Nick Bendel
The Force is not with him
February 23rd 2009 05:53
The main point being made is this: why would anybody want to join the Force? They’re based on the other side of the country, they’re representatives of a largely apathetic city, they’re no longer directing bonus money to their players via Firepower, they’ve got a coach nobody seems to like, their foundations are weak- and now their linchpin is departing. Why would anybody want to join the Force?
For the sake of Australian rugby, it is to be hoped that Perth can again become the prime destination it was just a few years ago, when the Force launched an aggressive- and successful- recruitment drive for their inaugural Super 14 season. True, some things may be beyond their control: geography can’t be altered, traditions can’t be established overnight, and given the global financial crisis and strict ARU regulations, third party top-ups can’t be counted on. However, some things are definitely within the club’s control. Through clever marketing and relentless community work, they can build their profile and increase their standing in the eyes of the city. Through canny management and rigorous planning, they can ensure that their commercial and sporting structures are sound enough to impress potential new recruits. Most crucially, they can bring in a coach who is going to attract- rather than repel- players.
When John Mitchell was installed as the club’s first coach, he quickly proved to be a major asset. Having been both a captain and coach of the All Blacks, he was able to give the incipient organisation instant credibility. If not for his reputation, it is highly unlikely that stars such as Giteau, Nathan Sharpe, Drew Mitchell, Brendan Cannon and Cameron Shepherd would have been willing to take the risk of moving west. After all, with livelihoods and Wallabies’ caps on the line, exchanging the financial and sporting security that comes with being at an established franchise for the uncertainty that comes with joining a new operation was a gamble. Would the Western Force go the way of the Western Reds? Would they be a rabble on the field? Would they have proper facilities off the field? A man of Mitchell’s reputation was able to offer reassurance in a way that an anonymous appointee would not have been.
That, though, was four years ago. The requirements of 2009 and not the same as those of 2005. Back then, the task confronting the powerbrokers at the Force was to ensure that a seed was planted- and thanks in no small part to Mitchell, it was. Today, however, with the seed having grown into a sapling, the task is now to ensure that it continues to blossom, rather than wither and die. And the way to do that is to turn the club into genuine contenders.
Despite his experience and competence, one key fact immediately makes Mitchell unqualified for this mission: he has lost the dressing room. Although whispers about his uneasy relationship with his charges had been heard for some time, the situation was just about manageable while everything remained unofficial. But when, during the off-season, 30 players and 10 staff members filed a petition with management complaining about his behaviour, Mitchell’s position became untenable. Things only became worse when an internal review upheld the complaints, resulting in the New Zealander being forced to confess to his sins and surrender some of his power. The moment the subordinates are shown to have the whip hand, the boss’s authority is fatally undermined. While respect can be won and lost in innumerable ways, nobody will follow you unless they respect you. Clearly, Mitchell has lost the respect of his players. Clearly, they are not interested in playing for him. Clearly, he has to go.
Yet if all of that is so clear, why is Mitchell still in charge? The answer can only be money. Given that he is contracted for another three seasons, the Force have presumably concluded that it would be too expensive to pay him out. Perhaps they were hoping that if they humiliated him enough, he would resign and walk away for nothing, or at least a substantially reduced settlement. Whatever the reason, the club now finds itself being represented by a lame duck, who is surely going to struggle to find quality replacements for Giteau and any of the other 20 or so players who choose to leave when their contracts expire at season’s end. With the John Mitchell of 2005, the only way seemed to be up; with the John Mitchell of 2009, the only way seems to be down.
That is of grave concern, because allowing the sapling to wither and die would deliver a serious blow to a sport that is struggling to balance its books and compete with the other three footballing codes. Australian rugby severely limits itself if it is unwilling or unable to expand its base beyond the eastern seaboard. Take away the Force and you lose the opportunity to regularly preach to Perth’s 1.5 million inhabitants. Take away the Force and you have less people competing for Wallabies’ selection. And these two points are linked, because a successful and attractive national team is the best way to win convert new fans. Australian rugby needs the Force to not only survive, but thrive.
Mitchell therefore needs to be sacked. While he remains in charge, there is a serious risk that the club’s best players will follow Giteau out the door, and that crowd numbers and public interest will decline even more sharply than over the previous couple of seasons. Whether or not he is a good coach is irrelevant; whether or not he is to blame for the internecine feuding is irrelevant. The only thing relevant is this chain of logic: having a lame duck as coach can only result in declining fortunes for the club, and declining fortunes for the club can only result in defining fortunes for the national game. The Waratahs, Reds and Brumbies would be able to cope with such internal strife, because they would be insulated by the traditions and foundations they have built up over the years. But for the Western Force, the situation is markedly different. In only their fourth season, they don’t have much of a past. As things currently stand, they don’t have much of a future either.
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