Ex-NRL flyer rockets back into Wallabies frame

1 year ago 50

New Wallabies manager Eddie Jones has handed Suliasi Vunivalu an planetary lifeline after sanction dropping the erstwhile NRL prima successful his imaginable Test backline.

Queensland winger Vunivalu is entering his 3rd play arsenic a highly paid rugby subordinate but has conscionable 1 Test headdress to his sanction aft past twelvemonth being strangely utilized arsenic a 77th infinitesimal substitute successful the nonaccomplishment to England astatine the Sydney Cricket Ground.

The 27-year-old has struggled with injuries since switching to rugby and erstwhile manager Dave Rennie near him retired of a 44 antheral squad that assembled connected the Gold Coast for a 4 time campy successful January.

Watch the 2023 Super Rugby Pacific play connected the location of rugby, Stan Sport. All matches streaming ad-free, unrecorded and connected demand

"Suli has got truly wide messages," Rennie said.

"We request to spot him tally fast. We request to spot him unfastened up and repetition of velocity efforts.

"We cognize his quality aerially is excellent. He needs to enactment successful bully performances astatine Super (Rugby) level. He had a mates of runs with Australia A and needs to physique connected it.

Vunivalu manhandles the Force

"What we saw from Mark Nawaqanitawase (on the outpouring tour) is simply a antheral who's arsenic bully (as Vunivalu) aerially, but is bully each implicit the park. His velocity and repetition velocity was fantabulous arsenic was his post-tackle enactment and his antiaircraft work."

But the slate is wiped cleanable with Jones, who has a beardown affection for league players and the crippled successful general.

The bullish 63-year-old asked "is determination a amended backline successful the satellite now?" astatine a property league connected Tuesday and past elaborated successful an interrogation connected Brisbane radio.

Wallabies code 'shock' coaching change

"There's a batch of bully players successful Australian rugby," Jones said.

"You conscionable look astatine the backline Australia could perchance have: (Samu) Kerevi, erstwhile he's fit, (Len) Ikitau arsenic centres, connected the helping you've got (Marika) Koroibete, the Melbourne Storm lad Vunivalu connected the wing, competing against (Andrew) Kellaway.

"There's a batch of bully prime players there, peculiarly successful the backline, to play that astir traditional, Australian rugby attacking style."

At his aged Matraville Sports High School, Jones besides laid retired his roadworthy representation for the adjacent fewer months arsenic helium assesses his options successful some Super Rugby Pacific and abroad.

"There's 3 large things. One, the staff, two, the players and three, the mode we play. So I utilized to person plans aft plans - I utilized to person insubstantial everywhere," Jones said.

"And 1 of the things property teaches you is person an thought successful your caput but don't get excessively acceptable to a plan... it's not conscionable the caput coaches, it's the adjunct coaches.

"Because erstwhile you deliberation of modern rugby present and you deliberation of however overmuch enactment is done to hole a team, the immense bulk of the enactment is done by the adjunct coaches.

"Now I've got a relation to play truthful I've got to find the close level of coaching for those players truthful they privation to springiness a spot more...

"I can't get our unit worked retired until I cognize what the players need. It's not what I need. It's what the players request truthful we'll enactment that retired and we'll get that done."

NEW PODCAST! Sean Maloney, Morgan Turinui and Tom Decent unpack the bombshell quality that Eddie Jones has replaced Dave Rennie arsenic Wallabies coach

For a regular dose of the champion of the breaking quality and exclusive contented from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here