Force players, staff issue vote of no confidence in coach

[.X.]

I believe that Coach Mitchell is the most successful All Blacks Coach, Ever.

He was sacked after the 2003 RWC for not bringing the William Web Ellis Trophy back to NZ.

He was selected by a group of Rugby "heavy weights" including Former Wallabies Coach Rod McQueen and Former Wallabies Captains Phil Kearns and Simon Poidevin. At the time there was a huge debate over the merits of employing a non-Australian for the role.

WaratahHeyZeus the only reason you find it laughable that players wouldn't join a club to work with a coach is that your team only started playing well last year when they learnt that Link was leaving.

[jono]

leaving?

[Goldmember]

Happy new year everyone : - )
I think the coach has achieved more than most of the players have, so maybe they should prove themselves first?

[slomo]

Happy new year everyone : - )
I think the coach has achieved more than most of the players have, so maybe they should prove themselves first?

coach has achieved a lot more than some of the players, he set up TWF.COM after all....

[travelling_gerry]

http://www.watoday.com.au:80/sport/j...0105-79zv.html


January 5, 2009 - 7:31AM


Western Force coach John Mitchell will today be back on the training track with the players who are apparently pushing for him to be ousted - with confusion and conjecture likely to override any constructive preparations for 2009.

The Force will resume their pre-season training program with Wallabies Drew Mitchell, David Pocock and James O’Connor returning for their first session of the year alongside Mitchell.

But the former All Black will still be restricted in what he is allowed to do directly with the players he is supposed to be directing, with retired judge Robert Anderson continuing his inquiry into complaints by about the coach's abrasive style, with interviews still to be held with players and staff who have been on holiday over Christmas.

Reports surfaced yesterday that as many as 30 players at the club - possibly more - along with ten staff had issued a vote of no-confidence in the former All Black coach.

Club captain Nathan Sharpe is slated to speak at a press conference this morning, as the depth of discomfort between the playing group, the coaching staff and Mitchell continues to be speculated over.

WAtoday.com.au understands Sharpe and other senior players attended a barbecue at the skipper's house over the weekend, with the future of the club and its senior officials and players no doubt a discussion point over the griddle.

And a Force source admitted the timing of the Anderson inquiry had led to more confusion about Mitchell's future, with the delivery date of Judge Anderson's final report to the RugbyWA board yet to be confirmed despite the Super 14 season looming.

That meeting will likely decide Mitchell's future - with just 18 days until the Force's first pre-season trial match against the mighty Crusaders at Members Equity Stadium on January 23.

And with Matt Giteau not due back at training until next Monday, protégé O'Connor coming back to the club after being arrested following a nightclub incident on the Gold Coast, and Justice Anderson's inquiries continuing while CEO Greg Harris continues annual leave on the other side of the country, the vital year for the Force on-field will start with barely concealed turmoil.

A retired Supreme Court judge, Justice Anderson is no stranger to controversial sporting inquiries, having headed the investigation in 2004 that eventually clearing five of Australia's elite cyclists of drug use allegations.

The investigation came after banned rider Mark French accused five of his team mates - Graeme Brown, Jobie Dajka, Sean Eadie, Shane Kelly and Brett Lancaster - of injecting legal vitamins.

[waratahjesus]

I believe that Coach Mitchell is the most successful All Blacks Coach, Ever.

He was sacked after the 2003 RWC for not bringing the William Web Ellis Trophy back to NZ.

He was selected by a group of Rugby "heavy weights" including Former Wallabies Coach Rod McQueen and Former Wallabies Captains Phil Kearns and Simon Poidevin. At the time there was a huge debate over the merits of employing a non-Australian for the role.

WaratahHeyZeus the only reason you find it laughable that players wouldn't join a club to work with a coach is that your team only started playing well last year when they learnt that Link was leaving.

its laughable about the chest beating that goes on from WA that no other coach could do what mitchell has done. setting up a team from scratch is something that very few coaches have been giving the opportunity to do! there really isnt a comparison!

mitchell has had an open checkbook for recruiting in his second year, been handed an inflated wage himself and has failed to reach the finals in three seasons.

to say he is the most succesful all blacks coach is a lost argument, he has a high winning percentage but lets face it, he lost a semi! henry lost a quarter and they retained him! if mitchell was so good why was he let go?

mitchell has recruited a team full of players that were future stars when they signed on, he has had a hand polishing those players but to claim in 3 years that he has "made" stars or produced wallabies is a lie. the correct term should be that the force provided them with the opportunity to further there careers! (something a forth team anywhere in the country would have done!)

while he has done a good job, to say he is bigger than the team is funnier than most of my posts!

and to say the team only played well after link was let go last year is such a misinformed argument. we were winning all year, we were just playing dull footy, dull footy that led to us winning, i think you will find that the better rugby came when norton-knight came back from injury into fullback and provided us with an extra tactical kicker and some experience at the back.

[blueandblack]

...

to say he is the most succesful all blacks coach is a lost argument, he has a high winning percentage but lets face it, he lost a semi! henry lost a quarter and they retained him! if mitchell was so good why was he let go?
....

because nzru are stupid. They let go of the s14's winningst coach for the national team and retained a goose that no-one else wanted.

[Cowboy]

Maybe NZRU learnt that hitting the panic button after every problem doesn't help anything.

[waratahjesus]

maybe mitchell didnt see eye to eye with the players and other staff?

[joondalup dave]

"The club issued a statement thanking Mitchell for his success in guiding them to a cup final and semi-final in successive years, but the parting of the ways was undoubtedly less than harmonious.

Since arriving in England three years ago, Mitchell has been one of the more colourful figures in the domestic game, a reflection both of his "do it right or don't do it at all" approach to man-management and his status as one of the highest-paid coaches in the Premiership. Sale occasionally scaled the heights under his stewardship but despite the emergence of the odd high-class player, David Rees and Alex Sanderson in particular, he was unable to piece together a match-winning pack. The frustration was mutual: last week, Mitchell was roundly criticised at a players' meeting."

this is from "the independent" in the late 90's re sale rugby club.

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/r...h-1084486.html

[waratahjesus]

its all just a case of history repeating!

[shasta]

this is from "the independent" in the late 90's re sale rugby club.

Well, well. At last we know where you've been getting your inspiration from, JD. Could've shared the sauce of your misgivings from the beginning. I'll be the first to admit I didn't know that little piece of history. But I did know about Mitchell's forthright coaching style.

its laughable about the chest beating that goes on from WA

You sure find lots of stuff laughable WJ. You must be a regular load of laughs.

[waratahjesus]

pretty much!
i just think when you read a rugbyWA press release and call it fact but then attack an article as speculation and peddling half truths that you should be doing stand up! no one writes anything without there own agenda, even rugbyWA!!!!

[Burgs]

No one?

[Jehna]

WJ clearly has no agenda

I have to say that usually i'd just say htfu to the players...a tough coach is a good thing in my books...but when there are 30 ppl complaining perhaps it is time to have a look at what is happening. This doesn't mean that Mitchell is a bad coach. Look at everything he has achieved prior to the Force and since he became our coach. He has unearthed some serious talent and turned a bunch of misfits into an incredible team which should pose a huge threat in the super14 comp this year and in the future. However, there is mroe to coaching than results and he will only continue to produce them if the team support him. Clearly they don't, so as far as I can see he either needs to adapt (not completely change, but take on board their concerns) or find a team who likes his coaching style...