Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt will unify Australian rugby and successfully “cut through the fluff” as he transforms the ailing national team.
Schmidt received that glowing endorsement from Queensland Reds coach Les Kiss, who was the New Zealander’s assistant with the Irish national team in 2014 and 2015 as the Irish won the Six Nations.
Fans have hailed the decision to anoint Schmidt on a two-year deal to replace Eddie Jones. The previous coach led Australia to a worst-ever World Cup result. Many of Jones’ ex-players have begun to open up about the tumultuous past 12 months while Kiss believes it’s time for some straight shooting.
“It’s an appointment that we’ve been waiting for. And it’s a strong appointment,” Kiss told reporters on Monday.
“Joe brings a lot of expertise and a lot of success and knows how to get the right things out of players, pulling them in from different environments and gelling them together to go together somewhere together.
“I think we’ll find some really good quality through the whole program. He’ll connect us all.”
Joe Schmidt and Les Kiss with Ireland in 2015. (Photo by Sportsfile/Corbis/Sportsfile via Getty Images)
When unveiled last week Schmidt said he was keen to get around the Super clubs, with a visit to his old colleague Kiss high on the priority list.
“If I was to summarise it I think he’ll cut through the fluff – get to the main things that matter,” Kiss said. “He’ll get to the main things that matter. Concentrate on the areas that will make the most difference and leverage the qualities of the group that he’ll have with him.
“Those are the key things – he’ll cut to the chase and simplify things and get this right.
“He’ll be fairly surgical in terms about how he does that. You get the right things right in any coaching program, you get alignment, you get buy in, you need a bit of luck along the way as well and a bit of success, you can go places.
“The time I’ve spent at the Reds, and doing analysis on other teams, there’s qualities here to work with. Joe will get the right things right, that’s for sure.
There has been some questions over Schmidt only signing for two years, until the end of the British and Lions tour.
Kiss doesn’t see that as an issue.
“I don’t think it means it’s finite,” Kiss said.
“I’m not privy to those conversations, but I don’t see it as a negative. I see a lot of these things we should be thinking more positively about what it’s going to be giving us that’s how we’re approaching it.
“He’s a teacher at heart. That’s where he comes from. He knows the game inside out. He’ll come in and make a difference.”
Tate McDermott, who was named to team up with Liam Wright as co-captains of the Reds again this year, said he didn’t want to dwell on the World Cup fiasco, but gave a little glimpse behind the curtain.
“Everything that happened in the World Cup, we spent so much time on the leadership side of things,” said McDermott, who captained the Wallabies during Jones’ time in charge.
(Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
“And we had an awesome group there – guys like Will Skelton, Dave Poreki, all those kind of guys, and just seeing how they approached different situations… We had a lot going on.
“Our mantra was just to solve problems. And you know, that’s something I’ll bring back here. It’s been nice to be in this environment. It’s obviously incredibly different to the environment we over had in France. But I’ve really enjoyed working with different leaders, different coaches and bringing the lessons back.”
kingplaymaker
Roar Guru
Cheika though selected on character as much as performance. He would have liked Mowen's character so there would have been a chance.
Don
Roar Rookie
Yeah but realistically he wasn’t in the best 2 options for either the 6 or 8 spot if everyone is fit. As it turned out he was very fortunate he didn’t stay because no way would Michael Cheika have selected him.
Muzzo
Roar Rookie
Yep, Ken, as they are well known for strange happenings in & around that neck of the woods !!! Lol :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:
Footy Franks
Roar Rookie
Classic JS the FIFO coach.
Possum face
Roar Rookie
Ok, So number four kiwi coach. Just like the others this will not end well.
Ben
Roar Rookie
How many top 5 players,hell top 10, in their position in the world, does Aus have at the moment? Can't think of one apart from Skelton if he wasn't so lazy at international level. Just cannot fathom how the Wallabies have fallen off the bus the past 10 years. Country's gone soft.
Muzzo
Roar Rookie
Definitely IFTS, as no doubt Schmidt will realise, it's mainly the cattle in the yard, that needs going over.
Muzzo
Roar Rookie
Not only the Saders, Jacko, but other provinces & franchise's do transfer.
Muzzo
Roar Rookie
That's not in the 'clubs' as you put it KPM, in Aotearoa. It's mainly within the SR franchise's where that happens.
Muzzo
Roar Rookie
I can Jacko, after what I've seen many years ago! Try harbour cruises, dinning at Sydney's top Hotels & Bars, along with many receptions. That did happen, & could so again.
Hughi
Roar Rookie
I think anyone who has looked into last year would cut the players a fair bit of slack. I hope they get a good go this year they deserve it. Some sanity around the team then see how they go.
Jacko
Roar Rookie
Agree...... I just hope they use it for the good of rugby as I cant see any other reason for getting it otherwise.
Jacko
Roar Rookie
there is absolutely raiding of NZ youth ranks but with only one team physically present it’s less destructive. KPM there are 6 schoolboy Union reps at the Cowboys. Parents shifted over at the clubs expense, the club finds the family jobs. Your "its only 1 club in NZ" Statement doesnt wash. There are more Union players in Aus than NZ and many other countries as well but RA fails. Even DRUA managed to make the NRC work extremely well for them prior to coming in to SR yet RA still cant make it work. Hand it over to NZR to run for 10 years. Get it done properly. If the numbers in my comment above doesnt coinvince you an NRC is vital for Wallabies and SR teams success then you dont want to see it. The simple fact you have so many more options of Players, coaches, refs and officials tells the story. You can off 200 more pro rugby contracts. Who cares if some will never move up to SR. Some will. So will some coaches and refs. Win win win.
hog
Roar Rookie
That 80 mil is a credit card Jacko
kingplaymaker
Roar Guru
Firstly, the raiding by the NRL on union is on a vastly bigger scale than in New Zealand. There are 15 NRL teams on the ground in Australia mostly in the middle of rugby's heartlands. There are 10 teams in NSW gunning for the rugby junior players pool. Sure, there is absolutely raiding of NZ youth ranks but with only one team physically present it's less destructive. Then, I'm not at all against an NRC but it doesn't make as much difference as everyone thinks. It didn't do that much. It helps logjams to some extent but without a system of making sure the talent is spread, you still have the Waratahs and Reds hogging tons of extra talent in their wider squads. I tried to find this quote unsuccessfully but I remember John O'Neill pointing saying something along the lines that as the playing numbers were similar between NZ and Australia, it was a question of getting the playing numbers to come through better in Australia. In addition to a national competition, New Zealand does distribute its talent with a partial draft, but as it's partial the Crusaders for example are able to keep the best talent they have, but the rest is spread out which is one reason the weaker NZ teams are still pretty strong. It does seem to work for NZ so now sure why Australia doesn't do it...
kingplaymaker
Roar Guru
Ha ha Ok.
Muglair
Roar Rookie
KPM you have no idea and I wont be replying to any more of your comments.
Derek Murray
Roar Rookie
That’s the big question - is it available outside Oz?
Jacko
Roar Rookie
KPM thats incorrect. NZ has less players than Aus. Not spreading talent is far more a concern with just club and SR than with an NRC. NZ rugby is also raided by NRL. Logjams are way worse without the 10 extra teams of an NRC. An NRC gives 10 more HCs, 30 more assistants, 20 more refs. You cant run an NRC then cancel, then start again etc etc. Run it, entrence it and you have an extra 150-200 players playing at a pro level and you have all SR players playing another 10 possible games or there abouts.
Jacko
Roar Rookie
KPM there is no system in NZ where teams keep 22 and the rest are distributed. Crusaders sign them all for their academy and they are locked to the Saders etc.