Mitchell feels force and it's ugly

[Darren]

It's been a scorcher lately, but even hotter for Western Force Super 14 rugby coach John Mitchell.

The situation "Mitch" found himself in with his players threatening revolt and a judge investigating his future has been one of the stupidest in sport.

It's so weird I can't even be polite about it. Mitchell's gotta be the dumbest guy on the planet.

Can this dude not take a hint. Thirty players and 10 staff issue a vote of no confidence in him, and he still hangs on for grim death. Memo Mitch: that means they'd be pleased if you pissed off.

Mitchell, for all his hard work and dedication to rugby, has totally missed the point when it comes to the meaning of running a team. He was arrogant when All Blacks coach and it seems that trait has surfaced (again) overseas.

Mutual respect and a certain chemistry between a coach and his players underpins any good team. It's not a popularity contest players don't have to like a coach but they absolutely must respect him or her.

It's clear that Mitchell has lost that respect and the player-coach chemistry has been blown to smithereens. So the question begs to be answered: how in the world can he be an effective coach in an environment where his club restricts his contact with his own players? If you wrote this situation into a television soap opera people wouldn't buy it because it's so ridiculous. In Joseph Heller's classic novel Catch-22, if you flew suicidal combat missions you were crazy, so you didn't have to fly them. All you had to do was ask. But that's where the catch came in. Asking meant you were sane and therefore you had to fly.

The Western Force have created their very own classic coaching Catch-22. Coaching is a creative exercise, it is the art of getting people to do things they don't think they can do. A coach moves people, shakes them up, points out directions and leads. But to do that you've got to have some interaction with your team and Mitchell is now a coach without a united team.

With Damocles' sword hanging over his head just how much pressure can he put on his players before they cry harassment? Damned if you do and damned if you don't. It certainly doesn't get any more bizarre than that.

And Mitch appears to be his own worst enemy.

"It is going to require all of us to pull together to be totally committed and obligated in putting our hands up moving forward as a group, and caring about each other," he spouted last week.

Caring about each other? Come on John. Get a life. "I don't think I need to explain my style I have had success in the past with groups and there is no reason why we won't gain success here as a group going forward.

"I need to evolve my leadership going forward and I am looking forward to that." Pathetic really, that he can't see the handwriting on the wall. Western Force club administrators are no better. They remind me of the guy who wants to dump his girlfriend, but doesn't have the courage or guts to tell her that it's just not working between them, so he strings her along, treating her in such a shabby manner that eventually it becomes painfully obvious to her that this jerk is no longer interested.

Sport is black and white. It'll either be a good experience or a bad one, depending on the people running teams.

The major responsibility for making a team good is the coach and if Mitchell, by some stroke of insanity, hangs in with the Force, I certainly don't see their season being a bowl of laughs.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/4815247a2201.html

[thunderchicken9]

Everyone's entitled to an opinion, all we can hope for is that it is an informed one. If the Super 14 press is anything like American football, baseball, or basketball, and having read enough pieces like this while a member of this site to believe it is; then any requirement for an informed opinion is out the window. All any writer needs is to frame his/her piece as an editorial,(stated or implied) then one can write provacatively, basing said piece on kernels of truth, half-truths, and conjecture, based either on faulty logic or simple rumors. The only cure for editorials like this is winning.. Oh wait, that probably won't stop them either......

[Cowboy]

Strikes me that the kiwis are still pissed off at Mitch over 2003 and take delight at any problem he may have, otherwise why would they even be interested.

You lost, just like you did last time, let it go.

[Thequeerone]

Hold on - don't be so hard on them after all there is still 2011 to face

[jargan83]

what will be known as "the ultimate choke"
Posted via Mobile Device

[Burgs]

I think the author has missed the point a little and the article is already dated.
Mitchell was initially on planned break, which the media blew out of proportion, which was extended when the inquiry ran its course.
The fact that he was still able to observe training during this period would suggest that wasn't in the dog house that greatly.
Since then the team Captain and at least one other senior player has come out to say there is no problem that is either insermountable or will be detrimental to on field performance.
I seem to remember similar sources prenouncing the end of the world last year over the Henjak v Sare issue and we seemed to have a fairly good start to the season.
And yes Thunder, opinions are like arseholes, everyone has one.
Unfortunately not all of the ones in media do much research...

[shasta]

I'm not sure what the NZ Rugby public thought of John Mitchell as AB coach. What I do seem to remember is that he did not have much of a relationship with the media. Not really a bad one, more that he couldn't be arsed "feeding the chooks". I think maybe that was part of the reason he was dumped. Maybe this bloke has been waiting a few years to give the knife a bit more of a twist.

The thing that is most obvious to me in this situation is how tight the ship seems to be. No real leaks anywhere AFAIK. The media are as pissed off and guessing like hell. Unfortunately only time will tell how this is going to work out. Patience, patience.

