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NSW 'blocked' appointment
By Peter Jenkins
February 2, 2006
A FORMER Australian Rugby Union (ARU) powerbroker has revealed why John Connolly was overlooked as Australia coach 10 years ago.
Interstate bitterness sunk to Cold War levels as New South Wales officials voted as a bloc to install Waratahs coach Greg Smith to the Test position in the game's first professional year.
Queenslanders were outraged as Smith - sacked within two seasons - emerged as the shock successor to long-serving Bob Dwyer.
With Connolly anointed today as the next Wallabies coach, ex-boardroom heavyweight Ron Meagher - on the boards of both the NSW and Australian unions - revealed just how close the Queenslander was in 1996.
NSW dominated the ARU, with five of 14 votes to Queensland's three.
"I remember this great debate at a meeting of NSW board members at Concord Oval," Meagher told The Daily Telegraph last night.
"Greg Smith had been appointed NSW coach before his name came up for the Australian job.
"And while there was a general opinion around the table Connolly probably deserved to be Australian coach, we felt we were obliged to support Greg. "We had appointed Greg over (Chris Hawkins) for the NSW job and the opinion was if we didn't support him for the Australian job, too, we'd be some sort of turncoats.
"It wasn't a vote on who was the better man. In fact Greg hadn't done that well to that point. It certainly wasn't a fait accompli and there was some empathy for Connolly.
"But we felt if Greg had our support for one position he should have it for another (so we) did the usual NSW bloc vote."
Meagher remembers the decision had Queensland officials fuming.
"They argued Connolly had been around a lot longer than Smith and should be given a go," he said.
"I suppose in the end a few of us were embarrassed we didn't go with Connolly.
"And in hindsight, we were wrong. But no one was aware that Greg wasn't well, even back then."
Smith, whose erratic behaviour while Wallabies coach caused concerns behind the scenes, was diagnosed with a brain tumour after his dismissal at the end of the Tri-Nations series in 1997. He died in 2002.
Now, 10 years after helping to block Connolly's path to the coaching post, Meagher claims the Queenslander is the man to take the Wallabies to the 2007 World Cup.
"If I was on the board now, I'd support Connolly," he said. "The bloke is the standout contender."
http://foxsports.news.com.au/story/0,8659,18011816-23217,00.html
By Peter Jenkins
February 2, 2006
A FORMER Australian Rugby Union (ARU) powerbroker has revealed why John Connolly was overlooked as Australia coach 10 years ago.
Interstate bitterness sunk to Cold War levels as New South Wales officials voted as a bloc to install Waratahs coach Greg Smith to the Test position in the game's first professional year.
Queenslanders were outraged as Smith - sacked within two seasons - emerged as the shock successor to long-serving Bob Dwyer.
With Connolly anointed today as the next Wallabies coach, ex-boardroom heavyweight Ron Meagher - on the boards of both the NSW and Australian unions - revealed just how close the Queenslander was in 1996.
NSW dominated the ARU, with five of 14 votes to Queensland's three.
"I remember this great debate at a meeting of NSW board members at Concord Oval," Meagher told The Daily Telegraph last night.
"Greg Smith had been appointed NSW coach before his name came up for the Australian job.
"And while there was a general opinion around the table Connolly probably deserved to be Australian coach, we felt we were obliged to support Greg. "We had appointed Greg over (Chris Hawkins) for the NSW job and the opinion was if we didn't support him for the Australian job, too, we'd be some sort of turncoats.
"It wasn't a vote on who was the better man. In fact Greg hadn't done that well to that point. It certainly wasn't a fait accompli and there was some empathy for Connolly.
"But we felt if Greg had our support for one position he should have it for another (so we) did the usual NSW bloc vote."
Meagher remembers the decision had Queensland officials fuming.
"They argued Connolly had been around a lot longer than Smith and should be given a go," he said.
"I suppose in the end a few of us were embarrassed we didn't go with Connolly.
"And in hindsight, we were wrong. But no one was aware that Greg wasn't well, even back then."
Smith, whose erratic behaviour while Wallabies coach caused concerns behind the scenes, was diagnosed with a brain tumour after his dismissal at the end of the Tri-Nations series in 1997. He died in 2002.
Now, 10 years after helping to block Connolly's path to the coaching post, Meagher claims the Queenslander is the man to take the Wallabies to the 2007 World Cup.
"If I was on the board now, I'd support Connolly," he said. "The bloke is the standout contender."
http://foxsports.news.com.au/story/0,8659,18011816-23217,00.html
