Petaia’s possible dream NFL debut, two Wallabies’ stars are on the verge of signing deals in France
A prospect almost too insane to imagine, but former Wallabies’ star Jordan Petaia could make his NFL debut against a mega star of American sport.
IT is a prospect almost too insane to imagine, but Jordan Petaia could make his NFL debut against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.
Reports emerged this week in US media that the LA Chargers – who have just signed former Wallaby Petaia – will open their season on September 5 against the Chiefs in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
While Petaia has much to do to make the 53-man Chargers roster, the leaked details of their first round game makes possible an extraordinary situation, given Petaia grew up supporting the Chiefs.
On the same weekend that his former Wallabies teammates will be hosting Argentina in Townsville, Petaia could be up against the best quarterback in the NFL, and in direct competition with superstar Travis Kelce.
Petaia has been signed as a tight end, the same position as Kelce, and will be hoping to share the field with the legend just months after he decided to take a huge gamble and apply for the NFL’s International Player Pathway program.
Chairman’s rebuke does not deter French clubs eyeing two Wallabies
A day after Rugby Australia chairman Daniel Herbert rebuked French clubs for targeting their juniors, it emerges that two Wallabies superstars are on the verge of signing deals there.
Prop Taniela Tupou is set to sign with Pau – formally known as Section Paloise – while fullback Tom Wright has been offered a mega-deal by Montpellier.
Tupou, on $1.2 million a year with RA, has been hot and cold for NSW Waratahs this season and was never going to get a similar offer. It’s understood his deal with Pau is worth far less than his current deal.
On his day he remains a devastating force, but if he signs overseas there is a real chance he will not be considered by the Wallabies for the 2027 World Cup.
Wright has been one of Australia’s best performers over the past 12 months and he is certainly a player RA would hate to lose.
Not only does Wright have the Montpellier offer, he is also being pursued by a Japanese club.
The 27-year-old remains the hot favourite to start at fullback for Australia for the British & Irish Lions series, despite the incredible form of Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii.
Wright’s kicking game and expert positional play was on show during the spring tour last year, and it is more likely Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt will stick with him at the back and use Suaalii at outside centre where he excelled in his opening Tests.
Herbert took aim at French clubs after RA’s annual general meeting on Wednesday for poaching teenage Aussie talent, and revealed they had taken the matter up with World Rugby to stop the practice.
Kiss first choice as Wallabies’ coach, but Reds want compensation
LES Kiss is the choice for Wallabies coach, but given he is contracted to Queensland Rugby Union until the end of the 2026 Super Rugby season, they’ve requested some compensation from Rugby Australia before they agree to a release.
That is why Kiss wasn’t unveiled as the new national coach this week.
It’s been the worst kept secret in rugby that Kiss would end up taking over from Joe Schmidt, but the saga is set to drag on for yet another week.
It’s understood RA has not agreed to Queensland’s demands, and there could well be some more back-end-forth negotiations before Kiss is unveiled as Joe Schmidt’s successor.
Roff ends tenure as Rugby Australia president
OUTGOING RA president Joe Roff gave an emotional and hilarious speech at this week’s AGM.
Having finished his two-year term, Roff was proud to hand over the reigns to former Wallabies teammate Nathan Sharpe, who takes over until the end of the 2027 World Cup.
Roff assured those present that Sharpie would fail to live up to his lofty performance in the presidential role.
Rugby Australia looking outside the game to make money
RUGBY Australia revealed this week they would be looking to invest some of the millions they expect to receive from the Lions tour and 2027 World Cup into assets outside the game.
RA’s chief operating officer, Richard Gardham, said it was important to generate income elsewhere.
“(The 2027 World Cup revenue) means we actually have a balance sheet, which actually allows us to then make further investments to generate new sources of revenue, so having that available post 27 actually shores up long-term the game as well, because we’ll look to diversify the revenue through the decisions we make on where that’s invested,” Gardham said.
“From a longer-term perspective, not just this cycle to (2030), but actually 2031 and beyond, we’re going to be in a position where if you look at other sports globally and in this market, they’ve been able to build a balance sheet over the last 10 years by looking at reinvesting some of the returns they generate into other assets.
“And so that’s where we need to get as a sport, which shores us up longer term.
“It’s looking at options in terms of whether we want to invest in cash returns or cash assets versus other types of assets to generate a new revenue line for us.”
We were reminded that former Australian Rugby Union director Jon Collins proposed running a lottery to create a new revenue stream for the game more than 20 years ago.
“In 2002 I put a proposal to the ARU executive regarding the establishment of a Rugby Lottery which would not only benefit the ARU but also rugby clubs in all states that participated,” Collins told us.
“Clubs could sell lottery tickets with a portion of ticket sale revenue being retained by the clubs, with the balance being funnelled back to the ARU.
