The end is near for Gregan

[aussies1st]

Since Gregan won't retire, Jones is finally going to give him the sack if he is still coach next year.

AUSTRALIAN coach Eddie Jones has given the first indication he will dump George Gregan if the Wallaby captain does not retire after tomorrow morning's tour-ending Test against Wales.

While Jones faces a battle to save his own career, he hinted last night if he was still in charge next year then generational change was set to claim the 32-year-old halfback.


The glimpse of the coach's future plans came during an interview with The Daily Telegraph on the challenge confronting Jones.

Jones was defending his ongoing selection of Gregan on tour - even though the worst kept secret in the game is that three months ago he wanted to overlook the 12-season veteran for the trip.

"There are three things I do," said Jones. "I select, I coach and I manage.

"We've been selecting the team that we believe is the right team at this particular time. That's not necessarily going to be the same team in June 2006.

"You go through periods of development [with the Wallabies blooding nine uncapped players on the tour] and I think George has certainly been the right halfback and the right captain for this period of time."

The inference was clear. Only his vast experience has led Gregan to this point - an appearance against Wales in Cardiff and a 50th Test as captain. Jones further fuelled the theory when explaining a dip in results was destined to hit the Wallabies after prolonged success had been followed by retirements or the overseas departures of several long-serving players.

According to Jones, a number of experienced heads were then required to assist in the transition to a new generation.


"We've got a gap in our team between experience and inexperience and that's the thing we're grappling with at the moment," he said.

"Tours like this help. You narrow that gap and by 2006 we'll have a balance in the squad that will be more conducive to consistent performance. At the end of the day the thing that's let us down is our consistency of performance."

But when asked about the criticism Gregan has endured, Jones lauded his skipper.

"He's had a career that's been dogged by speculation about his future, from basically his first Test," said Jones. "He's got through 117 Tests and now 50 as captain."

While sources suggested earlier this week that Gregan would announce his retirement before the Welsh Test, the player denied he had any such plans.

But highly-placed figures in the Wallaby ranks have since told The Daily Telegraph they believe it is only a matter of time and Gregan's manager Robert Joske is waiting for the right moment to announce the exit. Whatever the outcome of the Australian Rugby Union's review next month, Gregan's Test career will end in Wales.

The Daily Telegraph

http://foxsports.news.com.au/story/0,8659,17366858-23217,00.html

 

[blackfriday]

*waits for skeepe aka. georgie the best halfback in the world gregan to defend himself*

 

[skeepe]

George will still be there next year, Jones or not.

 

[aussies1st]

Gregan is gone. Ewen McKenzie loves Whits as Jones loves Gregan. Gregan is gone!

 

[skeepe]

I'm surprised you think MacKenzie won't pick Gregan. The two have played together for a fair number of games, Ewen knows how good George is.

 

[lockyno1]

I'm surprised you think MacKenzie won't pick Gregan. The two have played together for a fair number of games, Ewen knows how good George is.

Gregan was good....5 YEARS AGO! He is way past it and McKensie or any other coach who will take over will realise that!

 

[skeepe]

Jones hasn't realised it, and apart from Rod Macqueen, Jones is the best coach in the country.

If Gregan was past it 5 years ago how the hell did we get so close to a world cup win? Fluke?

 

[blackfriday]

if gregan was still good, we might have actually won the world cup. remember when chris whittaker came on for the last five mins against the ABs in the semi, and how he actually provided quick ball for the backs to spread and how we scored towards the end to wrap it all up?

 

[aqua_duck]

Jones hasn't realised it, and apart from Rod Macqueen, Jones is the best coach in the country.

If Gregan was past it 5 years ago how the hell did we get so close to a world cup win? Fluke?

You make it sound like GG defeated the All Blacks by himself.

 

[lockyno1]

Jones hasn't realised it, and apart from Rod Macqueen, Jones is the best coach in the country.

If Gregan was past it 5 years ago how the hell did we get so close to a world cup win? Fluke?

Jones is just a twit. It will be good to see the back of him he just plain outright sucks! I sit and watch the game and I don't see any creative plays being put on, all I see is smash it up the middle, turnover, they score. Why he persists with the plan of hitting it up in the forwards is beyond me when we have great outside backs puzzles me to say the least. And WTF was he smoking when he put George Smith at no8!

The last time I looked we didn't win the World Cup. Getting close means nothing really. Macqueen won the World Cup, Jones and Gregan couldn't even beat the poms!

 

[skeepe]

Macqueen won the World Cup, Jones and Gregan couldn't even beat the poms!

Nobody else could beat the Poms at that world cup either you twat. Australia came the closest with a draw at the end of regulation time.

Add to that the front row had been destabilised somewhat by the loss of Ben Darwin - a player that we still have not found an adequate replacement for.

When you consider the forward pack that England had, we did bloody well.

 

[aussies1st]

It was a World Cup. There is no place for oh we drew at the end of regulation time, oh we lost Ben Darwin. Its all or nothing, we should have had backup for Darwin. We should have won the WC not be the team that came closest. No one is going to remember Aus being close, or their amazing effort to compete with England. All they will remember is England beat Aus in the WC 2003.

 

[skeepe]

They will, of course they will. But like I said in the other thread - what coach would have done better? You're becoming increasingly irrational over this debate, much like your favourite two Sydney rugby writers.

 

[lockyno1]

They will, of course they will. But like I said in the other thread - what coach would have done better? You're becoming increasingly irrational over this debate, much like your favourite two Sydney rugby writers.

