Dick Tonks' spray at Rowing New Zealand chief: 'He couldn't run a bloody corner dairy'

Dick Tonks, left, has launched an extradinary attack on Rowing NZ chief Simon Peterson. Photo / Getty Images

The feud between Dick Tonks and rowing bosses has escalated with the super coach launching a personal attack on the national administration's chief executive.

And the man in his sights, Rowing New Zealand's Simon Peterson, says he is confident RNZ have other coaches who can cover for Tonks if he remains defiant and quits the Rio Olympic programme. Tonks is apparently in no mood to stop the bad blood, claiming Peterson "couldn't run a bloody corner dairy".

Peterson is hoping a resolution can be worked out today, although he revealed on Radio Sport he was having to communicate with Tonks "quite successfully" through a third party, at Mahe Drysdale's request.

Tonks has abandoned RNZ over their demands that he quit coaching a Chinese crew at Lake Karapiro, meaning Olympic gold medallist Drysdale and the world champion women's double sculls may need a new coach just eight months out from the Rio Olympics.

Tonks does not appear in a conciliatory mood, however.

"I've been undermined at different times with no consultation at all," Tonks was reported as saying by MediaWorks.

"I've never had a discussion with the CEO at all and the whole time he's been here I've had four meetings. They just come in and make decisions, no discuss, no nothing."

But Peterson has strongly disputed claims that Tonks's desire to coach a Chinese crew was no different to what has happened before with international guests at Karapiro.

Peterson said in previous cases, the international invitations were "structured and framed up" whereas the Chinese "arrived unannounced".

"We were blindsided," he said. "It's a bit different to having other athletes come visit for a short period of time and maybe be a training partner on the water."

Peterson said it had been difficult to get responses from Tonks and they had conducted their own homework and discovered the four Chinese rowers had competed at the 2014 and/or 2015 world championships, and were not merely a provincial crew as Tonks claimed.

RNZ asked Tonks to choose between his New Zealand crews and the Chinese.

"He decided to go with the Chinese. He has walked... and wants nothing to do with us as RNZ," Peterson told Radio Sport's D'arcy Waldegrave.

Peterson would not comment on whether RNZ might back down in order to keep Tonks involved.

"It has accurately been reported that the relationship has been strained for some time but we've made it work," he said.

"Since London (2012 Olympics) we've had success through Dick Tonks' coaching... and we've had five coaches achieve world championship medals in 2015.

"If there is no resolution, and I hope that is not the case, I'm certainly confident in the depth and capacity of our coaching programme and we can move forward very quickly."