Josh Flook was at the dinner table last June when his phone rang. He looked at it, then he turned it over. House rules.
It was shortly after the phone buzzed again. This time it was one of the Queensland Reds analysists.
“You might want to take call,” the text message read.
Having excused himself from the family dining room table, Flook, the former Australian Schoolboys captain, jumped on the blower and was pleasantly surprised the caller was Wallabies coach Dave Rennie.
“It was a pretty quick phone call back,” Flook quipped.
“Dave called me up, which was pretty cool.
“The message was just playing consistent footy and try to put my hand up for a selection spot.
“He pretty much said, ‘just enjoy your footy, get back to how you were playing last year’ because I was playing some decent footy and just see how the year goes.”
Flook, 21, was out of the selection landscape last Test season after injuring his shoulder in the penultimate regular round of Super Rugby.
Before then, and throughout 2021, the outside centre had quickly found his feet for the Reds.
A balanced, gifted runner, Flook is a natural footy player. He is calm, collected and is strong on both sides of the ball.
The outside centre, who can shift to the wing seamlessly and grew up playing at No.10, led the Aussie Schoolboys to a seven-year drought-breaking victory over New Zealand across the ditch in 2019.
The victory continued the exciting pathways emerging in Australian rugby in 2019, with the Junior Wallabies making the under-20s World Cup final, before COVID-19 struck.
Flook said the victory over New Zealand Schools gave him a boost of confidence before entering the Super Rugby system.
“It was kind of my first little taste of it in around that time, so I think I went in and was able to train with the boys a little bit after that,” he said.
“So definitely. I was a shy, shy young kid coming in, but it let me know that I was able to be there around that group.”
Rennie’s phone call solidified that Flook is on the right track. It is also another reminder that despite the Wallabies just completing a 44-man training squad, there are a number of others on the fringes who could mount a late World Cup run.
But you won’t hear the Nudgee product blowing his own trumpet.
Instead, he prefers to let his actions do the talking.
“At the end of the day, if you don’t perform, there’s no use to say the words that you’ve said,” he said.
“You’ve got to go out and perform to back up anything that you say anyway.”
At this early point in Flook’s career, the Reds rising star doesn’t believe he’s entitled to thinking he belongs anywhere.
“They [the Wallabies coaching structure] just checked in on how I was and how the process is going, and what they’d like to see from me this year,” Flook said.
“I thought it was pretty cool that they even started speaking to me because I never thought of it like that, so it was really nice for them to just check on me and see I was going.”
“I never thought it would be last year or in the next couple years. But that is always the end goal to pull on the gold jersey, whether it be for the Wallabies or Australia A.”
Flook is remarkably positive.
Two shoulder reconstructions could see a young man rattled. Not Flook.
Instead, he sees the positives out of the past 12 months, which saw him miss out on Australia A selection while others pushed their claims during the Pacific Nations Cup in July and, later, during three unofficial Tests against a Japan XV.
“I did my other {shoulder) one back in 2020 against the Force. I’ve had both gone now, so both locked in at a young age, which is good,” he said.
“It would have been cool to be potentially a part of something like that. But I just took the positives out of it.
“I was lucky enough to have a good season and was able to play quite a few games in last year’s season.
“I enjoyed it. It meant that I was able to get the rest of my body right at the same time.
“I had to go up the Ballymoore stairs up quite a lot, so I made good mates with them.”
Following Hamish Stewart’s move to the Western Force, Flook shapes as a core part of the Reds’ midfield pairing alongside Hunter Paisami in 2023.
It will provide the Reds with the straight, hard running line of Paisami at inside centre, with the elusive Flook out side him.
And with Test outside backs Suliasi Vunivalu, Jordan Petaia and Jock Campbell in the back three, the Reds have a well-balanced backline with James O’Connor fit and healthy to direct them around the park.
Flook believes adapting to the different styles of play across the competition is imperative for the Reds to be consistent in 2023 and says the importance of staying on the right side of the whistle will be imperative.
“We played some really good footy and won most of our games against all the Australian opposition [in 2022],” he said.
“So we’re just going to adapt a little bit better to how the Kiwi teams play.
“Also we worked out that we’re one of the most penalised teams in the competition last year as well, so we’ve put a lot of effort into our discipline and gone hard at that that at training.
