In a surprising turn of events, Rugby Australia (RA) has been thrown into disarray with the sudden resignation of its CEO Andy Marinos, just four months before the upcoming World Cup.
Marinos, a well-respected former professional rugby union and league player who transitioned to a successful career in administration, will step down in June, having only assumed the CEO position in February 2021.
This news comes as a shock to many, especially in light of RA’s recent announcement that they had achieved a significant financial turnaround, with a reported surplus of $8.2 million and the World Cup in France just months away.
It is rumored that Phil Waugh, a current RA board member and former Wallabies player with two Masters degrees, is one of the leading contenders to replace Marinos.
Additionally, Todd Greenberg, the former CEO of the National Rugby League and current chief of the Australian Cricketers Association players union, is also believed to be a potential candidate for the role.
“Live with the consequences” – former England boss Eddie Jones goes on bizarre Danny Cipriani rant
From Curry and Underhill to Itoje and Genge – Eddie Jones had been adept at calling up the perfect players all over the pitch since taking over in 2015.
But not all of them came off…
We take a look at some of those players Jones called up since taking over as England boss in December 2015, and using the Aussies own words we try to understand why they never established themselves as fans once hoped.
#5. Denny Solomona
His England career began with the definition of a ‘bang’ – a dream first run out in the England shirt, he came off the bench to score a last-minute winner in a dramatic 38-34 win against Argentina in San Juan on June 10, 2017.
Jones said: “There’s something about him, he finds the [try] line and you like wingers who find the line. I think he’s got that X factor, whatever you want to call it.”
However, two months later, Solomona was sent home from England’s training camp in disgrace after returning drunk to the team hotel. The winger would win just three more caps, failing to score in any of them with Jones questioning the speedster’s character. Not what we all expected after a stunning debut.
RUCK VERDICT: He has vowed to put his off-field problems behind him. His Premiership form before lockdown earned him some admirers – time for an international recall? You never know.