replacements for Penney, who will return to New Zealand to reunite with his family.
Comments on RugbyPass
Firstly the foul on Bongi was a planned move just like the NZ master plan with Bryce Lawrence you kiwis are filthy fux perhaps try to play a cleaner game next time I doubt that’s possible tho but don’t worry world rugby is on yr side they trying to take away all the BOKS strengths to help all you weakling as Jeremy Clarkson would say LA OO ZA ERR..🤣
99 Go to commentsAbsolutely spot on Ben. I certainly wouldn't gloat over a win like that. Frustrating as it is it's done and dusted and history will forever show the result.
99 Go to commentsHo hum.
99 Go to commentsNo question they were the better team. But that is the beauty of sport isn’t it!
99 Go to commentsEveryone is into Hurling in Ireland according to Porter, but only 11 of Ireland's 32 counties enter a team into the national competition. Same old blarney.
1 Go to commentsLet’s be honest. The draw and scheduling in the World Cup was a joke but South Africa found a way after having to go the hard (nearly impossible) way to the Cup Final via France and England. NZ had a hard game against France (lost) and had 5 weeks to prepare for the Quarter, 3 weeks knowing it was Ireland. NZ theerfore had to win one big game against an Irish team who played SA and then Scotland 7 days before. They won and it was de facto a semi final because they were playing a relatively weak Argentina team and it was a walk over. In the final a very rested NZ team was playing a very tired SA team and still lost. They couldn’t score more than 11 points. Put another way SA had to find a way to win while tired and they achieved that. NZ should thank their lucky stars that they fixed the scheduling in 2015 otherwise they would be dealing with a Bok treble.
99 Go to commentsPerhaps if Bongi wasn’t targeted and removed from the game in the first 3 minutes it would have been quite a different game. Maybe if NZ also faced the same competition the Boks faced to their win NZ would have looked quite different. The final score shows who outplayed who.
99 Go to commentsRubbish article! Abuladze played most of Exeters matches when fit. He got injured against Glasgow a while ago and is out for the rest of the season, thats why he hasnt played for Exeter and Georgia recently. Do some proper research next time!
1 Go to commentsGotta love it when kids throw their toys out the pram and can’t hack it with the grown ups debate. Here’s looking at you turlough! 😉🤣
148 Go to commentsThey lost the game period move on
99 Go to commentsSpringboks won! Stop winging. You can change the game however much you and your rugby colonizing IRB want to and the Springboks will win you at that too. Your mind is colonized my friend get a life
99 Go to commentsBen, nobody gets fooled anymore by selective and biased data to support an hypothesis. Games are decided on such small margins these days that you win some and lose some, and dominance is a thing of the rugby past. Look at the RWC circle of fortune…. Ireland beats SA who beat France who beat NZ who beat Ireland. And so it goes on. Match officials help to eliminate real indiscretions. If they had been with us years before, no doubt results would have been different. Remember Andy Haden’s dive from a lineout in 1978 for which a match-wining penalty was awarded? Wales should have beaten the ABs that day. They took the loss like the gentlemen they were.
99 Go to commentsWith all the analysis and how good the all blacks were.The fundamental mistake with the ABs is that this is a test match and not an exhibition.There is no better team(country) in world rugby than the Boks that knows how to win a test match(we are post masters at this).We know our rules, we have the discipline, we tackle like beasts, we take our points and we never give up.I now have educated the ABs supporters(at least say thank you).Please stop “bitching” , accept what the outcome is and move along swiftly.
99 Go to commentsAnd they came from behind to win two big games before the final. No one can say what would have happened. Had the boks gone behind the game plan changes and the result may changes. Ifs and ands are irrelevant. The boks won. Neutral critics enjoyed the games they played. Its not a popularity contest. Get over it and move on.
99 Go to commentsI'm happy for the people of SA to get a second WC. And I mean that. I was very disappointed with this man's “stand on the hand” incident with Josh Van Der Flyer (Ireland). Ireland's downfall in the last WC was they did not rotate their first 15 as the head coach probably should have. That said, I'm happy for SA and genuinely hope it lifts the mood in their country. Ireland did beat them in the first match of the tournament. And before the trolls start trolling ….. please don't bother. Etzbeth said recently that the Irish players said after the match “see you in the final”…..this was actually wishing the SA team the best of luck in the rest, the Irish team were not dismissing the AB’s. This is what Etzbeth was implying. But he was wrong. I no longer live in Ireland. But I hope to see them lift that cup before I pass. Anyway, congratulations SA. 👍
12 Go to commentsMore bloody click bait. Dan Carter has said absolutely nothing. As he should do. Poor journalism again from a site that should know better
9 Go to commentsOh god please help these loosers get over it!!!! You lost. Doesn't matter how many times you dummies are gonna analyse the game, you still lost and we are still Rygby World Champions….get over it, you lost.
99 Go to commentsThe next Willie le Roux. SA are made not to use him.
3 Go to commentsDan has always been as controversial as tea with milk so we were never going to get any definitive answer. So DMac for the win.
9 Go to commentsGoodness. When are the All Blacks and New Zealand commentators going to stop complaining about how they could have won and just try to win next time 😂. In South Africa if you lose you get up and try again. Get over it.
99 Go to comments