‘Workaholic’ Kiss backed to emulate Cheika and juggle Reds and Wallabies jobs

A former Wallabies star who was coached by Les Kiss, and who also played under Michael Cheika when he juggled the Waratahs and Wallabies jobs in 2015, says Kiss could handle dual coaching roles with the Reds and the Australian national side.

The endorsement of 72-Test halfback Nick Phipps came as Waratahs coach Dan McKellar also said it would be possible for a coach to simultaneously run a Super Rugby side and the Wallabies, albeit on a short-term basis.

Kiss, the Queensland coach, remains frontrunner to take over from Joe Schmidt after the Rugby Championship, and RA boss Phil Waugh and high-performance head Peter Horne were in Brisbane this week to discuss the prospect with Reds officials.

Waugh said on Wednesday that RA was open to a “job share”, which pointed to the possibility of Kiss – who is on contract with the QRU until the end of 2026 – coaching at state and national levels for a season.

Such a scenario is not new in Australian rugby, with Cheika having suddenly taken over the Wallabies at the end of 2014 while also seeing out his last year at the Waratahs in 2015.

But Kiss doing the double-act is not a fait-accompli, by any means.

Informed sources, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said tense negotiations were underway between the QRU and RA over Kiss’s future and the potential fallout for Queensland of losing their head coach as well as some of his assistants.

Kiss is keen to take some of his Reds staff with him to the Wallabies if he is appointed, according to sources. But the Reds won’t give up their coaching group for nothing, which means it is likely that RA will have to provide financial compensation to the QRU if a job-sharing arrangement can’t be agreed on.

Cheika and Nick Phipps at the Waratahs in 2015.Credit: Anthony Johnson

A job share could work, however, according to Phipps, who played under Kiss at London Irish between 2019 and 2022.

The veteran halfback saw first-hand how Cheika managed both Waratahs and Wallabies duties in 2014, and both had successful years. The Tahs were unlucky to not play in another final and defend their title, and the Wallabies made the final of the Rugby World Cup.

“You could definitely tell [Cheika] was busy, but in saying that, it never impacted the players. I can only imagine what he was going through behind closed doors. He was the busiest man in the world but he thrived on no sleep, anyway,” Phipps said.

Reds coach Les Kiss.

“Through the season, it didn’t affect our performances, and we still went through to the semi-final, and we could have won that.”

When it comes to work ethic, Phipps said Kiss had the same make-up as Cheika.

“He would definitely be able to do it. You wouldn’t notice it up front, but behind closed doors he would be a busy man,” Phipps said.

“But Kissy is a workaholic. He loves it. He doesn’t just do what he has to do, he genuinely loves it. He is always walking around with a little iPad everywhere and he sees you and grabs you and you’re there for 40 minutes talking footy.”

McKellar, who coached the Brumbies while serving as a Wallabies assistant under Dave Rennie, also thinks Kiss could do both.

“You certainly enjoy that four- or five-week break at the end of the year, that’s for sure,” McKellar said ahead of the Waratahs’ clash with the Chiefs on Friday night in Sydney. “If it’s not a long-term thing, I think it’s doable. You wouldn’t want to be doing it year after year. Is it a short-term possibility? Yeah, I think it can be done.

Waratahs coach Dan McKellar.Credit: Getty Images

“Being head coach of both takes it up another gear again. It’ll certainly provide its challenges.”

Despite two successive losses, McKellar warned there’s been too much back-slapping for a Waratahs side still searching for cohesion and a much-needed win. They face a huge task against a Chiefs outfit they haven’t beaten since 2016.

“As much as you guys and others like to talk about it being a superstar side and all that sort of carry on, the reality is that there’s not a whole lot of cohesion among the group, the staff group and everything,” McKellar said. “So we’re getting there slowly, but we want to see a response on Friday night.”

One player McKellar will be watching closely is Taniela Tupou. The million-dollar Wallabies prop was penalised for swearing at a referee last week, then missed a crucial tackle in the loss to Moana Pasifika.

“That’s not in Nela’s game, [it was] just a little bit of frustration there,” McKellar said. “He was hugely apologetic. It’s another chance this week, off the bench, against what is a very good scrum.”

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