Why rugby red carpet won’t be rolled out for Roosters rock stars
Like the rest of Australia, Les Kiss has been dazzled by Mark Nawaqanitawase’s NRL heroics but says he and Angus Crichton won’t just walk into Wallabies jerseys.
Nawaqanitawase and Crichton will play their final games for the Sydney Roosters on Sunday in the grand final against the Newcastle Knights at Accor Stadium.
Mark Nawaqanitawase of the Wallabies. nna\simon.chapman
Highlight machine Nawaqanitawase will then take up a two-year rugby contract with Japan’s Saitama Wild Knights while almost certainly playing in his second Rugby World Cup in Australia next season.
“He’s doing a great job there in the rugby league game, and we’re right to be very excited about what he can do when he comes back into rugby,” Wallabies coach Kiss - himself a former league star - told reporters in Sydney.
“But for every player I’ve talked to, there are no promises and no guarantees. You’ve got to earn everything and that’s baseline for everyone. Even the players that everyone says are nailed on, I know they’re driven now, just to make sure they don’t drop their guard.
“Guys like Angus and Mark Nawaqanitawase have got to come in and do the work, that’s for sure.”
Nawaqanitawase told reporters in September that he is unlikely to feature for the Wallabies in November’s Nations Championship Tests.
“From what I know now, I’m just going to obviously have the next month after I finish (with the Roosters) and then probably start up with my club in Japan,” the 26-year-old said.
Crichton, meanwhile, is due to report for the NSW Waratahs pre-season on November 7 unless Kiss asks him to play for Australia A against the United States on October 25 (AEST) in Nashville and October 31 (AEST) in New Jersey.
The 30-year-old told nine.com.au he is keen to fully recover from the serious foot injury that interrupted his NRL season.
“I know after the season I’m going to have some solid weeks getting this foot ready for next year,” he said, while not wanting to hype up the prospect of forming a punchy Waratahs centre pairing with Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii.
“I’m pretty good at trying to block out a lot of the bullshit and to keep my blinkers up,” Crichton said.
“Yeah, I look forward to that, and it excites me, and it’ll be great. But you look too far ahead you’ll fall over where you are.”
Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii and Angus Crichton in 2024 in Sydney. nna\liam.oloughlin
Crichton will be coached by current Roosters assistant Michael Cheika at the Waratahs next season,
“We don’t talk about it,” Crichton said.
“Obviously, we both know that that’s going to be happening and that’ll be great, but right now, we’re just focused on the job at hand.”
The Wallabies will fly to Auckland on Sunday to prepare for the first Bledisloe Cup Test against the All Blacks on October 10.
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