Good on Tew, and Benny too, for saying it straight

The star performer in rugby during the past week was Steve Tew. The New Zealand Rugby Union chief executive doesn't receive many bouquets. But after the latest performance, his best ever, he deserves one.

Tew took centre stage during a series of illuminating interviews: the first on Sky's Re:Union show followed by two interviews on Radio Sport. He was frank, forthright and open, and made a series of disclosures worth repeating. The most interesting by far pertained to last week's meeting between the All Blacks coaching panel, players, management and invited guests, Brisbane Broncos rugby league mentor Wayne Bennett and former Australian cricket coach John Buchanan.

According to Tew, Bennett ripped into the All Blacks, panning Graham Henry's decision to wrap his players in cotton wool before last year's World Cup, but also tearing apart the All Blacks' tough-guys reputation.

A common whinge among our elite internationals is the amount of games they have to play. But Bennett reckons they don't know how lucky they are and basically they need to harden up. Magnificent.

Oh to be a fly on the wall when that happened and my pick is Tew would have been elated. In effect, Bennett gave him a mandate to extract his pound of flesh from the likes of Richie McCaw over the next couple of years - and he'll need to.

One of his duties is to write the pay cheques for our players and he admitted he's now having to compete with a carrot being waved by northern hemisphere clubs that's 30% bigger than that dangled in front of Carl Hayman last year. Considering Hayman is being paid a king's ransom ($944,000 a year) that's scary stuff.

Tew went a step further, confirming the so-called salary cap in the north is "a joke" and interestingly the International Rugby Board is considering a cross boarder transfer fee.

Players leave our shores every year and New Zealand rugby doesn't get a dime for the development work they have provided. You'd think then a transfer fee would result in a small windfall. But Tew scotched this, saying any recompense is likely to be insignificant.

Tew then took us inside the halls of power by disclosing at a recent meeting in the north the region's key powerbrokers deferred to the boss of French club rugby, Serge Blanco, on all key matters. Serge will be chuffed.

Closer to home, most of the talk here has been about the future of our two premier competitions: the Super 14 and Air New Zealand Cup. Tew's Aussie counterpart John O'Neill has been vociferously lobbying for expansion. But Tew put him in his place, saying what's good for O'Neill is not always good for New Zealand and if the Aussie's plans don't suit, New Zealand will veto them. All decisions at a Sanzar level require unanimity.

This is not the case with the Air New Zealand Cup. Several unions are not meeting the participation criteria, particularly on a financial level, so risk the chop if they don't smarten up by the time a review, that's already started, is finalised - hopefully as soon as August.

Tew would not name names but acknowledged for the first time the writing is on the all for many. Having listened to all three interviews I am now better informed and more confident we have the right leadership to help solve many of the dilemmas facing the game.

The only shame was why on earth the rugby union has not been this open in the past?

Hopefully the bosses have realised there's nothing to be gained by a secretive approach. Sure, discretion will be required at times. But if rugby fans are to be engaged again people in positions of privilege such as Tew need to provide the fans with open and honest answers. It might just help repair a few wounds and restore some lost faith.

- © Fairfax NZ News