Why does Rugby Australia hire a chainsaw when cost cuts are obvious?

Rugby Australia interim CEO Rob Clarke. Picture: Richard Dobson

Over the past few weeks, I have used this column to draw attention to what I think are the big issues in our game and how they should be addressed in a way that will make a difference.

Two weeks ago, I looked at the captaincy issue and suggested that the players should choose the captains, if you are wanting more than one.

Last week I wrote about the issue of coaching and the apparent reluctance of the new coach, Dave Rennie, to roll his sleeves up and coach the Wallaby forwards.

Rennie has to prove to us that he can coach at least one aspect of the game. I am utterly bemused that a person could be a “head coach” and everyone else does the coaching!

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This week I want to say something about leadership within the administration of the game, specifically who should be the next fulltime CEO of Australian Rugby.

Just this week, ARL Commission chairman Peter V’landys committed to cutting $50m to $80m from rugby league’s budgets.

He has promised a leaner and more efficient head office and he’s promised that the fans won’t know any difference. He was able to make this commitment thanks largely to the efforts of his acting CEO, Andrew Abdo, who was handed the job permanently on Thursday.

Abdo has identified the areas that were not essential to the running of the game and the NRL acted quickly to make the cost cutting measures.

In contrast, Rugby Australia chairman, Hamish McLennan has signed up renowned “chainsaw” Adam Foulsham to slash $15m off the books of Rugby AU. Why the acting CEO, Rob Clarke, was not asked to do this is anyone’s guess. If he’s not competent to do it, he shouldn’t be there.

You may recall in the early 1990s, Kerry Packer hired the original “chainsaw”, Al Dunlap, to mentor James Packer and drive efficiencies in CPH.

Dunlap played to the image of a bull in a corporate China shop, accepting names such as “Rambo in Pinstripes” and “The Shredder”.

He preached his motto, “You are not in business to be liked. If you want a friend, get a dog”.

It’s interesting to note that the NRL didn’t need to hire a “chainsaw” on a million-dollar salary to make their $80m cuts.

Let’s face it, those areas are as plain as the proverbial in rugby. So why is it that McLennan and Clarke couldn’t find the $15m in savings? Most of us could find double that.

Surely Clarke knows where all the fat in the organisation is because he was chief operating officer, when all this excess was signed off without any apparent thought of a “rainy day fund”.

It is ridiculous that a figure such as Clarke can continue to make a living out of the game when, in my view, he’s been at the centre of so much controversy and incompetence wherever he’s been.

Clarke was the CEO of the Brumbies when David Nucifora was thrown under the bus. Nucifora complained bitterly about what he called “the appalling treatment” he received from Clarke when he was dumped from Canberra. That same season, Nucifora coached the Brumbies to a Super Rugby title but was denied an opportunity to present his plans for reappointment.

Remember, too, that Clarke was accused by former Western Force boss, Mark Sinderberry, at a Senate Inquiry, of undermining the WA franchise.

It was claimed that Clarke behaved as a secret Rebels supporter during the Super Rugby downsizing process.

The main accusation is that Clarke leaked documents to the Rebels camp where he had previously been employed and with whom he was subsequently re-engaged after the Force were dumped. His behaviour was questioned in the Senate Inquiry and he quickly resigned.

There is no doubt there are serious questions to be answered, if due diligence were done on Clarke as a rugby administrator which has led many in the game to question McLennan’s judgment at promoting Clarke to the position, albeit “acting.” Hopefully the appointment of “Chainsaw” Foulsham might signal the end of the road for Clarke and others at RA. Clarke has been paid well at the Brumbies, the ARU, the Rebels and now the head office again, for over 15 years. He’s been a key administrator of the game while rugby in this country has gone from world class to bottom of the bird cage.

When the game is on its knees financially, I’m not sure why we need another highly paid bureaucrat to do what any CEO should be able to do.

The appointment of Foulsham only makes sense if McLennan has lost faith in Clarke. Perhaps McLennan needs to speak to Nucifora and Sinderberry for a character reference.

Last week I said that Dave Rennie needs to step up and coach the Wallabies forwards.

He needs to prove himself as a coach instead of delegating his coaching responsibilities. Well, the same can be said for Clarke.

When he took over as RA boss, he said, “I’m here to stop the hurting.”

Yet one of his first jobs was to cut funding to all of the 12 development officers in NSW.

His proposed broadcasting “show bag” was a shambles and now it seems he doesn’t have the ability to make the much-needed restructuring of our competitions for 2021.

It’s pretty obvious what we need to do for next season. Super Rugby AU is a winner, so keep it going. Get the Wallabies playing again, even if we have to tour New Zealand and play all their Super Rugby Aotearoa teams. Then invite the British Lions to tour Australia, instead of South Africa, and throw more promotion into our club rugby competitions.

These are simple things to target for next season.

What’s holding Clarke back? Put simply, Clarke is one of many at rugby headquarters who needs to step up or go away. He’s a polarising figure with too much history.

Hopefully “Chainsaw” Foulsham will identify all of this and sharpen the chainsaw. We can no longer afford the lightweights; there are too many of them.