‘Second to none': Wright hails Suaalii as Wallabies scrap for Lions spots
Wallabies fullback Tom Wright has had a perfect view of Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii's rapid development in rugby, helping to direct him on his memorable winning international debut against England in November and then facing him in May while he was wearing the No.15 for NSW.
Speaking after the Wallabies' first day of training in Sydney before facing Fiji in Newcastle on Sunday week, July 6, Wright was delighted to see a fit and firing Suaalii back in gold after recovering from injury.
'I think he goes pretty well any time he's on the field,' Wright said. 'It's a credit to how versatile he is. We saw him play in the midfield [for the Wallabies]; we've seen him now play at fullback for the Tahs as well.
'The first thing I might have mentioned was how good it was to see competition for spots heat up today at training, and that's the luxury that the coaching staff have. It's a difficult luxury to have, but to be able to pick a 23 to go out against the Fijians, there's going to be guys that miss out.
'But [with] his talent, he's probably second to none in the group. You pair that with his work ethic that he's got ... it's really impressive, and he gets the most out of all of us as his teammates.'
Wright played some of the best rugby of his career under Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt last season and believes that a lot of the New Zealander's foundational work with the squad is being built upon before taking on Fiji and then the British and Irish Lions.
'This morning was less about trying to push a fresh load of information and plays and structures onto everyone's plate after breakfast, but it was more about a refresher and getting everyone back into language and lingo, and then everyone just sort of hitting the ground running today,' Wright said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Advertiser
an hour ago
- The Advertiser
The appointment that brought Knights gun to tears
YASMIN Clydsdale thought her chances of captaining a team had past but Knights NRLW coach Ben Jeffries believes no-one is more worthy of leading her home town than the inspirational back-rower. Clydsdale was announced captain of the Knights' NRLW team at the season launch on Tuesday, taking the reins from long-term skipper Hannah Southwell, who is now at the Dragons. The 31-yeat-old has achieved everything in the game, winning three premierships as well as representing her state and country. She now ticks the final box. "I probably thought I had past this opportunity," Clydsdale said. "It is a shock but also a privilege and honour. I would almost put this No.1 [in my achievements]. "BJ (Jeffries) told me when it was just us two. It didn't really hit me until he announced it to the team. I started crying. "This is my home town, the community I grew up in. To be able to represent and captain the team is something I didn't think would happen." Clydsdale is the most experienced player in the Knights squad with 39 NRLW games. She has won pemierships with the Roosters and Knights, was part of the NSW team which beat Queensland this year and has won a World Cup with the Jillaroos. But there is more to Clydsdale than just her playing record. "She sets the standard on and off the field," Jeffrries said. "I don't know how she fits everything in. She aligns herself to the club's values and epotomises what this club is all about. "This group adore her. I can't think of anyone more worthy than Yas to be the captain this season." Cyldsdale was a gun touch and rugby sevens player - representing Australia at both - before embarking on a rugby league career. Asked if she had ever captained a side, Clydsdale said: "No never. I don't know how I will go tossing the coin. Hopefully, I get a few wins. This is all very new to me." While Clydsdale may not have had the C besides her name, the Scone PE teacher has loing been a leader. "The way I lead is through communication," she said. "Being able to connect and communicate with the girls is something I pride mysefl on. I make sure I have conversations. Getting to undertstand them and getting to know them is something I do every year. "I want them to feel comfortable in this environment, so they can flourish." A new-look Knights open their 2025 campaign against the Bulldogs at Accor Stadium on Friday July 4. Southwell, superstar fullback Tamika Upton and barnstorming prop Caitlan Johnston-Green are among seven departures from the side which finished fourth in 2024, going down 25-16 to the Roosters in the semi-final. Wests Tigers fullback Botille Vette-Walsh and Kiwi Keighley Simpson head the list of arrivals, while premiership-winning forward Tiana Davison returns from the Roosters. NSW under-19 representatives Lilly-Ann White and Evah, McEwen and fellow home-grown talents Jules Kirkpatrick and Evie Jones will get more opprtunities. They join established stars, hooker Olivia Higgins, NSW halfback Jesse Southwell, New Zealand outside back Shanice Parker and England five-eighth Georgia Roche. "To be able to captain a team full of so much talent. I'm really excited," Clydsdale said. "It is a young team, but I feel everyone has leadership qualities and they all bring different quaities to the team. "We have a great bunch of girls and we push each other to be better. "I love that we are off the cuff and play what is in front of us. "BJ has worked really hard with the strength and