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    Champion Contributor chook's Avatar
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    Boned, beige, off-white, ivory, boned

    Sacked: Waratahs call full-time on McKenzie

    By Grumbles Growden




    Ewen McKenzie's five-year reign as Waratahs coach will finish at the end of the Super 14 season. The NSW Rugby Union is scheduled to make an announcement at lunchtime today that his contract will not be renewed. It is understood NSWRU chief executive Jim L'Estrange met McKenzie yesterday, and the discussion between the pair had been "amicable".


    However, McKenzie was told the NSWRU had decided his coaching contract would finish at the end of July.
    NSW officials were adamant last night that McKenzie would not be replaced before the end of the season, and that the Waratahs hierarchy had never had any intention of "cutting him" before the completion of the Super 14. "Ewen will definitely see the season out," an influential NSW official said.


    A replacement is not expected to be named today, but the strong favourite is the Waratahs assistant coach Todd Louden. From the start of this year's Super 14, sources have said that Louden would be the next Waratahs coach, especially as he was involved in the Bulls winning last year's title. Louden, who was the Bulls attack coach, has been the favourite of many NSW powerbrokers for some time.


    The decision would not have come as a surprise to McKenzie who, after taking the team to consecutive play-offs, including the 2005 final, has seen the Waratahs taper off dramatically. The Waratahs finished 13th in last year's Super 14.


    NSW officials had also made it clear this year they wanted the team to be far more attack-orientated. Several recent lacklustre performances, particularly against the Crusaders in Christchurch two rounds ago, effectively ended any chance of McKenzie surviving for a sixth season.


    After the meeting, McKenzie attended a junior coaching seminar at North Sydney Oval last night and was in good spirits. He joked with the media and almost seemed relieved that at last he had some direction about his future.
    It was also apparent that he was focused on Saturday night's match against the Auckland Blues at the Sydney Football Stadium, even starting some mind games with the opposition coach, David Nucifora.


    Apart from duelling for victory in this important Super 14 match, McKenzie and Nucifora are candidates to replace Pat Howard as the head of the Australian Rugby Union's high performance unit.
    Although Nucifora is an overwhelming favourite to take the position, McKenzie is the next-best option, especially if the Blues coach cannot come to terms with the ARU.


    Before that decision is made, McKenzie believes he may have a way to effectively needle Nucifora and his team, by doing what the South African teams have done to the Blues in recent games: irritate them at the breakdown and disrupt their momentum.


    McKenzie has taken notice of complaints by Nucifora over how recent opponents have been able to stifle the Blues by being prepared to concede a succession of short-arm penalties at the breakdown to slow their ball. As well, Nucifora believes they have been unfairly refereed at scrums, arguing that against the Bulls last weekend, their All Blacks prop Tony Woodcock "obviously can't scrummage any more".


    Due to the turmoil surrounding his position, McKenzie said yesterday he was not reading the press. But someone has clearly passed the Nucifora complaints on to him.


    "You have to watch those games and say, 'Well, what works?'," McKenzie said. "Obviously the last two teams that have played the Blues have been able to put a fair bit of pressure on them. So it would be silly not to look at that and think, 'There's an effective strategy'.


    "Whether we choose to do that or not is another question. But you've got to recognise what's effective. And if he [Nucifora] is annoyed by it, then that's probably not a bad thing."


    The Waratahs will not name a team until Thursday, but there is expected to be only minor tinkering, with No.8 David Lyons in line for a reserves spot after last weekend playing for the first time in six months.
    "David hasn't had a lot of footy, but we will definitely consider him as an option, coming into at least the 22," McKenzie said.


    Benn Robinson is likely to hold on to the loosehead prop spot, over highly-rated Sekope Kepu.

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    Gigsa made me do it



    "He who conquers others is strong; he who conquers himself is mighty." – Lao Tzu

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    Its the right call to make. I mean where exactly were the Waratahs going to go from here? Perhaps I am being a little harsh but I think a lot of McKenzie's success came from taking over the reins from Bob Dwyer. A new coach with some new ideas will get the ball rolling again.

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    Immortal GIGS20's Avatar
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    This is a week earlier than I thought but it was an inevitability. Unfortunately Chook it spells bad news for either you ro my hair, because these situations tend to go one of two ways
    1. The team goes "well, that's the season then" and starts booking their end of season trip
    2. The team suddenly develops a work ethic and starts to do all the things their coach was telling them to do......beating all and sundry and making the decision look bad!


    I'm betting on the former! it's just more in character

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    C'mon the

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    Veteran Swee_82's Avatar
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    Seems an awfully destabilising thing to do, smack bang in teh middle of the season, when as far i know the Tahs are still able to make the finals (aren't they? mathematically at least?)

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    Immortal jargan83's Avatar
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    I think so.

    i win $$$$ i bet that Mckenzie would get the arse before Nathan Brown with a mate of mine

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    Veteran Swee_82's Avatar
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    I dare say poor old Browny won't last the season- on current form he may not last the month

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    Immortal jargan83's Avatar
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    Sadly it looks that way

    he never had a chance. I think the only thing that could save him would be a premiership.

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    Veteran force addict's Avatar
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    sorry but who is nathan brown? not the footballer?

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    Be There. Be Heard. Be The Force Behind The Force

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    Immortal jargan83's Avatar
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    No, coach of St George Illawarra dragons, Rugby League side i follow with the same enthusiasm as the Force

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    Veteran Swee_82's Avatar
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    jargs, news.com is already annoucing that Bennett has signed with the Dragons, so that bet might not be safe yet

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    Champion MI5_Dog's Avatar
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    I'm a bit of a St George fan.
    In as much as I'm very pleased when they beat Parramatta.

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    Immortal jargan83's Avatar
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    I heard that yesterday on the news yesterday. Can you please post it in the other sports section. Even if it's true, Bennett will see out the year at Brisbane, so long as the tahs have a press conference to annouce it the bet will be sweet


    i find it much more amusing when the beat Brisbane, still remember 92 & 93

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    Veteran Swee_82's Avatar
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    don't mention 92 and 93... and definately not 99 (stupid penalty try )


    don't worry dudes... I'll quit talking league now

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    Immortal jargan83's Avatar
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    Getting back to the topic, i think its disruptive to sack a coach half way through the season. But obviously the powers that be down at the NSWRU don't think so.

    I'm sure everyone remembers when QLD sacked/said the coach was not going to be renewed before the season had even started in 2006 (i think). Then they hired Eddie Jones......................oh wait it's getting worse

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    Bloody amazing...they are sitting more or less equal with us on points, still well within range of a finals spot, and they sack the coach because their style isn't entertaining enough??? Surely there was plenty of time for that after the season finished - again, makes me wonder whether he was going regardless and the timing was about pushing him forward for the HPU job.

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