Samoan rugby laughing stock of the world

The Samoa Rugby Union has become the official laughing stock of world rugby, for those who give a hoot.

For the great majority, who cares? It’s just another strange, incompetent bad joke of a day at the Samoa Rugby Union office. 

How can the S.R.U. constantly complain about real injustices when their own affairs are in such a laughable state? Does anyone expect them to be taken seriously? Do the poor players, who have given so much of their time and money over the years, take the administration seriously? Have they ever done so?

Just look at their latest comedy.

First up, sack the coach, Namulauulu Alama Ieremia, who, despite his record, had shown glimmers of real progress, had the respect of the players and was in no danger of not qualifying for the World Cup. Return to the first 30 minutes of Manu Samoa’s last match versus the All Blacks at Eden Park and you will see why it was a mistake - awesome Samoan rugby.

But you sack him anyway, despite all his contacts in world rugby, his great track record with the Hurricanes, and work under one of the world’s best coaches, Eddie Jones.

You sack him and replace him with a local warrior, Fuimaono Dickie, much admired across the land, a great servant with a respectable record, but who had already unsuccessfully head-coached at a World Cup.

But you do so, despite your money provider insisting you were not following correct procedures, and that according to correct procedures, your choice was number seven on a long list.

You go ahead anyway, thinking, hoping, your money provider will forgive and forget. But they don’t.

So you pull the rug from under the feet of Fuimaono, chuck him into the cold, one year from the World Cup, and say you will now appoint your money provider’s choice!

In three words (goes the joke): In bloody credible! It gets worse. Remember, your money provider’s original choice, Scott Wisemantel? In less than a month he transformed England’s backline attack into a lethal, try-scoring machine. (He’s unavailable now).

The Samoan Rugby Union is looking very similar to a waste of space. It has been so for years now. Will those in charge have the decency to step down? Will they raise their hands and admit they’ve had more than enough time, and money, to right the wrongs, yet failed, and that now it’s time others were given a chance to improve the lamentable situation that is Samoan rugby? If they do so, are there any decent people to take their place, or will it be more same old, same old?

Samoan rugby has long resembled the person who ate too much and is now in dire need of release somehow, somewhere. A once proud rugby nation has long been following a similar pathway to that of the country, to the you-know-where.

Will those “leaders” have the decency to step down? You know who you are. We all know who you are. Will Samoa continue to be so accepting of such mediocrity? As long as the same people are in charge I think we all know the answer. Don’t worry, be happy.

 

Loveni Shane Enari

Samoa Observer

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