[GIGS20]

Like I said during the Henners-Sare thing, wait for the evidence, anything before that is speculation.....Now if some minor staff writer from New Zealand, who apparently lost a bundle on the '03 World Cup wants to speculate, that's fine but to be fair, there's just as good a chance that the inquiry and resultant limitation of Mitch's duties (which would have been the first thing a QC would have required before taking on the job) has been put in place to answer media speculation and clear Mitch's name after the Brumbies match (because we all know that's not going to go away without some pushing)

Mitch has never been popular with the media.....he doesn't play the game, of course the media will attempt to paint everything in the worst possible light....stuff 'em....he has the right to the job unless this inquiry finds something untoward. Till then, we're just recirculating hot air!

[Flamethrower]

It seems to me that Mitch doesn't tolerate fools and the fools like to scream about it.

[GIGS20]

Are you calling the media loudmouthed fools?

[blindsid3]

Its been a long time between posts, but I feel it is time to chip in on this one. I have watched this debate since its onset and find it amusing that there are so many misinformed but well meaning comments being made on this saga.

Fact: Mitchell is under independent investigation for allegations of INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOUR.

He is not under investigation for Innappropriate coaching or any of the other derivatives that have appeared on these pages.

I ask you all - if your boss was engaging in INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOUR in your workplace, wouldn't you want it investigated as well?

Would you expect the public or your company's shareholders to tell you to "drink a cup of concrete and harden up" or "dry your eyes princess" or any of the other inane comments that have appeared on these pages? That the complaints have come from non-playing staff as well as players means that they need to be investigated thoroughly and properly and it seems that is what EWF are undertaking at the moment.

As a fan I expect nothing less, and you can guarantee that work-cover will want the alleagtions thoroughly investigated as well. Continued INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOUR in the workplace can invariably lead to work-cover claims as staff take stress leave and management failure to act on those may result in lawsuits down the track.

Perhaps it is wiser to say nothing and be considered a fool than to speak (on a topic of which we are all uninformed - deliberately so there will be no/little trial by media) than on the tabling of the report be proven one without all doubt.

[Thequeerone]

blindsid3 hope the examples you mention are not the reason - as you say time will tell - workplace bullying is no longer tolerated and has been shown to be counter productive - however mates often say inappropriate things to each other maybe some lines have been crossed but from comments made by Sharpie and others
1:the situation is not irrecoverable
2: Nobody outside the will ever really know

- and that makes me real happy cause these lads need to be passionate to do what they do and like other mortals on this planet some stuff just needs to be private and above all the silence shows us that they are a cohesive group and have some respect for each other.

Column inches at this time of year is brilliant - more peps know about the Force the better - personally would rather the spin was on their incredible chances for finals this year - we have never had so much depth of talent - and Mitch and team have done an incredible job of nurturing new talent.

[BDAVEY]

Mich shoots from the hip and some of these EWF boys are not use to this there are some young boys there who have risen quickly to professional rugby. Mich got the arse from the AB because of his relationship or lack of with the major sponsors. I think he will come out of all this spectulation ok and u will see a few pretty boys pack thier bags next season or even mid season!!!
Looking forward to Friday and lets get on with the season. Actually looking forward to 2010 and watching rugby at MES

[slomo]

The Western Force have created their very own classic coaching Catch-22.

And Mitch appears to be his own worst enemy.



http://www.stuff.co.nz/4815247a2201.html

this aint the first time ive bought into this debate, JM im sure is a great guy but youve got to judge him on his past record At EWF... i will say once again with mitchell as coach we've finished last, 7th then 8th...putting the upcoming season aside for one minute the biggest problem we have now is that at the end of this season we will have 21 (could be as high as 29 depending on your source) of squad out of contract, how many of them will be happy to re-sign knowing that JM is coach for the length of their new contracts?.......when 30 of them have issued a vote of no confidence in him.....as for blindsides post i think he hit the nail on the head there is no place for innappropriate behaviour in any workplace sporting or not...

[laura]

The squad last year was approx 32 players, from all of the statements/interviews from players; Matt Giteau, Drew Mitchell and Nathan Sharpe have all said they didn't vote or weren't asked about John Mitchell. So if my maths is right then that only leaves 29 players and from another comment (I think from Gits) saying that the Wallabies were away on tour & apparently had nothing to do with it, that leaves Ryan Cross, Richard Brown, Dave Pocock & James O'Connor out of the mix as well, leaving only 24 players who could have voted. So going by the statements from Gits, Sharpe and Drew, only 29 voted and while 1 vote is seemingly insignificant, I still wonder how accurate the 'facts' that we have been told, really are.

Any situation where the majority of employees have a problem with someone should be investigated but all the slagging off from the media and the guilty until proven innocent is a load of crap. It happens just about everyday, despite nothing new actually happening. Whatever happened to supporting the person who put together a team of 32 players and bought WA a rugby team to be proud of? Whatever happened to state pride, sure thing Mitch is a Kiwi but without him the Force wouldn't necessarily have just sent 7 players to represent Australia.

Back off and let the man do the job he's being payed for.