Strong moves to overthrow O'Neill

[russ13]

Strong moves to overthrow O'Neill
Peter Jenkins in Sydney, rugby union
27nov03

A BACKROOM coup to remove Australian Rugby Union boss John O'Neill has the game on the verge of controversy.


The Courier-Mail was told last night members of the ARU board and a faction within the NSW Rugby Union are keen for O'Neill to depart with one year still to run on his contract.

One source said the issue had been discussed in secret for almost three months and continued to bubble just days after O'Neill was lauded for delivering the most successful World Cup in history.

He announced on Monday the ARU would be guaranteed a $45 million windfall from the tournament, which was staged alone by Australia after New Zealand was stripped of hosting rights last year.

It is understood friction between O'Neill and NSWRU officials dates back to a speech he made in Sydney several months ago when he called for a broom to be put through the state union's administration.

The ARU saved the NSWRU from falling into the hands of receivers when it delivered a $5 million bail-out package three years ago.

Under the conditions of the loan, a five-man Special Executive Committee, with O'Neill as chairman, was established to run the NSWRU until the money was repaid.

The final instalment was made two months ago with the NSWRU board taking back the reins and disbanding the SEC on October 29.

But the O'Neill speech, where he called on existing officials to fall on their swords and bring in new faces with fresh ideas when the handover took place, angered several NSW powerbrokers.

There is also speculation that a report commissioned by O'Neill in August to look at the ARU's future after the World Cup further fuelled the angst.

A number of officials are said to have been annoyed that a recommendation within the report suggested one option for the ARU board, after the World Cup, would be to extend O'Neill's contract beyond 2004.

The Courier-Mail has been told there are ARU board members – the elected officials and ultimate decision makers within the game – who believe O'Neill, as a paid employee, wields too much power over the code in this country.

O'Neill does sit on the nine-man board – presently reduced to eight after the recent resignation of NSW official Chris Zucker – through his role as managing director. But the board can have him removed from the organisation by a vote of no confidence.

 

[grayham]

O'Neill should go. By poaching the WC off NZ, he basically threw away any chance of Australia getting another team in the Super 12, which is far more important to growing the game of rugby, than a one-off event like the WC. Only days after the final, rugby has disappeared from the newspapers.

 

[ozbash]

i think the clowns at the NZRFU poached it off themselves and gave it to the aussies..

i thought o'neill had done a pretty good job....

 

[Dean Moriarty]

I'm not sure I agree, grayham. While another S12 team would be good for Australian rugby union, the game's biggest problems are not at that level. It is the yawning chasm between S12 and club rugby that really needs to be addressed - the additional funds the ARU has got from shafting NZ gives them the means to do this.

As much as he annoys people, both from other codes within his own code, I think he is a bloody good administrator. The media profile of the game here, given the limited amount they have to base it on, is outstanding.

 

[Auckland4ever]

The NZRU kept stuffing the process around to the point of where the cup was in danger of being relocated to the northern hemisphere. O'Neill basically took the ball & ran with it & made the cup a success.

He aint the most likeable person in the world, & I'm sick to death of hearing him take pot-shots at RL, but the guy gets things done & he's a straight shooter. No wonder rugby boards around the world hate his guts.

 

[grayham]

I'm not sure I agree, grayham. While another S12 team would be good for Australian rugby union, the game's biggest problems are not at that level. It is the yawning chasm between S12 and club rugby that really needs to be addressed - the additional funds the ARU has got from shafting NZ gives them the means to do this.

As much as he annoys people, both from other codes within his own code, I think he is a bloody good administrator. The media profile of the game here, given the limited amount they have to base it on, is outstanding.

There is a yawning chasm between AFL and VFL/SANFL/etc, and the same between NRL and NSW/QLD comps.
The key thing for a sport is constant access at a high level. AFL and NRL do it. The wallabies cant, so the S12 has to. But collectively Aussie S12 teams play about 20 games in australia full stop, just in three cities.

 

[Dean Moriarty]

There is a yawning chasm between AFL and VFL/SANFL/etc, and the same between NRL and NSW/QLD comps.
The key thing for a sport is constant access at a high level. AFL and NRL do it. The wallabies cant, so the S12 has to. But collectively Aussie S12 teams play about 20 games in australia full stop, just in three cities.

I know what you mean but I don't think the gap between AFL and VFL is as big as that between S12 and the Toohey's Cup.

But I agree that union needs to have its product on show for more weeks of the year than it currently does. The league season started in March and effectively finished last week with the final Ashes test. AFL covers much the same period. The union season is much shorter and more sporadic, even counting the international fixtures. It's hard to get passionate about a team that you only see for a small part of the year.

Another S12 side would spread the games around the country a bit more but only in that short March to May window. That's why I think the domestic competition is the more crucial issue.