conditioning team and the physio to make sure all the girls are ready to go on paddock. "We will take it one game at a time. We have two new teams coming in this year and it is a long season. I don't think anyone can be underestimated." NRLW expands to a 12-team, 11-round competition this year with the additions of the Bulldogs and Warriors. Jeffries has put the Knights squad through a gruelling preseason. The hard work showed in a 20-12 trial win over Canberra in Cessnock on June 15. "We are a fitter faster group than we were," Jeffries said. "That is the way the female game is going. "I'm really optimist about how we will go this year." YASMIN Clydsdale thought her chances of captaining a team had past but Knights NRLW coach Ben Jeffries believes no-one is more worthy of leading her home town than the inspirational back-rower. Clydsdale was announced captain of the Knights' NRLW team at the season launch on Tuesday, taking the reins from long-term skipper Hannah Southwell, who is now at the Dragons. The 31-yeat-old has achieved everything in the game, winning three premierships as well as representing her state and country. She now ticks the final box. "I probably thought I had past this opportunity," Clydsdale said. "It is a shock but also a privilege and honour. I would almost put this No.1 [in my achievements]. "BJ (Jeffries) told me when it was just us two. It didn't really hit me until he announced it to the team. I started crying. "This is my home town, the community I grew up in. To be able to represent and captain the team is something I didn't think would happen." Clydsdale is the most experienced player in the Knights squad with 39 NRLW games. She has won pemierships with the Roosters and Knights, was part of the NSW team which beat Queensland this year and has won a World Cup with the Jillaroos. But there is more to Clydsdale than just her playing record. "She sets the standard on and off the field," Jeffrries said. "I don't know how she fits everything in. She aligns herself to the club's values and epotomises what this club is all about. "This group adore her. I can't think of anyone more worthy than Yas to be the captain this season." Cyldsdale was a gun touch and rugby sevens player - representing Australia at both - before embarking on a rugby league career. Asked if she had ever captained a side, Clydsdale said: "No never. I don't know how I will go tossing the coin. Hopefully, I get a few wins. This is all very new to me." While Clydsdale may not have had the C besides her name, the Scone PE teacher has loing been a leader. "The way I lead is through communication," she said. "Being able to connect and communicate with the girls is something I pride mysefl on. I make sure I have conversations. Getting to undertstand them and getting to know them is something I do every year. "I want them to feel comfortable in this environment, so they can flourish." A new-look Knights open their 2025 campaign against the Bulldogs at Accor Stadium on Friday July 4. Southwell, superstar fullback Tamika Upton and barnstorming prop Caitlan Johnston-Green are among seven departures from the side which finished fourth in 2024, going down 25-16 to the Roosters in the semi-final. Wests Tigers fullback Botille Vette-Walsh and Kiwi Keighley Simpson head the list of arrivals, while premiership-winning forward Tiana Davison returns from the Roosters. NSW under-19 representatives Lilly-Ann White and Evah, McEwen and fellow home-grown talents Jules Kirkpatrick and Evie Jones will get more opprtunities. They join established stars, hooker Olivia Higgins, NSW halfback Jesse Southwell, New Zealand outside back Shanice Parker and England five-eighth Georgia Roche. "To be able to captain a team full of so much talent. I'm really excited," Clydsdale said. "It is a young team, but I feel everyone has leadership qualities and they all bring different quaities to the team. "We have a great bunch of girls and we push each other to be better. "I love that we are off the cuff and play what is in front of us. "BJ has worked really hard with the strength and conditioning team and the physio to make sure all the girls are ready to go on paddock. "We will take it one game at a time. We have two new teams coming in this year and it is a long season. I don't think anyone can be underestimated." NRLW expands to a 12-team, 11-round competition this year with the additions of the Bulldogs and Warriors. Jeffries has put the Knights squad through a gruelling preseason. The hard work showed in a 20-12 trial win over Canberra in Cessnock on June 15. "We are a fitter faster group than we were," Jeffries said. "That is the way the female game is going. "I'm really optimist about how we will go this year." YASMIN Clydsdale thought her chances of captaining a team had past but Knights NRLW coach Ben Jeffries believes no-one is more worthy of leading her home town than the inspirational back-rower. Clydsdale was announced captain of the Knights' NRLW team at the season launch on Tuesday, taking the reins from long-term skipper Hannah Southwell, who is now at the Dragons. The 31-yeat-old has achieved everything in the game, winning three premierships as well as representing her state and country. She now ticks the final box. "I probably thought I had past this opportunity," Clydsdale said. "It is a shock but also a privilege and honour. I would almost put this No.1 [in my achievements]. "BJ (Jeffries) told me when it was just us two. It