Gareth Thomas and the Beeb
Now this is a topic that really was difficult to place in perspective until the recent Wales on Sunday 'revelations' that the players had nothing to do with Mike Ruddock's departure. Ironic given the 'Accused' frontpage the week previously in the same paper.
Firstly I'd like to say I think Alfie is awesome. If ever there was someone you'd want to go into battle with, he is that guy. Never offers excuses, gives 110% and has so much experience. To have seen how much he has grown both as a player and a leader over almost a decade is fantastic. Currently Wales's leading try scorer and with a bit of luck will join the elite 100 caps club. During the whole fiasco I honestly didn't doubt his motives or involvement; partly because there is no way the WRU would allow the players that amount of control, and also the number of shit coaches that have come and gone without player revolt would make the squad absolute idiots to dethrone such a good thing. On top of all this I don't think Gareth will ever know how to be anything other than honest and speak the truth to your face.
What was obvious though, was that Alfie isn't the greatest speaker for Welsh rugby or the players. His passion means that often, as in the interview, he gets carried away when a little calm thought would go a long way. It's not his fault (I'd rather see that hywl than some cold, bored, numbing Alistair Campbell creation) and we don't need our heroes to be nuclear physicists, especially not as rugby players. But when a few calm, prepared words would have shut down the controversy and dialled back the media madness setting, Alfie kinda stoked the fire.
I don't think it's unfair to say that, given the Graham Thomas saga, the Beeb were blatantly going to hound Alfie about; player involvement, his issues with Mike Ruddock, the Scott Johnson situation and the WRU's role in the issue. Throw in an increasingly smug Eddie Butler, a ghost writer in his own right with Austin Healey's 2001 Lions diary, and it really wasn't going to be a fun situation for anyone other than the Irish observers. With that in mind, I think Alfie -- although just returned from France -- could have been much better prepared to deal with what was flung at him. Of course they were going to indirectly accuse him of 'things', it was the guaranteed best way to get a response from him. And of course they were going to operate below the level of outright accusations, but he has been dealing with the media in general and the Welsh media specifically for a number of years. The only reason for my disappointment is because he didn't give a true accounting of himself and came across as a bit childlike with his shouting and pouting performance.
That being said, he did make some good points both intentionally and by his perspective on what he didn't know. Let's state the obvious -- Gareth Thomas nor any of the Welsh playing squad were in any of the meetings between Mike Ruddock and the WRU about his contract. None of them know the specific issues, problems and delays involved with Mike Ruddock's contract and why should they. Therefore asking Alfie questions that he clearly can't answer was a waste of time other than to frustrate him. Secondly, whether we like it or not, the WRU is running a business. In a business contracted employees do not reveal company issues and information unless there is a perfectly good reason. I'd love to have heard what went on in all the various meetings but that is not my privilege, nor do I feel cheated because Alfie was not prepared to disclose what went on in a scheduled meeting. Yes it did make him look a little guilty and like he was trying to hide something important, but the simple nature of what was being asked of him prevented him from expanding. I have no problem with this and nor should the Welsh public.
What I did gain great satisfaction from, was watching Eddie Butler squirm on the show. His constant references to 'my sources' and hints at smug insider knowledge were utterly destroyed by Alfie's somewhat boisterous exertions to 'tell us on Live Television'. Butler slid slowly down into his chair, refusing to engage in further sharing about his 'sources'. As Alfie also pointed it out, he is the captain of the Welsh team so if it was one of the players he would know. When Butler then denied it was anyone on the coaching staff, that only left the WRU. Now if ever there was an organisation with problems it would undeniably be the WRU. However I don't really see Lewis or Pickering telling everything to Eddie Butler of all people. So that leaves us with some mid-level bureaucrat (plenty of them in the WRU I'd imagine) at best, whose perspective is even more limited than Alfie's. Great.
In the end we learned little, other than the already gauche phrase 'In the Red Zone', and somewhat tarnished one of our greatest rugby players reputation. His further illness then cost us his vital presence in the team for the rest of the Six Nations. What a waste. From now on let the players play, the coaches coach and the management manage. Let there be a clearly defined structure and channels so that no-one is in any doubt about how Welsh rugby operates.
