Four players,Arthur told Clarke and Dovey,had not responded. Unless the emails had inexplicably not landed in his inbox,he resolved,they had not been sent at all.
The trio were already concerned with what they perceived was a general dip in attitude in the approach to this tour from members of the 16-man squad. Now they were furious.
Wellness reports,which players are asked to complete daily explaining everything,right down to how many hours'sleep they got,were not being completed and sent to the team's strength and conditioning trainer. There has been concern over some players'skinfolds. Some have worn the wrong uniforms when they step out to training or in transit.
Scheduled appointments with the support staff,including physiotherapist Alex Kountouris,had been brushed aside without explanation as a general slackness set in over the past fortnight. Meanwhile Australia,on the ground,were annihilated.