Long-suffering Waratahs fans have often argued that when the Waratahs do well, Australian rugby does well.
Many Reds fans and Brumbies fans will understandably disagree and will be backing them in 2024 as the Wallabies’ resurgence follows in large part, with names such as Rob Valetini, Fraser McReight and Harry Wilson being heard. Len Ikitau and Liam Wright.
But there is an element of truth in the throwaway phrase.
Australian rugby is in a better position when its heartland teams perform and the past decade has seen both the Reds and Waratahs struggle in terms of results at all levels, which has been reflected in the Wallabies’ decline.
While the Sunshine State have risen from the tarmac under Brad Thorn and are moving forward under Les Kiss, their rivals south of the Tweed beyond 2024 will not be left behind if they try.
What is clear is that Australian rugby only works well when everyone plays well. And 2024 was a sign that NSW rugby needed to adapt with the times.
This year the Zugs returned home, the culmination of years of indiscipline, poor player management and missed opportunities, and Darren Coleman went down as a result.
Critics may disagree, but his record in the Shute Shield overseas and his first year with the Tahs say otherwise. Darren Coleman is Good coach. He has a passion for NSW Rugby and the Waratahs was evident. problem For him – and their disappointing performance in 2024 deepens.
He has now joined his brother Scott at Newcastle as Director of Rugby for the Wildfires. He should excel there. The Steel City is a great location for a premier rugby nursery.
But the 2024 Waratahs season will be an ugly stain on his career.
Horrific injuries and five defeats decided by less than one try didn’t help, but many of the key issues from the previous season also contributed. There were predictable attacking tactics and an emphasis on physicality that couldn’t be maintained once players started dropping like flies.
The result left the Waratahs bottom of the 2024 ladder with 38 attempts (third worst in the competition), 74 clean breaks (fourth worst) and 1,612 carries (fourth worst).
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I portrayed a side that had difficulty advancing and was weak at critical moments. The only team they beat in 2024 was the equally underperforming Crusaders.
These problems have exacerbated a struggling culture that further compounds the problem. No wonder so many Waratahs want to leave!
But while Coleman may be at fault for these issues, the club’s problems have become much more serious than during his tenure.
Years of player mismanagement and organizational issues surfaced. The problem started 10 years ago when NSW Rugby lost ownership of the NRC team.
Although the Shute Shield team bridged the gap with the founding four teams, it was very clear that there was a disconnect between the Tahs, Rugby Australia and the Sydney Rugby Union. Bill Pulver summed it up perfectly with his infamous comment in 2016 that the club were ‘only after the money’. wall.’
The rivalry struggled to take root in central Sydney and the Stars and Rams were eliminated, which in hindsight was a wasted opportunity. NSW Rugby took ownership of the remaining two teams in 2018 and things improved the following year with the emergence of a young and exciting playing group. The NRC was canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic.
That result, combined with a number of senior departures, left the Waratahs significantly undercooked as Super Rugby Pacific progressed and this has hampered the team ever since.
It is hoped that this issue can be resolved by Coleman. The connections and respect the multiple Shute Shields winner commanded in clubland was a major part of the reason so many came back in droves to support the Tahs in his first year. And with injuries piling up in 2024, he has turned his attention to a number of clubs. Fill in the gaps.
Unfortunately, this decision revealed a cruel reality. As big a competition as the Shute Shield is, the jump to Super Rugby Pacific can be too daunting even for the best club players. Club players came in and wore light blue clothes and played a few games before getting injured.
Coleman brought in as many as 17 players from clubland to cover for injuries and even brought in players from overseas. When it became clear that his team could not beat the likes of Moana Pasifika, his departure was inevitable.
Putting a complete stop to a decade of missed opportunities, most of a talented core group of homegrown players have departed, including Jed Holloway, Will Harrison, Mosese Tuipulotu, Lachlan Swinton, Mark Nawaqanitawase and Izaia Perese, all fed up with the environment.
After such disappointment, it will come as no surprise to anyone reading this that 2025 marks the biggest year of change in Waratah history.