didn't really hit me until he announced it to the team. I started crying. "This is my home town, the community I grew up in. To be able to represent and captain the team is something I didn't think would happen." Clydsdale is the most experienced player in the Knights squad with 39 NRLW games. She has won pemierships with the Roosters and Knights, was part of the NSW team which beat Queensland this year and has won a World Cup with the Jillaroos. But there is more to Clydsdale than just her playing record. "She sets the standard on and off the field," Jeffrries said. "I don't know how she fits everything in. She aligns herself to the club's values and epotomises what this club is all about. "This group adore her. I can't think of anyone more worthy than Yas to be the captain this season." Cyldsdale was a gun touch and rugby sevens player - representing Australia at both - before embarking on a rugby league career. Asked if she had ever captained a side, Clydsdale said: "No never. I don't know how I will go tossing the coin. Hopefully, I get a few wins. This is all very new to me." While Clydsdale may not have had the C besides her name, the Scone PE teacher has loing been a leader. "The way I lead is through communication," she said. "Being able to connect and communicate with the girls is something I pride mysefl on. I make sure I have conversations. Getting to undertstand them and getting to know them is something I do every year. "I want them to feel comfortable in this environment, so they can flourish." A new-look Knights open their 2025 campaign against the Bulldogs at Accor Stadium on Friday July 4. Southwell, superstar fullback Tamika Upton and barnstorming prop Caitlan Johnston-Green are among seven departures from the side which finished fourth in 2024, going down 25-16 to the Roosters in the semi-final. Wests Tigers fullback Botille Vette-Walsh and Kiwi Keighley Simpson head the list of arrivals, while premiership-winning forward Tiana Davison returns from the Roosters. NSW under-19 representatives Lilly-Ann White and Evah, McEwen and fellow home-grown talents Jules Kirkpatrick and Evie Jones will get more opprtunities. They join established stars, hooker Olivia Higgins, NSW halfback Jesse Southwell, New Zealand outside back Shanice Parker and England five-eighth Georgia Roche. "To be able to captain a team full of so much talent. I'm really excited," Clydsdale said. "It is a young team, but I feel everyone has leadership qualities and they all bring different quaities to the team. "We have a great bunch of girls and we push each other to be better. "I love that we are off the cuff and play what is in front of us. "BJ has worked really hard with the strength and conditioning team and the physio to make sure all the girls are ready to go on paddock. "We will take it one game at a time. We have two new teams coming in this year and it is a long season. I don't think anyone can be underestimated." NRLW expands to a 12-team, 11-round competition this year with the additions of the Bulldogs and Warriors. Jeffries has put the Knights squad through a gruelling preseason. The hard work showed in a 20-12 trial win over Canberra in Cessnock on June 15. "We are a fitter faster group than we were," Jeffries said. "That is the way the female game is going. "I'm really optimist about how we will go this year." YASMIN Clydsdale thought her chances of captaining a team had past but Knights NRLW coach Ben Jeffries believes no-one is more worthy of leading her home town than the inspirational back-rower. Clydsdale was announced captain of the Knights' NRLW team at the season launch on Tuesday, taking the reins from long-term skipper Hannah Southwell, who is now at the Dragons. The 31-yeat-old has achieved everything in the game, winning three premierships as well as representing her state and country. She now ticks the final box. "I probably thought I had past this opportunity," Clydsdale said. "It is a shock but also a privilege and honour. I would almost put this No.1 [in my achievements]. "BJ (Jeffries) told me when it was just us two. It didn't really hit me until he announced it to the team. I started crying. "This is my home town, the community I grew up in. To be able to represent and captain the team is something I didn't think would happen." Clydsdale is the most experienced player in the Knights squad with 39 NRLW games. She has won pemierships with the Roosters and Knights, was part of the NSW team which beat Queensland this year and has won a World Cup with the Jillaroos. But there is more to Clydsdale than just her playing record. "She sets the standard on and off the field," Jeffrries said. "I don't know how she fits everything in. She aligns herself to the club's values and epotomises what this club is all about. "This group adore her. I can't think of anyone more worthy than Yas to be the captain this season." Cyldsdale was a gun touch and rugby sevens player - representing Australia at both - before embarking on a rugby league career. Asked if she had ever captained a side, Clydsdale said: "No never. I don't know how I will go tossing the coin. Hopefully, I get a few wins. This is all very new to me." While Clydsdale may not have had the C besides her name, the Scone PE teacher has loing been a leader. "The way I lead is through communication," she said. "Being able to connect and communicate with the girls is something I pride mysefl on. I make sure I have conversations. Getting to