Les Kiss Q&A: New Reds coach on Wallabies, Super Rugby, Queensland-NSW rivalry and more

Les Kiss has taken over the Queensland Reds at a time of upheaval in Australian rugby. The veteran coach chats to JULIAN LINDEN about the state of play and the challenges ahead.

Les Kiss is the new Queensland Reds coach.

Still better known in his home state as a star rugby league player who played for the North Sydney Bears and represented both the Maroons and the Kangaroos, Les Kiss has returned to Queensland as head coach of the Reds in Super Rugby.

Kiss has been coaching all over the world for two decades now, working as an assistant with the South African and Irish national teams, so brings a wealth of global experience with him right at a time when Australian rugby desperately needs it.

While he acknowledged the code in Australia is going through a rough patch, Kiss told JULIAN LINDEN he sees plenty of encouraging signs that the Reds — and the Wallabies — can turn things around quickly.

Les Kiss faces the media at Reds training.

JL: A lot of Australians still remember you from your rugby league days, but you’ve had a two-decade involvement in rugby union. Which of the codes do you now see yourself as being part of?

LK: I’ve actually been in rugby longer than I’ve been in league but I don’t ever disregard the thing that put me on the map in a lot of ways. The North Sydney Bears, Queensland origin, Kangaroo tours, they were all important moments in my life, without a doubt but I’ve been coaching in rugby for 20 odd years so that’s where I am at the moment.

JL:People have been switching codes since Dally Messenger made the move more than a century ago but there’s still always a bit of a kerfuffle whenever some crosses over. Are you in favour of rugby trying to get more players back?

LK: From a playing perspective, we’ve got enough good players. Some players move from rugby and from rugby schools and go to league and then might want to come back but I’d rather stick with the boys that are here already and stay in the game. Rugby league is an unbelievable product but from my perspective, we have to focus on our strengths as a game and focus on the points of difference. We’re a truly global game and a game for many different sizes and types of body shapes which lends to one of the more important differences we have in rugby which is the game can be played in many different ways and that’s a critical difference, from set-piece, kicking game, the contest for the ball at every occasion. There’s so many variables that are beautiful in rugby and they are the things we should be focused on.

Les Kiss is bullish about the talent at his disposal in Queensland.

JL:The buzzword in rugby at the moment is centralisation. You’ve seen it operate in Ireland – can a similar model work in Australia?

LK: It depends how you want to position the statement of centralisation. Is it about power and control? If it’s about that, then you won’t win this battle in Australian rugby because everyone will become us versus them. That’s the wrong way to go about it. It’s got to be about the right people in the room understanding their differences and how we navigate through them? But more importantly, we need to find common ground in the things that matter that will make for a better nation in terms of rugby. We’ve got too many good people in the game here to have the dysfunction that’s been existing for some time. So it’s about getting the right people in the room and finding a true direction that we can all agree on and commit to then aligning the right things and making sure the model isn’t about control and power. It should be about alignment. It should be about collaboration. It should be about building the right cohesive components of our rugby systems so that our players have the best chance to be the best they can.

JL: It’s been said that when Queensland rugby is going well Australian rugby goes well. In terms of cattle, do you see the talent in Queensland now?

LK: There is talent. Without a doubt there’s enough here to do extremely well on this stage. It’s hard to have a cohesive plan of action, if we don’t have the right things aligned and the right communications plan right through the whole game. But I think there’s enough talent to be doing a lot better.

JL: You’ve replaced Brad Thorn, who coached the Reds for a long time. Is your intention to start everything from scratch or build on from the blocks he established?

LK: There’s a lot of valuable parts of the program that I’m very grateful to have so my modus operandi has been to just make sure I do that justice. I’m not a change agent. I’ve definitely changed some things but it’s not about pretending I have something that’s bigger and better. It’s coming here with my skill set, the skill sets of my coaching team and building the right type of growth model that can actually get the best out of the players and really launch our program at the top of that great foundation that has been put in place over the last four or five years.

The Wallabies are looking ahead after last year’s disastrous World Cup.

JL: When you were a player, you were a real speedster on the wing and as coach, your teams are renowned for scoring a lot of tries. Is that the style of play you want to bring to the Reds?

LK: Every style that I go to with a club it’s about the people we have there and the current capacity that we have. The best way this team can move forward is the progressive, aggressive style of rugby. And what I mean by that is, we have to have the right tenets in place, we need a good set piece, strong defence, a kicking game, all those types of things. But I do think there’s a capacity to play a more balanced game in terms of playing the pictures and backing your decisions and having a go. It will be about trying to make sure that we can unleash some of the talent we do have in our backline but that’s only done off a good foundation. So, I don’t disregard those things, but I’m trying to encourage the boys to have a real progressive, energy based, find the space, attack the space, type of rugby.

