We’re not ready to see our Super Rugby teams become ‘barbarian’ franchises

James O'Connor and the Reds are capable of an upset against the Crusaders

The comments from readers keep coming and they’re not flattering.

Cogito says: “The ARU in its current incarnation has failed. The failure is not happening, it is complete. Something dramatic needs to be done, or we might as well only watch NRL or AFL. The Barcelona model makes a lot of sense on face value. With members who pay dues and can directly impact appointments by voting, interest in the game and its future immediately is kicked up several notches.

“Probably way too good an idea for the current seat warmers in the ARU.”

And then Richard: “Thank you Alan for saying what every Brumbies’ supporter has known for a week now. Referees have been ruining rugby for years. The final last week was the worst example yet.”

But then, you ask, who is listening?

I don’t usually comment about rugby results in this column; rather, it is dedicated to comment on rugby policy, ventilating ideas that can improve the game in Australia. Today can be a partial exception to the rule.

The Brumbies and the Force were desperately unlucky to lose against the Crusaders and the Chiefs respectively. Both losses came down to last-minute missed conversions from the left-hand touchline. These were credible performances, given the quality of the opposition.

The Reds, too, were competitive, given that they were forced to play on a very short turnaround in Dunedin against the Highlanders, who had two weeks to prepare for the match, as opposed to Queensland’s couple of days.

As for the Waratahs and the Rebels, it must be said they were completely outclassed. Defence was optional in these massive blowout losses.

I have to say, I fear for the Waratahs. They are on track to end the season without a victory.

NSW should be our best performing province. They have more players than any other region and there can be no excuses for their diabolical defence, other than diabolical coaching.

Much to look forward to in round two – the Reds taking on the Crusaders in Brisbane. The contest between James O’Connor and Richie Mo’unga will be a highlight. Queensland are capable of a big upset.

Now to the incredible “foreign player” idea, tabled by the new Rugby Australia CEO, Zimbabwe-born Andy Marinos, this week.

I believe it was Tracy Chapman who wrote the song Talkin’ ’bout a Revolution in 1998.

When I read about Marinos’s idea to “populate Australian franchises with foreign players”, presumably to compensate for the player drain on Australian talent, I started humming the song.

So Rugby Australia believe the best way forward for Super Rugby is to allow foreigners — he mentions Kiwis — to boost the Aussie Super Rugby teams.

It sounds like Marinos wants Super Rugby to be like the NRL — around 50 per cent of the players in the NRL are Kiwis or Pacifica players.

That’s all well and good for Super Rugby, but what impact will this have on the Wallabies?

We need our players to be building combinations and confidence, playing in our own Super Rugby AU competition.

And we need to canvass changes to Giteau’s law, which I never believed in anyway, before we start spouting these clumsy ideas.

Most rugby supporters are tribal. They want to see Aussie kids getting opportunities to play for their state and their country.

If our Super Rugby franchises want money, why don’t they sell shares of the business to the fans as Peter, one of my readers, suggested: “I’ve been a member of Collingwood for 45 years and we, the members, have always had the right to vote in or out the president and board members. It’s one of the biggest and healthiest of any football club, in any code, in this country. It’s a model that should be looked at.”

Melbourne Victory A-League have recently done just that.

I’m not sure people are ready to see all our Super Rugby teams become “barbarian” franchises.

My gut tells me most Australian rugby fans would prefer their teams to be homegrown, like the Queensland Reds – local boys, playing in the jersey they care about and dreamt about wearing.

These are reckless ideas from Rugby Australia’s new CEO. I would recommend a nearby big bin.

Finally, to the matter of finance and Rugby Australia’s debt problem.

Is it true that Hamish McLennan is thinking of paying 10 per cent interest on a $40 million loan with a Los Angeles outfit, Ares Management?

Surely that is a ridiculous interest rate in a market where the Reserve Bank’s current base rate is 0.1%.

Some things just don’t pass the pub test. This is one of them.

We don’t need private equity or pumped up high interest rate loans. All we need to do is ask the Australian rugby public to support the game; give our supporters a say in how the game is governed.

Or are those who “govern” the game worried that the membership mightn’t want a bar of any of them.

Rugby fans would love to be more engaged and they could be if we democratised our governance and allowed fans to vote for a president.

It would then be up to the elected president to decide on the level of debt the organisation could service.

If he stuffs up, he’s voted out. If he does well, he keeps the job.

Let’s be crystal clear. The rugby public want to sort out a new governance model before we start dancing with private equity and/or finance companies pedalling high-interest loans.

It will be hard to explain to the Australian rugby public why we should sell off the Wallaby jersey to private equity in order to pay foreign players to play for our provincial teams.

Perhaps we should focus on retaining our own players and repatriate the 150 Australian players plying their trade overseas.

It’s time McLennan and Marinos articulated a sensible plan for the growth of our game.

Super Rugby AU was a great success. Can we please have more smart ideas like this?

Going into more debt or selling off the Wallaby jersey to pay foreign players to boost our provinces are woeful ideas.