Beale texts a 'dismissible offence'
The fall-out from the Kurtley Beale texting saga is continuing to snowball at an alarming rate.
As the Wallabies struggle to focus on the upcoming Test against New Zealand, in Brisbane on Saturday, reports claim Australian Rugby Union Chief Executive Bill Pulver suggested Beale's behaviour is a 'dismissible offence'.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald the ARU called in an external media management consultant to help deal with the crisis surrounding Beale's misconduct allegation.
They also drafted in injured Wallaby hooker Stephen Moore to help steer the team back on track before the tour of Europe.
Pulver announced the move to staff at a meeting at the union's headquarters this week.
At the same all-staff meeting, Pulver allegedly criticised Wallaby captain Michael Hooper for his public support of teammate Beale.
Pulver also took aim at Waratahs Chairman Roger Davis for backing NSW coach Michael Cheika's attempts to keep Beale in the game.
He said he considered the messages Beale allegedly sent to former business manager Di Patston a "dismissible offence".
When contacted by Fairfax Media, Pulver denied criticising Hooper, saying he only questioned the wisdom of his comments, but stood by the comments about Beale's conduct.
"I said that when I looked at that incident, if anyone in my team inside the ARU sent text messages with that type of comment and content, that I considered it a dismissible offence," Pulver said.
"I was crystal clear, to the team I presented to, that Kurtley gets a chance to present his case."
Asked whether his comments could be interpreted as a pre-judgment of a case set down for a hearing before an independent tribunal, Pulver said: "In between me and my senior employees [outside the Wallabies], my position remains that I would dismiss them immediately, but there is a different process in place for a player that is really governed by the agreements we have with RUPA [the Rugby Union Players' Association]."
During the meeting, Pulver also told staff he had asked coach Ewen McKenzie directly about the nature of his relationship with Patston.
He said he believed McKenzie when the Wallaby coach told him it was platonic.
With the Wallabies due to fly out next Friday for the start of their five-week year-end tour, Moore met with ARU integrity officer Phil Thomson and general manager of development pathways Ben Whitaker to devise a structure to help embattled Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie.
It is understood the group is looking at appointing an interim team manager who would oversee the entire Wallabies program, and be seen as an objective figure of authority within the team.
Source: Sydney Morning Herald
