Could Kiss coach the Reds and the Wallabies? Rugby Australia is open to the idea

The prospect of Les Kiss coaching both the Queensland Reds and the Wallabies next year is gaining momentum, with Rugby Australia boss Phil Waugh confirming the idea was on the table.

Waugh and RA’s director of high-performance, Peter Horne, flew to Brisbane on Tuesday for a meeting with Reds officials to discuss the idea of Kiss becoming the first coach to oversee the Wallabies and a Super Rugby team since Michael Cheika in 2015.

Incumbent Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt will leave after this year’s Rugby Championship, which could pave the way for Kiss to take the reins on Australia’s spring tour in Europe.

Kiss, who is contracted with the Reds for the 2026 season, has for weeks been the favourite to become the new national coach, the only question being whether the Reds would agree to let him split his time between the two teams.

“We’re going to get to the best possible outcome and if that includes shared services, job share kind of things, then we’ll do that,” Waugh told reporters on Wednesday at the announcement of a new broadcast deal with Nine and Stan.

“We’re confident we’ll get the balance right between shared services or resources … and ensuring we’ve got the world’s best coaches leading the international program.”

Reds coach Les Kiss has been touted as a natural successor to Joe Schmidt at the Wallabies.Credit: Getty

Waugh said he hoped an announcement would be made “within the next fortnight”.

“When we announced Joe finishing up at the end of the Rugby Championship, we said we’d announce the new coach in weeks, not months. We’ve crept into months, so I am conscious of the time pressure,” Waugh said on Stan’s Inside Line program.

Waratahs superstar Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii said he was happy for RA to continue taking its time but admitted he sympathised with players across the country who were becoming frustrated by the uncertainty.

Noah Lolesio’s decision to leave Australian rugby from October onwards was partly due to the lack of clarity on Schmidt’s replacement.

(L-R): Rugby Australia boss Phil Waugh, Nine CEO Matt Stanton, Maddison Levi, Joseph Aukuso-Suaalii, and Morgan Turinui.Credit: Renee Nowytarger

“I can see it from a lot of different players’ perspective but I can only talk for myself. I don’t have stress about it,” Suaalii said.

“For myself personally, I’m not really too stressed about it. We trust in the board picking the right person. I feel like we need to as an organisation take our time because it’s going to be a really important decision.”

Meanwhile, Suaalii believes he has more to give despite a productive showing in the Waratahs’ loss to Moana Pasifika on the weekend.

The Waratahs face the ladder-leading Chiefs at Allianz Stadium on Friday, with Suaalii once again named at fullback following a pleasing performance in Auckland which saw him set up three tries.

“I’m pretty hard on myself for the way I played a game of rugby. I didn’t see it as a complete game. We lost the game,” Suaalii said.

“Back-to-back losses is very disappointing but we’ve got to see it from a bigger picture. It’s all part of the process of us as a team growing and getting better.

“I don’t want any breaks. If they want me to have a break, I’ll be pretty stern about wanting to play every game. I’m playing every game until the grand final.”

One player who will be taking a break is Wallabies captain Harry Wilson, who is set to be sidelined for six weeks with a fractured arm.

The Reds, who are currently third on the Super Rugby Pacific ladder, are confident Wilson can still feature this season but his latest injury, sustained against the Chiefs, is far from ideal ahead of a British and Irish Lions series.

“It’s an unfortunate little incident. Hopefully, it heals quickly,” Kiss said ahead of a blockbuster clash against the Brumbies on Saturday night at Suncorp Stadium.

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