undertstand them and getting to know them is something I do every year. "I want them to feel comfortable in this environment, so they can flourish." A new-look Knights open their 2025 campaign against the Bulldogs at Accor Stadium on Friday July 4. Southwell, superstar fullback Tamika Upton and barnstorming prop Caitlan Johnston-Green are among seven departures from the side which finished fourth in 2024, going down 25-16 to the Roosters in the semi-final. Wests Tigers fullback Botille Vette-Walsh and Kiwi Keighley Simpson head the list of arrivals, while premiership-winning forward Tiana Davison returns from the Roosters. NSW under-19 representatives Lilly-Ann White and Evah, McEwen and fellow home-grown talents Jules Kirkpatrick and Evie Jones will get more opprtunities. They join established stars, hooker Olivia Higgins, NSW halfback Jesse Southwell, New Zealand outside back Shanice Parker and England five-eighth Georgia Roche. "To be able to captain a team full of so much talent. I'm really excited," Clydsdale said. "It is a young team, but I feel everyone has leadership qualities and they all bring different quaities to the team. "We have a great bunch of girls and we push each other to be better. "I love that we are off the cuff and play what is in front of us. "BJ has worked really hard with the strength and conditioning team and the physio to make sure all the girls are ready to go on paddock. "We will take it one game at a time. We have two new teams coming in this year and it is a long season. I don't think anyone can be underestimated." NRLW expands to a 12-team, 11-round competition this year with the additions of the Bulldogs and Warriors. Jeffries has put the Knights squad through a gruelling preseason. The hard work showed in a 20-12 trial win over Canberra in Cessnock on June 15. "We are a fitter faster group than we were," Jeffries said. "That is the way the female game is going. "I'm really optimist about how we will go this year."
The Age
2 hours ago
- The Age
‘I know where I belong': Wounded Wallabies brace for Lions audition
There was a steely resolve in Lukhan Salakaia-Loto's voice when asked about his Wallabies prospects as he prepared to launch his injury comeback for the Queensland Reds against the British and Irish Lions. 'I'm not there to prove anything,' the 41-Test forward declared. 'I know where I belong.' A shoulder concern ultimately cost Salakaia-Loto the backend of his Super Rugby Pacific campaign, forced to watch as the Reds succumbed to eventual champions, the Crusaders, in their Qualifying Final clash in Christchurch. His lack of game time, having not taken the field since early May, appeared to cost him a place in coach Joe Schmidt's first Wallabies squad of the year to take on Fiji on Sunday. But the 28-year-old confirmed he had been given clearance to be available for selection when Queensland contest the Lions in Brisbane on July 2, declaring he had 'not a doubt at all' he would be fit to factor into Lions' calculations. Loading 'I know my body well enough to know if it's good or bad, or if I can push through, and I just knew I needed a bit of time on the sidelines to get my shoulder right,' Salakaia-Loto, who was named in 11 Tests last year, said. 'Funnily enough, I just got the green light, so it was pretty huge to get through the session – a big one at that. I know what I'm capable of, and I'm looking forward to showcasing that.' Salakaia-Loto will now rely on his form for the Reds, and past exploits for Australia, to force his way into the fold, after Will Skelton, Jeremy Williams, Tom Hooper and Darcy Swain – who led the Super Rugby season for lineout wins – were named as the lock contenders against Fiji.
Sydney Morning Herald
2 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘I know where I belong': Wounded Wallabies brace for Lions audition
There was a steely resolve in Lukhan Salakaia-Loto's voice when asked about his Wallabies prospects as he prepared to launch his injury comeback for the Queensland Reds against the British and Irish Lions. 'I'm not there to prove anything,' the 41-Test forward declared. 'I know where I belong.' A shoulder concern ultimately cost Salakaia-Loto the backend of his Super Rugby Pacific campaign, forced to watch as the Reds succumbed to eventual champions, the Crusaders, in their Qualifying Final clash in Christchurch. His lack of game time, having not taken the field since early May, appeared to cost him a place in coach Joe Schmidt's first Wallabies squad of the year to take on Fiji on Sunday. But the 28-year-old confirmed he had been given clearance to be available for selection when Queensland contest the Lions in Brisbane on July 2, declaring he had 'not a doubt at all' he would be fit to factor into Lions' calculations. Loading 'I know my body well enough to know if it's good or bad, or if I can push through, and I just knew I needed a bit of time on the sidelines to get my shoulder right,' Salakaia-Loto, who was named in 11 Tests last year, said. 'Funnily enough, I just got the green light, so it was pretty huge to get through the session – a big one at that. I know what I'm capable of, and I'm looking forward to showcasing that.' Salakaia-Loto will now rely on his form for the Reds, and past exploits for Australia, to force his way into the fold, after Will Skelton, Jeremy Williams, Tom Hooper and Darcy Swain – who led the Super Rugby season for lineout wins – were named as the lock contenders against Fiji.
