GCBRONCO
International Captain
- Mar 4, 2008
- 22,235
- 20,559
http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport...s/news-story/fd424c0b935c412273b978689c2e9457
THE worrying omen for Nick Stiles is that the Queensland Rugby Union is renowned for review processes that find the answers they want to find.
When the smoke rings of speculation start swirling around Ballymore, it usually means a raging bushfire is not far behind.
If the QRU board of directors want to remove Stiles and install cub coach Brad Thorn, they will have found the reasons.
If they want to keep Stiles for 2018, he’ll be the coach who showed passion and promise yet underperformed as a four-from-15 boss for the Queensland Reds this season.
If they want him out, he’ll be burdened with the poor co-coach results of 2016 as well, strategy flaws and other shortcomings.
Few will remember the process of 2000 when the Reds split from John Connolly, their coach of 12 years, to appoint Mark McBain.
Connolly’s time was up but he actually topscored in the two categories most specific to coaching a Super Rugby side.
He topped the areas of technical proficiency as an on-field coach and rugby analysis yet was marked down in “relationship building” and “collaboration.”
The point is even savvy rugby committees see what they want to see when it comes to selecting coaches.
Nothing is hard and fast on a coach call as yet at the Reds despite the “Stiles gone” murmurs intensifying around town.
There are voices on the QRU board who are not convinced Stiles is the best choice to stay in charge of the Reds for 2018.
The fact that chief executive Richard Barker has repeatedly offered a polite no comment on Stiles’ status for 2018 is not a good sign.
If Stiles was still in the chair, the Reds would have shouted it from the rooftops before now.
Barker knows his rugby from the ground up as a former Teacher-Norths club stalwart and Queensland Country backrower unlike predecessor Jim Carmichael, who didn’t know the difference between a tight-head and a few too many beers on a Friday night when he started in the job.
Barker was on the small rugby committee which conducted the review of the Reds’ poor season and Stiles’ input.
It’s important to stress this is not a Stiles v Thorn popularity contest.
Both are highly regarded by Reds players.
Stiles has consistently earned positive reviews from players as has Thorn in his roles this season as contact coach, gym tyrant and standards-setter.
Former All Black Thorn is an exceptional asset for the Reds with his knowledge and his no-nonsense pursuit of excellence.
He still has his trainer wheels on as a head coach.
He has never coached a club side and his Queensland Under-20s and Queensland Country roles are in sprint competitions.
They are pathway competitions for coaches to learn their art as well as players.
Thorn will be a superb head coach in 2020.
He has great rapport with players. New Wallabies lock Izack Rodda rightly credits Thorn’s philosophy of striving for excellence as a key part of his growing up.
Rushing Thorn comes with all the associated pitfalls.
Ask him yourself and he’d admit big gaps in his coaching education.
I can’t cop a head coach project being propped up by excellent assistant coaches if there is substance to a Thorn-McGahan-Phil Mooney partnership.
“We won’t be commenting on speculation … our coaching structure is what appears on the Reds website,” a QRU spokesman said.
Currently, that lists Stiles as head coach, Tony McGahan as his new senior assistant, Shane Arnold as attack coach, Jason Gilmore as elite development coach and Thorn as contact coach.
A future with Stiles and Thorn both still involved is the best option.
The QRU tried hard to find two experienced assistant coaches for Stiles for the season just gone.
Timing meant two promising rookie coaches in Arnold and Gilmore ended up being his sidekicks with Stiles’ buy-in.
The notion peddled from the QRU that 100-game players like Stephen Moore, Quade Cooper and George Smith would help make up the experience shortfall in the coaching was absurd.
The QRU has a habit of seeing the picture it wants to see. Stay tuned.
THE worrying omen for Nick Stiles is that the Queensland Rugby Union is renowned for review processes that find the answers they want to find.
When the smoke rings of speculation start swirling around Ballymore, it usually means a raging bushfire is not far behind.
If the QRU board of directors want to remove Stiles and install cub coach Brad Thorn, they will have found the reasons.
If they want to keep Stiles for 2018, he’ll be the coach who showed passion and promise yet underperformed as a four-from-15 boss for the Queensland Reds this season.
If they want him out, he’ll be burdened with the poor co-coach results of 2016 as well, strategy flaws and other shortcomings.
Few will remember the process of 2000 when the Reds split from John Connolly, their coach of 12 years, to appoint Mark McBain.
Connolly’s time was up but he actually topscored in the two categories most specific to coaching a Super Rugby side.
He topped the areas of technical proficiency as an on-field coach and rugby analysis yet was marked down in “relationship building” and “collaboration.”
The point is even savvy rugby committees see what they want to see when it comes to selecting coaches.
Nothing is hard and fast on a coach call as yet at the Reds despite the “Stiles gone” murmurs intensifying around town.
There are voices on the QRU board who are not convinced Stiles is the best choice to stay in charge of the Reds for 2018.
The fact that chief executive Richard Barker has repeatedly offered a polite no comment on Stiles’ status for 2018 is not a good sign.
If Stiles was still in the chair, the Reds would have shouted it from the rooftops before now.
Barker knows his rugby from the ground up as a former Teacher-Norths club stalwart and Queensland Country backrower unlike predecessor Jim Carmichael, who didn’t know the difference between a tight-head and a few too many beers on a Friday night when he started in the job.
Barker was on the small rugby committee which conducted the review of the Reds’ poor season and Stiles’ input.
It’s important to stress this is not a Stiles v Thorn popularity contest.
Both are highly regarded by Reds players.
Stiles has consistently earned positive reviews from players as has Thorn in his roles this season as contact coach, gym tyrant and standards-setter.
Former All Black Thorn is an exceptional asset for the Reds with his knowledge and his no-nonsense pursuit of excellence.
He still has his trainer wheels on as a head coach.
He has never coached a club side and his Queensland Under-20s and Queensland Country roles are in sprint competitions.
They are pathway competitions for coaches to learn their art as well as players.
Thorn will be a superb head coach in 2020.
He has great rapport with players. New Wallabies lock Izack Rodda rightly credits Thorn’s philosophy of striving for excellence as a key part of his growing up.
Rushing Thorn comes with all the associated pitfalls.
Ask him yourself and he’d admit big gaps in his coaching education.
I can’t cop a head coach project being propped up by excellent assistant coaches if there is substance to a Thorn-McGahan-Phil Mooney partnership.
“We won’t be commenting on speculation … our coaching structure is what appears on the Reds website,” a QRU spokesman said.
Currently, that lists Stiles as head coach, Tony McGahan as his new senior assistant, Shane Arnold as attack coach, Jason Gilmore as elite development coach and Thorn as contact coach.
A future with Stiles and Thorn both still involved is the best option.
The QRU tried hard to find two experienced assistant coaches for Stiles for the season just gone.
Timing meant two promising rookie coaches in Arnold and Gilmore ended up being his sidekicks with Stiles’ buy-in.
The notion peddled from the QRU that 100-game players like Stephen Moore, Quade Cooper and George Smith would help make up the experience shortfall in the coaching was absurd.
The QRU has a habit of seeing the picture it wants to see. Stay tuned.
