Hand flying below 1000 feet on a clear day is fine, bit when the weather is ****e, you use all aids available to you. Had the QF FO used the A/P down to minima the aircraft wouldn't have got out of the slot, there wouldn't have been a go-around and the incident would never had happened.
As for saying that "I would have the co-pilot sacked if he pulled the gear up on me" only continues to re-inforce the attitude that the captain is king and shouldn't be questioned. It should never get to that situation, but if it does there must have been extenuating circumstances, such as subtle incapacitation. I am sure that management wouldn't sack the co-pilot purely at the captains request, but investigate why the FO was forced into that action as a last resort.
That is what this thread is trying to achieve, having a situation where the FO doesn't feel threatened if he takes control.