Noah Lolesio is set to be in France later this year. Although, it’s unlikely to be with the Wallabies but rather Top 14 club Toulon.
The Roar understands the 23-year-old Brumbies playmaker, who last year led the Wallabies to victories against England, the Springboks and Wales, is on the verge of signing a short-term with the French glamour club.
He’s not the only one exploring his options either, with Jake Gordon, who started last year’s two Bledisloe Tests under Dave Rennie, sniffing a role after falling down the pecking order under Eddie Jones.
Gordon has at least been selected by Jones in Jason Gilmore’s coached Australia A side that will take on Toutai Kefu’s Tongan side featuring a host of international stars including Charles Piutau and Israel Folau on July 14.
After missing Wallabies selection Noah Lolesio was left out of Australia A’s side to take on Tonga. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
That’s not the case for Lolesio, who has sensationally slipped out of Australia A contention to continue his unique entry into professional sport.
No other year encapsulates his whirlwind journey like 2022, which started with a dramatic promotion into the starting side against Jones’ England in Perth after Quade Cooper went down with a calf injury.
While he led the Wallabies to a superb come-from-behind victory, the playmaker failed to lead the side to victories in Brisbane and Perth and was left out for their Rugby Championship opener in Argentina.
Nor did Cooper’s season-ending Achilles injury see Rennie turn to Lolesio immediately either, with the former Wallabies coach turning to James O’Connor before dispensing with the utility back for the rest of the season.
Noah Lolesio is expected to sign a short term World Cup joker deal to spend a stint in France. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Lolesio then led the Wallabies to a stunning victory over the Springboks in Adelaide before Bernard Foley was drafted in from the international wilderness after his head knock against the world champions a week later in Sydney.
Astonishingly, Ben Donaldson even started the final Test of the year against Wales before Lolesio came off the bench to help the Wallabies seal a memorable come-from-behind victory.
All along, former Wallabies attack coach Scott Wisemantel, who is acting as a consultant to Jones in 2023, encouraged Lolesio to continue to play flatter and impose himself more on the game.
“The one thing that we wanted from Noah was to be a bit more aggressive because he’s such a nice bloke,” Wisemantel said.
“I want him to be filthy if he’s not selected. I want him to come to me and go ‘why’? And ‘how are we going to do this and what are you going to do for me?’.
“It’s not being rude. In that role, as a player who touches the ball more than most players in the team, he has to have that authority and that command.
“You actually have to practise it daily. Talking in wants and needs. ‘I need you here, I want you here, if you don’t show up, there’s going to be consequences’. It’s aggressive language. And off the field, Noah is nothing like that. But that’s part of his development, controlling men.”
Wisemantel pointed to Lolesio’s part in Fraser McReight’s try after 62 seconds caught the Springboks napping in Adelaide.
“The most impressive thing for me was when we scored that first try with McReight,” Wisemantel said.
“If you go back two phases before and look where Noah is, he’s connected to the forwards … but the authority he had with telling them what he wanted, how he wanted it, and his organising, that to me was his most impressive part of his game.
“I enjoyed that, because whether you are right or wrong, if you are demanding things and commanding things, then blokes are going to show up for you.”
Those close to Lolesio believe the talented playmaker will benefit from an experience away from Canberra and the Brumbies.
Passit2me
Roar Rookie
Yes, but our lack of 10 development at SR level, meant we were short staffed there, until they turned to our older 10’s.
Passit2me
Roar Rookie
O’Connor left after getting drunk and subsequently sacked.
Cec
Roar Rookie
I think WB coach needs to adjust the game plan to his cattle or not pick them at all.
Passit2me
Roar Rookie
To be fair, Wallabies is about results, always has been. It’s not a development system. Noah wasn’t responding to what Rennie wanted, despite playing 16 or 17 tests or something. It may not have been all his fault considering how they rushed him in year 1 of his pro rugby career, but a coach is expected to get results, particularly at that level. SRP shows up our poor coaching at that level and below. That then feeds into the Wallabies as a Wallaby coach does not have time to work miracles with unprepared players.
Passit2me
Roar Rookie
Yep, I don’t understand Foley over NL in Aus A, except perhaps as cover. It’s supposed to be a development program for fringe players I thought, not a respite home.