Lets see Jones' record why don't we away from home, 1 win out of the last 9, and something like 8 wins in 30 away whilst he has had the job! Simly not good enough. And what makes his coaching awful is that he continues to put crap players in the side, Dunning, Baxter, Chisolm, Smith at no8, Sailor! FFS that is the coach's fault. And that doesn't include Gregan who is well past it and should have retires after the 03' World Cup. It is time to move on for both Jones and George!

 

[blackfriday]

georgie, why do you keep referring to two sydney rugby writers. i have said this before but men that are knowledgable about the game of rugby such as spiro zavos, peter fitzsimons and greg growden have said pretty much said the same thing as the murdoch men: jones is in deep trouble and gregan is playing poorly. there is no conspiracy theory here, just that your incredible canberra biased has rotted your brain completely to the point you must suffering some adverse mental condition that places inferior brumbies people on a pedastal. do you even listen to what everyone on this forum is even saying?

 

[aussies1st]

Any coach that was willing to blood youth. Look what Henry is doing. If Henry wasn't the coach Mertz may still be playing 10 and a whole heap of oldies. But with Henry they are trying out the youth. Why isn't Eddie doing this? He has less to lose than Henry and clearly our front row is a problem. Why not bring some out of the blue prop and start him.

 

[skeepe]

Any coach that was willing to blood youth. Look what Henry is doing. If Henry wasn't the coach Mertz may still be playing 10 and a whole heap of oldies. But with Henry they are trying out the youth. Why isn't Eddie doing this? He has less to lose than Henry and clearly our front row is a problem. Why not bring some out of the blue prop and start him.

Did you even watch the European tour? Greg Holmes and David Fitter. Before the tour I would have said seeing those two start is out of the blue.

Jones IS blooding youth. Look at this year alone:

Greg Holmes
Tatafu Polota-Nau
Matt Henjak
Drew Mitchell
Lloyd Johansson
Adam Ashley-Cooper
Mark Gerrard
Rocky Elsom
Scott Fava
Hugh McMeniman
Stephen Moore
Cameron Shephard
David Fitter (ok a little older)

Not to mention others who went on the tour, such as:

Leroy Houston
Digby Ioane
Adam Wallace-Harrison

Yet more holes in your argument.

 

[lockyno1]

Did you even watch the European tour? Greg Holmes and David Fitter. Before the tour I would have said seeing those two start is out of the blue.

Jones IS blooding youth. Look at this year alone:

Greg Holmes
Tatafu Polota-Nau
Matt Henjak
Drew Mitchell
Lloyd Johansson
Adam Ashley-Cooper
Mark Gerrard
Rocky Elsom
Scott Fava
Hugh McMeniman
Stephen Moore
Cameron Shephard
David Fitter (ok a little older)

Not to mention others who went on the tour, such as:

Leroy Houston
Digby Ioane
Adam Wallace-Harrison

Yet more holes in your argument.

The problem is that he isn't starting with the youth all the time. Only Mitchell would have a case for starting regularly and possibly Fitter and McMeniman. That is not enough considering he has nothing to lose. So how is he blooding youth? He should be starting with half these players not just 2-3. I mean half the Wallabies side does not even deserve to be there anyway so why not blood some players.

Smith- back to the breakaway, bring in Fava full-time
Roe/Samo/Elsom at no6
Waugh on bench
Johanson has to start, he always makes an impact so he deserves a spot
Get rid of Cannon, put in Tatafu Polota-Nau
Sorry to say Skeepe get rid of Gregan and put Henjak or Valentine in there.

We have to take a few risks beacause this side will not win a world cup curently because:

a) Matt Dunning is in the side and he plain sucks
b) Slow service from halfback
c) No initiative coaching, set plays, etc. Stop bashing it up in the forwards when our forwards suck!
d) People playing out of position

Jones needs to go, becuase he is the reason why a, b, c, d are happening!

 

[aussies1st]

Did you even watch the European tour? Greg Holmes and David Fitter. Before the tour I would have said seeing those two start is out of the blue.

Jones IS blooding youth. Look at this year alone:

Greg Holmes
Tatafu Polota-Nau
Matt Henjak
Drew Mitchell
Lloyd Johansson
Adam Ashley-Cooper
Mark Gerrard
Rocky Elsom
Scott Fava
Hugh McMeniman
Stephen Moore
Cameron Shephard
David Fitter (ok a little older)

Not to mention others who went on the tour, such as:

Leroy Houston
Digby Ioane
Adam Wallace-Harrison

Yet more holes in your argument.

Henry blooded youth by starting them. He made 15 changes aka the whole starting lineup. What did Jones do?
Bearly any!

Fitter hardly young, Holmes he had to start and then he went straight back to Dunning when he clearly should have kept Holmes starting.
Johansson didn't start even when Giteau was injuried instead he presisted with "go missing" turini. He sticks with Cannon when Aus have the U21 player of the year on their bench.

Also he had to put these youth on the bench due too so many injuries. Do you think he would have done the same if there weren't so many injuries?

 

[skeepe]

Valentine? :lol:

What drugs are you on?

Get rid of Cannon agree, but Jeremy Paul would have been playing if it weren't for an injury. You know people seem to forget that the following were injured:

Bill Young
Jeremy Paul
Dan Vickerman
Rocky Elsom
Stirling Mortlock
Clyde Rathbone
Radike Samo
Stephen Larkham

Plus more that I can't think of off the top of my head. That's the nucleus of a very good side right there.

Oh and there's some more young players I forgot about who were part of the setup this year:

Lachlan McKay
Nic Henderson
Scott Daruda
Al Campbell
Brett Sheehan