Eddie Jones’ big Wallaby regret was in his corner again on Friday as the team rounded off a training camp ahead of Sunday’s selection of the 33-man squad for the opening two Tests of the Rugby Championship.
Rugby league legend Andrew Johns cast aside his disappointment over the NSW Blues’ State of Origin flop midweek by joining Jones at Coogee Oval.
Johns ran a playmaking clinic for the Wallabies halves – with Carter Gordon and Bernard Foley among those who seemed to be hanging on every word from the league Immortal. Quade Cooper, considered the front runner for the No.10 jersey at the World Cup, was missing due to a wedding commitment.
“We have known Andrew a long time and his ability to teach the nuances of first receiver play is second to none, and to have him down here, particularly for a such a young guy like Carter is a great learning experience,” said Jones, who has a well-documented respect for rugby league and its coaches.
Also well known is that Jones tried to lure Johns to rugby union in his previous stint as coach, only to be rebuffed by the board in 2005.
“We had him mate but the board wouldn’t approve the contract,” Jones said on Friday. “We’ve got the statute up for him in the Immortals.”
Andrew Johns talks to Bernard Foley and Carter Gordon at Wallabies training. Julius Dimataga/RugbyAU Media)
Jones was asked if the “rugby types” knew just how good Johns had been as a league player.
“He is probably telling them, mate,” Jones joked.
He agreed that Johns could help with mindset as well as skill set, while adding a little dig at his sometime sparring partner Peter V’landys, the ARL boss who Jones previously referred to as “the horse guy”.
“There is a little bit of that. Definitely. We should get the CEO down here, the chairman down here … what’s his name?” said Jones.
“That’s the great thing about sport in Australia though isn’t it? We have this competitive tension but we also have great co-operation.”
Johns helped Jones out in 2016 at the same venue, when the coach was leading England to a 3-0 series win Down Under.
Jones, who has another former Blues Origin player as part of his staff in Brett Hodgson, talked up the impact of league coaches on The Roar Rugby Podcast this week.
Andrew Johns gives some advice to Bernard Foley. (Photo by Julius Dimataga/RugbyAU Media)
“The best people to learn from are usually the rugby league coaches because you take away the contest that we have on the ground and obviously scrum and line out and kickoff, then our phase attack and their phase defence, whilst it’s not identical, has similar ideas about how you manipulate defence and how defence stops the attack. So I’ve been lucky enough to learn from a number of good rugby league coaches,” Jones said.
As for further involvment from Johns – who some have touted as a potential Blues coach, Jones said: “It is not really something we have planned. It is just something when there is an opportunity to mix, we will. If we feel there is someone from rugby league who can help us … I certainly don’t have any discrimination against the sport.”
Another visitor to the camp this week was Wallabies coaching legend Bob Dwyer.
“Bob came in on Monday. Run straight, short passes is the consistent message, and he is right. 100 per cent right.”
Johns meanwhile was asked to chat about his training session and wasn’t keen to go into detail – but he had a cheeky message for the Wallabies coach.
“Eddie owes me a favour, ” he laughed.
Wig
Roar Rookie
yes james
Wig
Roar Rookie
Oh no. League in my saviour. I watched 5 minutes of the 2nd origin and turned it off. :laughing:
James584
Roar Rookie
Johns knows how to play at first receiver. One of the best ever. His advice can only help. A different perspective is always good.
Jacko
Roar Rookie
How on earth is Johns going to help? This is dumb. Eddie needed another headline.
Tim Carter
Roar Pro
It's a tough one. The naturally gifted often can see and do things that they can't articulate for coaching purposes. Then again, he and his brother will talk about former Knights' assistant coach Allan Bell in gushing terms whenever prompted, with the focus being on how he would get them to direct an attacking set (which would generally correlate with union phases). Johns can talk about organization, technique, drawing defenders into bad positions, etc, but whether or not he can affect his proteges' decision-making is what determines his effectiveness or otherwise.
Hurles
Roar Rookie
Could be another sneaky jab at «The horse guy» too
Dida
Roar Rookie
Love it. As a Queenslander, johns was always the enemy...but one of the best players there was for both club, NSW and Aus. I think it's brilliant getting guys like him in and Jones is right, rugby and league share many similarities. As Jones said, why not call in players of John's experience. I reckon the players would have got a lot out of it. Getting guys like Johns into training also builds up the 'experience' of these camps in a world cup year too. There's more to it then just the technical side for sure.
Megeng
Roar Rookie
Give him credit, he was a great player. The question is does he even know why?
Freddo
Roar Rookie
Nup, I reckon giving CG (and others) some time with Joey is cool
The Crow Flies Backwards
Roar Rookie
Could be a bolter for the World Cup. Kerr-Barlow at 9, Joey at 10
Maxtruck
Roar Rookie
It showed on Wednesday night how well he has done with the playmakers for the NSW Blues
Dualcode
Roar Rookie
Sounds like "Operation Bledisloe" here, but in all seriousness the Wallabies camp seems very busy here with Drew despite his Origin disappointment.
The Crow Flies Backwards
Roar Rookie
Hanging on his every word? Maybe they couldn't understand him
GoldenEye
Roar Rookie
Good old Eddie, still King of the headline grabbers… Plays well with the newspapers, rarely on the field.
Muzz Manyana
Roar Rookie
Are we talking about the same Mitch Moses who plays for the Eels and struggled to execute a basic block play in origin 2?
Andrew01
Roar Rookie
Some would say Moses went backwards the year Johns worked with him while Brown's development flat lined. Since Parra said he was no longer required, the Eels halves have blossomed significantly
TJ-Go Force!
Roar Rookie
He’s turned Mitch Moses into a world class player.
TJ-Go Force!
Roar Rookie
Geez you love to see the immortal showing the boys what’s what. Joey is king and always will be.
Andrew01
Roar Rookie
Johns was a great player. Generational talent. I have never been coached by him, so i can only presume it to be as insightful as his commentary which is to say, in ten years of him on tv he hasn't shared anything i couldn't see myself. And based on the lack of results that come from the halves he works with in a coaching capacity, i don't see this has being a game changer for these possible Wallabies
Tooly
Roar Rookie
As long as he wasn’t teaching them fighting ; performance enhancement , perhaps ! John’s will need more than performance enhancement for Foley . He will be the messiah if he can turn Foley into a winner . There’s nothing there , never has been . Johns has been helping Freddie Fittler with NSW . Has Eddie been as well ? They performed like the Reds did with Eddie . Perhaps winners like Billy Slater , Cooper Cronk , Cameron Smith or Alf Langer .