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PERTH - Western Force coach John Mitchell has had his powers diminished and been told to tone down his authoritarian approach after the Super 14 club received the results of an independent inquiry into his behaviour.
Mitchell, who has been head coach of the club since its inception
in 2006 and is contracted until the end of 2011, has been assured his job is safe.
But the former All Blacks coach will no longer have final say on issues such as team selection, with his assistants to gain greater responsibility in the running of the club.
"We have made some structural changes where no longer is the selection one man's decision, there is now a selection committee," Rugby WA chairman Geoff Stooke said.
"More importantly we now have a match committee which is responsible for the planning and execution for all the training.
"I think John felt that as time was going on he was putting himself on an island and carrying a lot of the responsibility on his own.
"He now sees an organisation around him which to date he has been very comfortable with.
"So there's more shared responsibility for the team now than there was before."
The Force said details of the inquiry would remain confidential.
Last December, the Force went to the extraordinary length of hiring retired Supreme Court Judge Robert Anderson QC to investigate complaints made by high-profile players and coaching staff against Mitchell.
With tensions at the club almost at boiling point, Mitchell was temporarily stood down from his duties while Justice Anderson completed his interviews.
Mitchell said he was happy with the inquiry's findings, believing it had strengthened both himself and the club.
"Through adversity comes strength and we as an organisation have found a way to gain strength," Mitchell said.
"It hasn't been a distraction.
"Certainly not enjoyable, but at the end of the day I've tried to remain professional and carry dignity through the whole situation.
"I'll learn from it and get better.
"It's like anything in football. You are always judged on results so my focus now is on how to win, that's the most important thing now I think.
"If you tend to plateau and tend to get complacent about what you do ... then you will get replaced."
Mitchell said he was comfortable with his reduced role.
"That's not necessarily giving away power, it's becoming more effective and utilising the strengths within the group and understanding there's been a gaining of maturity with all aspects of the club since we've started," he said.
Stooke said the inquiry was necessary so that both players and coaches could "air their grievances or concerns or make their recommendations without any fear or favour".
"It wasn't a storm in a tea cup, there were issues," Stooke said.
The Force kick off their season against the Blues at Subiaco Oval on Friday night.
- AAP
