Wayne Bennett, the great rugby league coach, often says that if he listened to the fans, he'd end up sitting with them. Wallaby coach Michael Cheika likes to talk to them on the phone.
Jack Quigley, to be fair, doesn't appear to be any old fan. And Cheika doesn't really have anything to lose by reaching out to a disenfranchised supporter that could be one of thousands around the nation that are feeling similarly enraged.
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Cheika snaps at Scottish Journalist
Wallabies Head Coach Michael Cheika gave his view on the way Scotland's media portray their team.
Cheika enjoyed a heart-to-heart with Quigley after the latter's social media takedown of the Wallabies struck a chord with fellow supporters. The post, in which he labelled the Wallabies a 'disgrace' after their loss to Scotland, attracted more than 41,000 likes and was shared nearly 5000 times.
"I spoke to the gentleman and gave him a ring, because why not?" Cheika told media on Monday in Brisbane. "I think that's important, that you talk to the fans. When we come out to pressers and say we want to make the fans proud it's not lip service, we do.
"We're not perfect at it sometimes."
Quigley concluded his post by asking for a 15-minute window to personally address the team this week but it's believed he withdrew this request after speaking with Cheika.
Cheika disagreed the Wallabies were lacking in passion, which was one of Quigley's chief complaints. But the post will be stuck on the walls of their Ballymore training base as they prepare to meet the Italians at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
"I think that he expressed how he was feeling after the (Scotland) game and I don't think it's too far away from what some of us were feeling as well," Cheika said.
![Getting the call-up: Michael Cheika spoke to Jack Quigley, whose post on a Wallabies social media page went viral, over ...](http://web.archive.org./web/20170622162525im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/3/k/5/6/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gwtz61.png/1497878367858.jpg)
"(It) was pretty confronting for a few of the guys, if they hadn't seen it, because it was pretty heavy in some ways."
'Heavy' might be the best way to describe the treatment the Wallabies need to dish out to Italy if they are to begin to woo supporters once more. And if players are suffering from a 'lack of belief', as Cheika conceded, then pouring on plenty of points against the Azzurri seems a logical place to locate some.
![Jack Quigley was surprised to find his Facebook post slamming the Wallabies after their loss to Scotland had hit a note ...](http://web.archive.org./web/20170622162525im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/w/u/2/g/y/image.related.articleLeadNarrow.300x0.gwtz61.png/1497882424081.jpg)
"This is a new team, they've all come from different environments, a lot of new players together and it's been tough in the environments they've been in," said Cheika, who denied the players had stopped caring for the jersey.
"I think we weren't good enough. I believe we cared, totally. With emotion, those things get said all the time. But there's no doubt that the team cared."
While Cheika said earlier this year he was confident the struggles of Australian Super Rugby teams wouldn't affect the Wallabies, he conceded some players were dealing with a "lack of belief" as a result.
"This is a new team, they've all come from different environments, a lot of new players together and it's been tough in the environments they've been in," he said.
But Cheika said there was no doubt the players were trying their hardest.
It's not difficult to guess what someone like Bennett would make of a coach ringing a grumpy fan to listen to their gripes. Yet rugby has now reached the point where the head coach of the national side calling angry punters doesn't seem quite so preposterous.
The die-hard fan told Fairfax Media on Sunday evening that the post was probably a combination of 15 years of frustration and the "16 beers" he'd had since the 3pm game had ended.Â
"I woke up [on Sunday morning] checked my Facebook and I just had a gazillion notifications. Obviously I hit a nerve with some people; there's something in what I've written that a lot of people relate to – and that's great," he said.Â
"The Wallabies at the moment are a microcosm of what is wrong with the ARU and the disconnect between the grass roots and the top ... I feel like I'm getting further and further away from them.
"This is professional sport;Â you've got to adapt or die. And at the moment it seems like we're taking the latter option."
with AAPÂ
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