“We therefore already had hundreds of selling agents, or clubs, and thousands of players promoting the concept. As a not-for-profit organisation we were also tax free.
“(Former ARU boss) Gary Flowers and I checked the legality of such a lottery and were advised by specialists that it was a simple process to establish the Rugby Lottery on a state-by-state basis however a national lottery required Federal Government approval, which we were advised, would be a little more complicated but doable.”
They got the backing of then chairman Bob Tuckey, and found a donor to underwrite a $500,000 prize, but after the Wallabies lost the 2003 World Cup final to England, the ARU board was overhauled and the lottery idea never got off the ground.
Randwick score win over Japan Under 23s side in overtime
RANDWICK’S matchwinner against Eddie Jones’ Japan under-23s side, Christian Yassmin, was happily retired from grade rugby before being asked back one more time.
He’s glad he did, collecting a cross-field kick from Felix Turinui – son of legend Morgan – and crossing in the corner in the fourth minute of added time to defeat the tourists 36-31 at Coogee Oval.
“I haven’t actually had that many cross-field kick tries in my career, but I honestly couldn’t script it any better,” Yassmin said.
“It was a pretty special experience. I’m just playing subbies for Waverley, just a bit of fun. They gave me the opportunity and I was like, ‘Why not? I’ll do it’.
“You don’t get many opportunities like this after you retire at a club, to go out on your own terms.”
Randwick captain Joel Ellis hopes the win can springboard their season.
“We’ve had two bad losses (to start the Shute Shield), close losses, but now that Japan game has really helped our confidence and builds us into the rest of the year, and we’ve definitely got some footing in us, so we’re keen to rip in for the rest of the year,” Ellis said.
Former Wallaby becomes film star across the ditch
Unwanted by the Wallabies, at least for the last couple of seasons, James O’Connor has found himself in high demand on the other side of the ditch.
Not only has he found a new home with Crusaders, but the evergreen playmaker has taken on a starring role in a new documentary about the champion New Zealand club.
Premiering on the All Blacks’ YouTube channel, Next In Line follows O’Connor’s bid to win the number 10 jersey from local rising talents, Taha Kemara, Rivez Reihana and James White.
“I’ve been challenged in new ways,” 34-year-old O’Connor said. “And I’ve also found a hunger to keep competing at the top level.”
Like father, like son
In rugby, the apple never falls far from the tree.
The Australian squad for the Under 20s rugby championships includes no less than four sons of former professional players.
Queensland University backrower Tom Robinson is the son of Brett Robinson, the former Wallaby who is now chair of World Rugby.
Prop Finn Baxter’s dad Al Baxter was also a Wallaby as was Michael Brian, whose kid Toby is also in the squad, being coached by Chris Whitaker.
Hooker Charlie O’Kane is also from a strong rugby family. His old man Kevin played for the Waratahs in the 190s.
Australian Under 20s squad
Finn Baxter (ACT Brumbies, Gungahlin Eagles), Nick Hill (NSW Waratahs, Warringah), Trevor King (Queensland Reds, Souths), Kaleb Ah-Colt (NSW Waratahs, Randwick), Edwin Langi (NSW Waratahs, Eastern Suburbs), Lipina Ata (ACT Brumbies, Gungahlin Eagles), Ollie Barrett (Western Force, Associates RUFC), Charlie O’Kane (NSW Waratahs, Eastern Suburbs), Ollie Aylmer (ACT Brumbies, Gordon), Charlie Brosnan (Queensland Reds, Brothers), Eamon Doyle (NSW Waratahs, Sydney University), Joe Mangelsdorf (NSW Waratahs, Sydney University), Eli Langi (ACT Brumbies, Tuggeranong Vikings), Jacob Veiru (NSW Waratahs, Eastern Suburbs), Beau Morrison (ACT Brumbies, Sydney University), Tom Robinson (Queensland Reds, University of Queensland), Luca Cleverley (NSW Waratahs, Randwick), Toby Brial (NSW Waratahs, Eastern Suburbs), James Martens (Queensland Reds, GPS Rugby Club), Hwi Sharples (NSW Waratahs, Sydney University), Joe Dillon (ACT Brumbies, Canberra Royals), Joey Fowler (NSW Waratahs, Sydney University), Boston Fakafanua (Western Force, Wests Scarborough), Malakye Enasio (ACT Brumbies, Gungahlin Eagles), Liam Grover (NSW Waratahs, Sydney University), Cooper Watters (NSW Waratahs, Eastern Suburbs), Xavier Rubens (Queensland Reds, Souths), Nick Conway (Queensland Reds, Wests Bulldogs), Shane Wilcox (ACT Brumbies, Tuggeranong Vikings) and Finn Prass (Western Force, Wests Scarborough).
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