BROADCASTER Alan Jones last night revealed a private letter from ARU boss John O’Neill encouraged him to stand again for the Australia coaching job after a 20-year absence.
Sydney’s radio king forwarded his official application yesterday afternoon despite revelations that the majority of board members believe he is out of touch with the modern game.
"John O’Neill wrote me a very generous letter two days ago saying that he would support my putting my name forward and that he thought in the letter (the application) was good for the game," Jones said.
"I also had a long conversation about this and what I saw to be the problems in the game."
Jones informed O’Neill he would be a candidate for the position, but would only seek the job for one year.
"I have never been of the view that the Australian coaching position should be held by anyone automatically for a period longer than one year," he said.
"It is incumbent on that coach to get results, it is incumbent on that coach to answer for those results at the end of each year.
"I think you have to face the music at the end of 12 months."
"He’s said that was fine, I wished him well and that was it."
Yesterday’s announcement at 2GB’s boardroom was the kind of extraordinary media event that only someone like Alan Jones could produce.
No one else could attract nine TV cameras to an announcement they would be a contender for the Wallabies’ job.
And the decision could prove a costly one for Jones.
"I got paid a lot of money to be here," he said in his 2GB office.
"If I’m not at this job it’s a pretty expensive sacrifice.
"I wouldn’t be taking a salary while I’m not here and I am an owner of the station."
Jones would not broadcast during the period while coaching the Wallabies, but that did not mean he would give the radio job away.
"Coaching for seven Tests is a full-time job," he said.
Jones said he was responding to calls for a change and the belief people have that he is an agent for that change,
"I had never intended to be here," he said.
But once he was touted as a possible candidate, he said he was overwhelmed by the support he had received.
"You can make headway in a very quick space of time if you know what you want," he said.
"Basically you unload what you have got right up front and you get on with it.
"I could tell you basically what my team is now, I basically know what the 30 or 32 would be.
"They are very young and they would be bursting out of their skin.
"Stop apologising for the quality, the quality is there. Give them the skills and liberate them."
Jones said it was now a matter of whether the selection panel agrees with what he says.
"If they accept it that’s fine, if they don’t that’s fine too," he said.
"We are not talking World Cups, we are talking about changing the game, getting people back through the turnstiles, making people talk rugby and be excited about the game."
Jones was not worried about how coaching the Wallabies may affect his record.
"To ask that question is to place me as more important than the game," he said. "And I always say to win without risk is to triumph without glory.
"This is not about my reputation and what my coaching record might look like."
And he emphasised coaching the Wallabies was not "rocket science": "I don’t want anyone imagining that we are dealing with some kind of complexity where we need a computer screen and 55 IT specialists to determine where we go next," he said.
Jones also fired back at suggestions he would not qualify for the Wallabies’ position as he had no rugby coaching experience in the professional era.
"Professionalism has nothing to do with money, professionalism is a state of mind," he said.
"My teams were professional people, they were committed to winning.
"When Roger Federer runs for a drop shot he doesn’t run because there is money in it – he runs because he has an attitudinal commitment to be the best."
Australia’s highest-profile bookmaker was so impressed with the influential broadcaster that Jones was immediately installed as second favourite to succeed John Connolly.
"I’ve heard he’s got close to the numbers, he’s got a lot of support," said Gerard Daffy from Lasseters.
After opening up at 100/1 two weeks ago when Queensland rugby boss Peter Lewis first urged Jones to apply, the former Wallabies mentor is now considered a very serious 3/1 shot.
Source: Private letter inspired Jones