Rugby Australia has set itself a clear goal of turning the sky blue ship around after taking ownership in 2024. If rugby is to succeed, the Tahs cannot continue on their current trajectory. They need a change and a clean up, they need it every.
New ownership will begin in 2025 with 14 new players, a new head coach in Dan McKellar, new support staff in attack coach Mike Catt, set piece coach Dan Palmer and defensive coach Lachlan McCaffrey.
The hiring of respected coach Simon Raiwalui as Director of High Performance will be invaluable, not only because of his experience playing rugby for Sydney, but also because of his solid reputation internationally through his work with the Wallabies and Fiji.
RA pulled out all the stops, including 13 wallabies and one Fiji national team set. The Melbourne Rebels’ capitulation saw eight players cross the Murray River, with the forward pack set to benefit the most from the arrivals of Taniela Tupou, Rob Leota and Isaac Kailea.
Andrew Kellaway will return to his original Super Rugby team with Darby Lancaster. And then there is one particular star newcomer, Joseph Aukuso-Suaalii, who has already impressed at Wallaby level.
It has helped the Tahs retain several key players such as Angus Bell, Dave Porecki, Jake Gordon, Tane Edmed and Lalakai Foketi, as well as excellent depth options in Joey Walton, Charlie Gamble, Julian Heaven and Teddy Wilson.
New arrivals Henry O’Donnell and Siosifa Amone from the Force and Lawson Creighton from the Reds add more options.
The result is a team with great coaching expertise on paper, a very talented starting squad and, crucially, plenty of quality depth at their disposal.
Given Japan League One’s Kubota Spears’ ominous 43-17 win, there’s a good chance this team could flip the script next year.
You can already hear Tahs fans on forums proclaiming the infamous phrase: This is our year.
But this phrase often smacks of preseason assumptions like this: of course, NSW Rugby best. Dare I say it, such words smack of arrogance. The truth is that progress must be made.
There are three major weaknesses looming for the Waratahs in 2025, the first of which is right up front.
The Waratahs scrum is looming as a dangerous prospect with Bell and Tupou potentially rejoining former Wallaby captain Porecki. But the front row has also been what has unraveled Coleman over the past two years. The depths below were often exposed.
Unlike previous years, Bell should be protected if defeated by Kailea, along with other exciting talents such as Junior Wallaby Jack Barrett. But the Tighthead prop is another question.
Of course, Tupou will be the starting prop, but it is well-documented that Tongan Thor has dealt with a number of injuries throughout the year and managing his workload has been a major challenge for the Rebels and Wallabies.
If he goes down, inexperienced former Force props Siosifa Amone at 13 and Tom Lambert at 11 will emerge as back-up options. The latter famously featured several times in the 2023 season opener against the Brumbies.
The depth issue extends to the Tahs’ second row, which unlike other teams in Australia has no players with international experience. However, Hugh Sinclair and Miles Amatosero emerge as strong starters, while Angelo Smith and Ben Grant also provide options from the bench. .
Mike Catt is an important inclusion in this matter. A man with his coaching experience would know how to solve these set-piece problems and get the side humming.
But the final challenge is one we won’t know until the season begins.
Any team with this much potential should expect to return to the right side of the ladder. However, expectations are not always interpreted. Bonding between players is vital, especially with so much new blood arriving in Daceyville.
Dan McKellar excelled for the Brumbies and showed promise as a Wallabies assistant coach, but his time at Leicester Tigers saw the team fall down the Premiership ranks within two seasons, despite reaching the Premiership Rugby Cup final.
Having people like Catt and Palmer around will help. But does that guarantee success?
Make no mistake. Waratahs are absolutely building from rock, and most know that the journey from rock to diamond rarely happens within a single season. It is built over several years. There will be losses and problems to resolve along the way.
If die-hard fans think the Tahs have a chance to win the title next year, they should give it a break. Be realistic yet optimistic.
The reason they have that aspect is because there was a collective recognition that the current performance of the organization was unacceptable or unsustainable.
That’s why Rugby Australia stepped in and brought in new blood to bring NSW out of the doldrums and into a new place. must He is a heavyweight in Super Rugby Pacific.
Dan McKellar’s men have a huge mountain to climb in 2025 and should be rewarded for every step forward.