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By Bret Harris
February 22, 2008
AUSTRALIAN Rugby Union high performance manager Pat Howard is poised to resign from the critical role after only a few months in the job.
Several informed sources have told of Howard's intention to quit one of the key positions in Australian rugby.
Asked whether the story was true, the ARU did nothing to quell the rumour. Instead, the union said that Howard would not comment on speculation, rumour or innuendo.
The fact that Howard did not flatly deny the speculation could be interpreted as an admission that he would step down. But speculation that he has fallen out with ARU chief executive John O'Neill appears to be wide of the mark.
It is understood the main reason Howard is leaving the ARU is because the job is placing a strain on his family life.
Significantly, he declined a lucrative offer to remain head coach of English club Leicester because he put his family first.
Howard has a young family with four children under the age of five. He lives in Brisbane, but commutes to ARU headquarters in Sydney three days a week.
There were plans to base the ARU's high performance unit in Brisbane when the proposed centre of excellence was built at Ballymore, but the Federal Government's decision to cut $25 million in funding has placed the Ballymore project on hold.
There has also been a suggestion that certain aspects of the job have overwhelmed Howard.
A former Australia inside back, Howard has one of the best brains in world rugby.
He was credited with forming the Brumbies' early style of play and enjoyed tremendous success as a coach with Leicester.
But Howard has not previously worked behind a desk and he is believed to have been still coming to grips with the duller, administrative side of the job.
It is unclear when Howard will resign, but the news leaves the ARU needing to find a sixth high performance unit manager in eight years.
Since Jeff Miller left the job to become Queensland chief executive in 2003, Brett Robinson, Peter Davis, Pat Wilson and Howard have occupied the office.
Former Australian Institute of Sport director John Boultbee, whom O'Neill recruited to Football Federation Australia as high performance manager, has been mentioned as a possible replacement for Howard.
Another potential candidate is Blues coach David Nucifora, who was in line for the Wallabies head coaching job until Deans made himself available.
O'Neill has offered Nucifora the Australia A coaching job.
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Someone ought to give him a call and tell him it's nice in Perth for young families...
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Originally Posted by AndyS