If we can fix up those two things up, I’m sure it’ll go a long way.”
A “nice little conditioning set on the sidelines” is the punishment for anyone who steps out of line.
It’s that kind of discipline that was the hallmark of Brad Thorn’s illustrious career.
If the Reds can transfer those values under the bright lights of Super Rugby, it will go a long way in seeing them rise up the standings and, at the same time, push for higher honours.
Honest Max
Roar Rookie
Agree. He’s not big, but I’ve liked what I’ve seen from Isaac Henry.
The Late News
Roar Rookie
No apology required mate. Thanks for taking the time to reply. Keep up the good work. I'll get back to the flies and the 41 deg!
Christy Doran
Editor
Lots of talented options at 13. I see Flook having a wonderful career. I like a bigger centre inside him however.
Christy Doran
Editor
Thanks for reading Phil. Apologies I didn't write back earlier, as I was off over the weekend and out of reception. Cheers
Christy Doran
Editor
Thanks for reading them. Sorry I was late in responding too. I was at a wedding over the weekend. Cheers
Muglair
Roar Rookie
JC, you had better put Jessica Halloran at the top of that list :shocked:
Biscuit man
Roar Rookie
No excuse need now lads. The article is now irrelevant. Agenda complete.
Derek Murray
Roar Rookie
That sentence needs context
JD Kiwi
Roar Rookie
So long as he has a big 12 inside him it won't be a problem.
Wizz
Roar Rookie
Like too see Kellaway at outside centre at some stage he is an obvious back up world cup for wing fullback and outside centre.
Riggers
Roar Rookie
Haha
Objective Observer
Roar Rookie
Interesting article about a player I know little about. His history with Aus schoolboys etc suggests some talent. Not sure why the story is a positive for DR, if this guy is good he should have reached out years ago, little point doing so now where it would seem he would be a long shot to make a wallaby squad this year. It would seem DR is in need of some good publicity.
Wooliej
Roar Rookie
I love his energy and really enjoy watching him play. That’s tough at 21 to have had both shoulders done. Crazy sport in many ways.
Malotru
Roar Rookie
Just my tongue in cheek 'opinion' Beefy, you clearly have a different take on it. If Flook turns out to be half as smart as Conrad Smith he may amount to something. By the way how do you determine a very high rugby IQ?
Muglair
Roar Rookie
GR is as good as a stat dec signed by two RA directors. I am pretty tired of them making announcements via the press with nothing other than carefully curated commentary from RA. No strategic plan and I am choking on cake :angry: On the other hand the petulance of RA does not surprise me, although it might just be an unauthorised dummy spit from the RA executive who was upset at DR refusing an assistant. I would not be surprised if they have offered EJ a contract for 2024, it feeds into their sole objective of trying to be attractive for a PE investor. From that point of view it becomes the only alternative. He might refuse it though, or his counter demands might be too much to swallow. If he came back he might want to see commitment to wider and deeper change, RA is commitment averse. I really sympathise with DR but it would be then crazy to have Eddie sit totally on the sidelines. From a RA point of view it is wasting a year by avoiding some sort of transition. From a RWC perspective it would be crazy to not tap into EJ. EJ as assistant is absolutely unacceptable to both, but there might be a middle ground. Frankly I think we are not too far off. 10 is a problem, and our appalling attacking breakdown work. The first is with the Gods, QC fitness and bolters required. The second is tactical, I think DR wants to keep playing the same way and that might be a problem.
The Late News
Roar Rookie
Couldn't give a flook either way.
JC
Roar Rookie
Don’t believe everything you read. If RA had made an offer to anyone, it’s more likely Georgina Robinson or Christy Doran would have the story, not the anti-rugby News Corp.
JC
Roar Rookie
Flook was my tip as a breakthrough player last year before his injury. He just seems to have the composure for Test rugby, and we need specialist back-up for Ikitau.
JC
Roar Rookie
Hoping Lynagh is committed to the Reds and Australia as he looks like the real deal. Floyd Aubrey also seems to like chiming I’m at first receiver from fullback. Perhaps worth some time at 10 in a trial?
AJ
Guest
Good call (not sure about durable though, given he was out all last season with 3 leg injuries, different injuries, same leg) I would like to see this given a go at some stage... 9. Tate 10. Lynagh 12. Henry 13. Flook