Firstly I'd like to say I think Alfie is awesome. If ever there was someone you'd want to go into battle with, he is that guy. Never offers excuses, gives 110% and has so much experience. To have seen how much he has grown both as a player and a leader over almost a decade is fantastic. Currently Wales's leading try scorer and with a bit of luck will join the elite 100 caps club. During the whole fiasco I honestly didn't doubt his motives or involvement; partly because there is no way the WRU would allow the players that amount of control, and also the number of shit coaches that have come and gone without player revolt would make the squad absolute idiots to dethrone such a good thing. On top of all this I don't think Gareth will ever know how to be anything other than honest and speak the truth to your face.
What was obvious though, was that Alfie isn't the greatest speaker for Welsh rugby or the players. His passion means that often, as in the interview, he gets carried away when a little calm thought would go a long way. It's not his fault (I'd rather see that hywl than some cold, bored, numbing Alistair Campbell creation) and we don't need our heroes to be nuclear physicists, especially not as rugby players. But when a few calm, prepared words would have shut down the controversy and dialled back the media madness setting, Alfie kinda stoked the fire.
I don't think it's unfair to say that, given the Graham Thomas saga, the Beeb were blatantly going to hound Alfie about; player involvement, his issues with Mike Ruddock, the Scott Johnson situation and the WRU's role in the issue. Throw in an increasingly smug Eddie Butler, a ghost writer in his own right with Austin Healey's 2001 Lions diary, and it really wasn't going to be a fun situation for anyone other than the Irish observers. With that in mind, I think Alfie -- although just returned from France -- could have been much better prepared to deal with what was flung at him. Of course they were going to indirectly accuse him of 'things', it was the guaranteed best way to get a response from him. And of course they were going to operate below the level of outright accusations, but he has been dealing with the media in general and the Welsh media specifically for a number of years. The only reason for my disappointment is because he didn't give a true accounting of himself and came across as a bit childlike with his shouting and pouting performance.
That being said, he did make some good points both intentionally and by his perspective on what he didn't know. Let's state the obvious -- Gareth Thomas nor any of the Welsh playing squad were in any of the meetings between Mike Ruddock and the WRU about his contract. None of them know the specific issues, problems and delays involved with Mike Ruddock's contract and why should they. Therefore asking Alfie questions that he clearly can't answer was a waste of time other than to frustrate him. Secondly, whether we like it or not, the WRU is running a business. In a business contracted employees do not reveal company issues and information unless there is a perfectly good reason. I'd love to have heard what went on in all the various meetings but that is not my privilege, nor do I feel cheated because Alfie was not prepared to disclose what went on in a scheduled meeting. Yes it did make him look a little guilty and like he was trying to hide something important, but the simple nature of what was being asked of him prevented him from expanding. I have no problem with this and nor should the Welsh public.
What I did gain great satisfaction from, was watching Eddie Butler squirm on the show. His constant references to 'my sources' and hints at smug insider knowledge were utterly destroyed by Alfie's somewhat boisterous exertions to 'tell us on Live Television'. Butler slid slowly down into his chair, refusing to engage in further sharing about his 'sources'. As Alfie also pointed it out, he is the captain of the Welsh team so if it was one of the players he would know. When Butler then denied it was anyone on the coaching staff, that only left the WRU. Now if ever there was an organisation with problems it would undeniably be the WRU. However I don't really see Lewis or Pickering telling everything to Eddie Butler of all people. So that leaves us with some mid-level bureaucrat (plenty of them in the WRU I'd imagine) at best, whose perspective is even more limited than Alfie's. Great.
In the end we learned little, other than the already gauche phrase 'In the Red Zone', and somewhat tarnished one of our greatest rugby players reputation. His further illness then cost us his vital presence in the team for the rest of the Six Nations. What a waste. From now on let the players play, the coaches coach and the management manage. Let there be a clearly defined structure and channels so that no-one is in any doubt about how Welsh rugby operates.
posted by Owen at
8:32 PM
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