Cec
Roar Rookie
So much pressure on CG now to come good. If he gets injured then what, slot in another rookie to start or back up QC? Eddie needed to keep NL in the system with AUS A not the wilderness. We don’t have a plethora of experienced young 10s to burn. It’s WBs coaching/selections & pressure to immediately win that’s letting players down.
Passit2me
Roar Rookie
Well I agree with you on that and have said as much in other articles. He was thrust in far too early.
Cec
Roar Rookie
Mismanaged and impatient. We do that quite well with young players in AUS. It looks like CG is next with the call for him to start. As for NL he looks destined to make a bundle of cash o/s and develop further under a different country, another Hansen, Lomax or Ainsley perhaps.
Passit2me
Roar Rookie
And yet where is he now? Stood too deep, didn’t get his hands on the ball enough, didn’t command the game and players enough, went missing, then dropped. Lines up perfectly.
Cec
Roar Rookie
Yet he was deemed good enough to go straight into WB to start in NZ at 20yrs after just 1yr with Brums & picked up wins vs top 4 nations before the age of 22yrs. That doesn’t really line up with your theory. Brums have developed a few handy 10s over the years.
Passit2me
Roar Rookie
My point was, it didn’t prepare him well for the challenges of international rugby, because the Wallabies wanted more from him. He continued to stand too deep ,didn’t get his hands on the ball enough and would go missing in some matches. IMO, Playing in a SRP side that challenged him to come up with more plays, (doesn’t have to always go through him obviously), would have been better preparation if he was going to go straight into the Wallabies in his first year.
Cec
Roar Rookie
:laughing: you’ve completely missed the point. Having White there is the perfect place to learn at 10 with less pressure on a young player to always have to come up with the play. Share the workload while on your L at 10. Plenty of wins at the Brums for Noah, even MoM against the Reds for SRAU Finals win at 20yrs. Who wouldn’t want to develop at Brums Winning Culture? Like I said having everything go through your 10 is predictable and old school contrary to that thought are your top two teams moving on from that.
Guess
Roar Rookie
Ik it’s Jake :crying: :crying: He’s been good for the tahs. As a player and a captain. Don’t hate on him
Passit2me
Roar Rookie
Exactly Cec, playing off 9 was from McKellar years, which was when Noah did his apprenticeship before playing for the Wallabies. I pointed this out clearly at the end of my post above. This is why I didn’t think the Brumbies was the best team for his apprenticeship, which was my original point.
Cec
Roar Rookie
At some point to get it to 13 and the outside backs it has to go to 10 or 12. Plenty of width of the field tries this year. The pill went to 10 for those instances as Tua isn’t a playmaker but instead a battering ram 12. Yeah they played off 9 in tight to suck in the D & do so more than other AUS teams but when it was time to go wide, as Brums did more so this year, the pill went to 10. “Relying on White” is more so from the DMcK years but there is a notable shift with Bernie’s game plan, Noah, with Andy coming off the opposite wing, worked in tandem for that sweeping play they ran a plenty this year. What Noah does really well is pass early to space and follow as a support runner & you see that in the tries he’s scores or sets up further down field. There’s different styles of play to just hitting the 10(old school) in fact a balance of play off 9 & 10 provides more options. IRE and FRA pairing of do this really well.
Cec
Roar Rookie
Also NZ if he’s good enough in 3yrs. Born in Auckland.
Passit2me
Roar Rookie
I’m suggesting no such thing Cec. They played more off White, simple as that, playing closer to the ruck. They then relied more heavily on their set piece and less on 10 to get over the line. what has the 12 you mentioned got to do with anything? Larkham is now coach, but Los served his apprenticeship under McKellar.
Cec
Roar Rookie
You’re thus suggesting White cut out pass the 10 & 12 regularly to get the pill directly to Len & outside backs. I’ll call BS on that one.
The Strategist
Roar Rookie
It is hard to say that Noah led any team, anytime. That is his problem, he is totally passive as a 10 and is rarely seen. It is also hard to say that Noah touches the ball more than almost any other player. He was always absent and never wanted the ball. Another reason he is not in the team. He may as well go to France and see if he can develop his game as he has not improved at all over the past 2-3 seasons. Problem is when he gets back, he will find that Carter Gordon has seized the opportunity and will continue to get better and better.
AV
Roar Rookie
Seriously, there is no downside - when it's done properly/well.