Michael Cheika - New Waratahs Coach

In what I hope is some desperatly needed good news for NSW rugby, Michael Cheika has just been announced as our new head coach.

http://www.waratahs.com.au/News/NewsArticle/tabid/157/ArticleID/7679/Default.aspx

I think Oz rugby really needs higher quality coaches in our system at present which makes this good news. Three proven head coaches out of five, with two developing one's is a good mix for us. I think Jake White and Ewen McKenzie have both shown we can do better with our players if they are well led and well coached.

Very happy with this news, so hopefully it's a success.

Cheiks will turn the Tahs into Leinster in no time. If anyone can do it, he can.

Betcha he tries to bring back Rocky.

I'm a Rocky fan, but I hope not Pot. Poor bugger is broken, and twelve months plus two operations couldnt put him back together enough to get through a Japan medical.

Good news for us to get Cheika back home again.

Now all we need are some more big name signings to add to Hooper.
Cam Crawford is fairly decent but apart from him who else is there?
Michael Hodge and Peter Betham from Uni but we still seem thin across quite a few positions with players leaving or retiring.

What was he doing at Rugby Livorno 1931?? an Italian club,

Why didn't the Italians at least offer him Zebre, even for a short time?

sorry ignore that, it was his playing career I was reading after Stade francais, not coaching. my mistake

Aha! Cheika strikes first. You always know a coach has one eye on International when he returns home from lucrative Europe.

A highly under rated coach whose achievements (Heineken Cup and Celtic Leagues) have been over shadowed by the arrival of Joe Schmidt.

Aw Stag, I wouldn't go so far to say highly under rated coach. I wonder will he bring Clint Newland in.... or Berne maybe. In all fairness this is a shrewd move by the fella. Hope it goes well for the man. He moved Leinster away from the ladyboy prima donna image and gave us a more grizzled sheer determination when required. He does things his own way, for better or worse. He's paid to make the decisions and he will do that. But he'll ruffle more than a few feathers in the process and can be quick to turn on a guy.

red_stag wrote:A highly under rated coach whose achievements (Heineken Cup and Celtic Leagues) have been over shadowed by the arrival of Joe Schmidt.

Well............... kinda........ but then his achievements were helped along (just as Joe's achievements are being helped along) by the very fact that Leinster players remain Leinster players (the constant in the always moving flux of coaches coming and going). Cheika gave the Leinster guys teeth but he didn't make them winners - they helped themselves to that in their continuing attitudes and their responses to what he was looking for.

And now Joe too - he didn't come expecting what he got, he got what he got because the players actively headhunted him (he was the coach they wanted, they wanted to take their play into new areas or at least regrasp the always present emphasis on slick back play to open up defences). The Players wanted Joe. Two coaches bringing a different emphasis; they've both helped Leinster achieve what its achieved, without a doubt; but they in turn needed the Leinster players to give them their day in the sun as coaches. Symbiotic.

SecretFly wrote:Aha! Cheika strikes first. You always know a coach has one eye on International when he returns home from lucrative Europe.

Cheiks doesn't coach for the money. he has enough already. It's the challenge .

he should put a bit of steel into the tahs. (my team in super rugby btw) much needed. they were fairly abject this year. he is a strict diciplinarian. Will take no sh1t.

Jenifer McLadyboy wrote:

SecretFly wrote:Aha! Cheika strikes first. You always know a coach has one eye on International when he returns home from lucrative Europe.

Cheiks doesn't coach for the money. he has enough already. It's the challenge .

he should put a bit of steel into the tahs. (my team in super rugby btw) much needed. they were fairly abject this year. he is a strict diciplinarian. Will take no sh1t.

My point wasn't about the money. It was about the challenge. Namely, I'm sure he'd like a stab at Australia International and is therefore immersing himself back in there.

I know that, and I agree. But for those who don't, and who think that "lucrative Europe" was a factor......

Jenifer McLadyboy wrote:

SecretFly wrote:Aha! Cheika strikes first. You always know a coach has one eye on International when he returns home from lucrative Europe.

Cheiks doesn't coach for the money. he has enough already. It's the challenge .

he should put a bit of steel into the tahs. (my team in super rugby btw) much needed. they were fairly abject this year. he is a strict diciplinarian. Will take no sh1t.

He's exactly what we need. He'll cut to the chase with player selections and hopefully can build up the fan base here - like he did at Leinster.

At least it's something to look forward to. I like the bit about scoring lots of tries and points. Defence needs to be worked on too.

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/union-news/i-can-make-a-difference-says-cheika-20120918-26489.html

He turned Leinster into the best defensive team in the League with the help of Kurt McQuilkin, a Kiwi who played for Leinster in the mid 90s. (Perhaps I should say Kurt did it with the help of Cheika)

Tahs 1st game of the season when they lost to a last gasp try from the Reds. Cheika would have kicked there arses from here to eternity over that and they might not have had the rest of season that they had.

Am I right in saying that this is now Alan Gaffney and Michael Cheika back together again?

red_stag wrote:Am I right in saying that this is now Alan Gaffney and Michael Cheika back together again?

By reading between the lines of Cheika's interview, I'm not so certain it'll be for too long, Stag. Not exactly ringing endorsements coming for either of the backs coaches.

No surprise really he has been given the job. I believe he started out at Randwick which is near where the Tah's play I think. He is very good at getting sh1t organised though I was surprised that SF weren't particularly successful under him though they were robbed in the Amlin.

Technically not the greatest of coaches but if the Waratahs are underachieving then he might be the right man to shake things up there.