Les Kiss says the Reds are still a work in progress. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

JL: The Reds have a very balanced squad right now – a mixture of youngsters and veterans – what potential do you see with this side in the short term and going forward?

LK: Everything’s a work in progress. Sometimes you need a bit of luck to just get the confidence up to where it is to really deliver on what we’re trying to achieve. That blend and balance of the group is interesting to see. They all have this appetite and this hunger to find out how good they can be. I’m not one for making promises, or making big heavy predictions, but I’m one for making commitments to just make sure that we are doing whatever we can to build that confidence, build a style, build the capacity to be able to be at the back end of as many games as possible with a chance to win. First and foremost, the team just has to deliver the commitment that they expect of themselves, what we expect as coaches and what our stakeholders and fans and supporter base would expect from them. And that Queensland spirit has to come through.

JL: Have you figured out who your preferred playmaker will be?

LK: It’s an interesting term because his role is basically to manage the key momentums of the game, so if the ball is not at an optimal level of delivery and those, then we’ve got to make sure we never put the ball in front of the forwards if we need to. But he also has to have the courage and the confidence to be able to manoeuvre the game around the place, push it where we need to see how the defence reacts and then see what’s possible. I’ve got some good options and those options are open to the boys as we move into the early part of the season. To put everything on one player, I find it very difficult. They’re critical, obviously, but the one thing I do want our guys to understand is that it won’t be about one player. It’ll be about a group of players. And the job will be made easier for, particularly our nines, 10s and 15s, if we really work hard on the things that we believe will make our game strong and progressive.

JL: There are a number of Wallabies in the Reds squad that were involved in last year’s World Cup. Since returning to training, have they shown any lingering disappointment from last year or are you seeing a fresh spring in their step?

LK: They’ve been brilliant, to a tee. I have no doubt that in their soul there’s something that hurts, and that’s absolutely natural in a lot of ways, but what they aren’t doing is they’re not lamenting it, they’re not sitting in the corner, crying over that anymore. They’ve moved on pretty quickly and have sort of tapped into some of the really positive lessons from that tour and moved forward to help try and help the Reds be who we’re trying to be in terms of where we want to grow. couldn’t speak highly enough of all of them. They’ve been fantastic.

Les Kiss has a long relationship with the new Wallabies head coach Joe Schmidt from their time together in Ireland.

JL: Joe Schmidt has been appointed as the next Wallabies coach. You know him from your time in Ireland. Is he the right man for the job?

LK: I’ve coached with Joe for over 50 tests and we had a couple of Six Nations (championship) victories, so we got a fair way back and we’ve known each other for a long time. There is no doubt that Joe will make a difference. He will focus on the right things, he’ll pull people together and it will make a difference. I think that, in alignment with the likes of Peter Horne and David Nucifora all finding the right common ground to be able to go forward, we’ve got some positive things happening. I’m going to focus on all the positives around and Joe’s a positive.

JL: If Joe Schmidt asked you to help with the Wallabies after the Reds season had finished, would you put your hand up?

LK: I’m not sure if that’s an area where they (Wallabies) want to go but if those conversations were to come forward to all the provinces then I think we should at least entertain the idea to some degree, as long as it’s done in a collaborative way and an organised way. It’s important that every form of expertise that’s available is looked at to help the national team as well. It can make sense and if you get that right, it’s a great way to efficiently use your staff and I’d imagine you might find if they’re thinking that way, it might permeate into other areas, maybe in terms of strength and conditioning or some areas of management. Again, I don’t know if that’s on the board but I guess we’ll hear about it if that happens.

Les Kiss and Wally Lewis in 1987.

JL: Your opening Super Rugby match this season is at home against the Waratahs (Sunday February 24), where you previously worked as an assistant. The NSW-Queensland state rivalry has always been intense, in every sport, but are there many mixed allegiances for you?

LK: I have fond memories of my time there but the truth is I’ve always been a Queenslander so this is exciting for me. The Reds versus the Tahs is one of the great games in rugby around the world. It’s just one of those great rivalries and I’m really looking forward to it. It might be a little bit weird, but wherever I’m plying my trade, that’s where my heart and soul is. Obviously I’d love to win those games, but I know they’re bloody tough. And from an Australian rugby perspective, if the Wallabies are to flourish, we need a really good competition with New South Wales and Queensland.

Originally published as Les Kiss Q&A: New Reds coach on Wallabies, Super Rugby, Queensland-NSW rivalry and more