New Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt endorsed by Queensland Reds mentor Les Kiss

Queensland Reds coach Les Kiss is full of praise for new Wallabies mentor Joe Schmidt.

Tate McDermott will again co-captain the Queensland Reds this year. Picture: Andy Jackson/Getty Images

New Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt will “cut through the fluff” of Australian rugby to ensure a united approach to restoring pride and passion to the national jersey.

That’s the qualified opinion of Queensland Reds coach Les Kiss, who was Schmidt’s assistant coach in 2014 and 2015 during the New Zealander’s time in charge of Ireland.
Kiss, who on Monday announced that Wallabies halfback Tate McDermott and experienced flanker Liam Wright would again share the Reds captaincy, had no doubt that Rugby Australia had chosen the right man to lead the national team after a horror 2023 under Eddie Jones.

“It’s an appointment that we’ve been waiting for, and it’s a strong appointment,” Kiss said.
“If I was to summarise it, I think he’ll cut through the fluff, get to the main things that matter, (and) concentrate on the areas that will make the most difference and leverage the qualities of the group that he’ll have with him.

“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 somewhere together – he’ll connect us all.”

That was music to the ears of McDermott, who hoped to use his experiences of the past year, which included a brief stint as Wallabies skipper, to help Australia and the Reds.

“Our mantra was just to solve problems,” McDermott said.

“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 (at the Rugby World Cup), but I’ve really enjoyed working with different leaders, different coaches and bringing the lessons back.”

Liam Wright (centre) will again share the Queensland Reds captaincy with Tate McDermott. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Kiss, who has replaced Brad Thorn as Reds coach, said it had been a “fantastic experience” bonding with McDermott and Wright, whose Queensland co-captaincy dates back to 2022.

“Forming relationships with them both over the last few months at Ballymore has been a fantastic experience,” Kiss said.

“They are outstanding young men on and off the field who share an immense passion for the team and the state of Queensland and genuine care for our organisation and their peers

McDermott said he was “honoured” to have another chance to lead the Reds with his “good mate” Wright.

“I’m enthusiastic about where our team can go and bringing the fans on that journey with us is something that I care deeply about,” the 25-year-old half said.

Wright, 26, echoed McDermott’s sentiments.

“Leading and serving this group is a great privilege, and I will work hard to help make us a team that Queensland and its fans can be proud of,” Wright said.

“It is a genuine pleasure getting to do this side-by-side with my good mate Tate, and I can’t wait to build on the foundations and cohesion we have developed in these roles and see how far we can go as a team in 2024.”

The Reds start their Super Rugby Pacific campaign on February 24 at Suncorp Stadium against arch rivals NSW.

Queensland’s pre-season program also includes a match against the Waratahs on February 10 in Roma as well a battle with Western Force on Saturday week at Ballymore.

Originally published as New Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt endorsed by Queensland Reds mentor Les Kiss