Waratahs coach Michael Cheika won’t change fiery style but will give up some public duties

MICHAEL Cheika will not change his fiery nature, but the public is likely to see and hear far less of him, according to Waratahs players.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - MAY 01: Waratahs coach Michael Cheika talks to players during a Waratahs Super Rugby training session at Kippax Lake on May 1, 2014 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

MICHAEL Cheika will not change his fiery nature, but the public is likely to see and hear far less of him, according to NSW players.

Waratahs stars and coaching staff have publicly put their support behind the embattled coach, who this week was given a suspended six-month ban by SANZAR for abusing a South African cameraman.

Tahs playmaker Bernard Foley said Cheika would never change his personality, however he may take a step back in media appearances, which he has done often and well throughout his 18-month tenure in Sydney.

“He’s got the support of the players, definitely,” Foley said.

“He did speak to us about what’s going to happen and what he thought about it, he’s been very open with it.

“Knowing Cheik, and you guys [reporters] probably know him just as well, he’s not one to stand down.

“He’s going to say what he’s thinking and he doesn’t hold back.

“I don’t know how he’s going to handle it, if he has to change, it might be that a lot of the other [assistant] coaches are talking.”

Prop Benn Robinson said the drama surrounding Cheika had not hampered their preparations for the Hurricanes, who they face on Saturday night at Allianz Stadium.News_Rich_Media: Waratahs and Wallabies great Phil Waugh says that while expansion of rugby is aways a positive, an element of caution needs to be applied when looking to include Argentinian and Asian teams in the Super Rugby competition.

“For the players, it’s straight down to business,” Robinson said.

“If you look at Michael as a coach, he’s always got the team first and whatever it takes for him to allow the team to perform at its best, he’s going to do that.”

Attack coach Daryl Gibson added: “As an organisation, we’re fully right behind him.

“Michael is a very passionate person and he believes strongly in standing up for the team.”

SANZAR judicial officer Nigel Hampton ruled that Cheika had a history of losing his temper and if he is found guilty of one more breach of the code of conduct, he will rubbed out of being involved in any level of the game for six months, with the threat lingering over his head until August 31, 2015.

NSW must rediscover their try-scoring prowess if they are to keep up their undefeated home record against the Canes, who are the tournament’s leading try-scorers.

“Obviously we’re at that stage of the season for both teams that if we want to progress and stay in the hunt for the playoff spots that we win,” Gibson said.

“But also equally how we really want to find our attacking mojo and get that back and score some good tries.”