Latest news with #NSWWaratahs'
The Advertiser
13-05-2025
- Sport
- The Advertiser
Why returning Waratahs hooker won't look at Super table
Believing their season's not done yet, hooker David Porecki insists he won't be ladder watching as he fights to keep the NSW Waratahs' Super Rugby Pacific finals hopes flickering. A third straight defeat last Friday night looked to have extinguished the Waratahs' chances of sneaking into the playoffs. But a precious bonus point in the despairing 28-21 derby loss to the Queensland Reds actually improved the Waratahs' position to eighth on the table by the end of the weekend's round. Dan McKellar's side enter their last home game of the season against the Crusaders on Friday night with renewed hope but knowing it will surely be lights out for 2025 with another slip-up. Not that Porecki is getting distracted by the mathematical scenarios. "Maybe there's a few of us that think a bit differently about it, but I don't necessarily look at it at all," he said on Tuesday. "I'm going out there to win and you want to win well. So you want to win with a bonus point and the table will take care of itself." Having only returned last week from a nagging calf injury after a month out - he was also sidelined last year with an Achilles issue that led to him contemplating retirement - Porecki's bigger focus is merely staying on the park and trying to contribute to the Tahs' last push for a finals berth. "The medical team have done a great job in getting my calf back strong and, yeah, it was a shame obviously what happened with the result but it was good to finally run out," said the one-time Wallabies captain. "I was pretty close the week before but we just took a view that it was probably too risky so we held off and now I've just got to try and get a bit of match fitness back." A Wallabies recall for the showpiece three-Test series with the touring British and Irish Lions remains a goal but Porecki knows, realistically, he is well behind the eight-ball. "I'm only one week back so I'm taking a very, very short-term approach, and I want to put my best foot forward for this club so we can play finals," he said. "And then it's anyone's game in finals. "I'm always trying when I'm playing to put my best performance in and (hopefully) that's good enough to warrant selection. "But that Test level is based on performance so, if you're performing well and you're consistent throughout the year, then you put yourself in the window and you might get the tap on the shoulder." Believing their season's not done yet, hooker David Porecki insists he won't be ladder watching as he fights to keep the NSW Waratahs' Super Rugby Pacific finals hopes flickering. A third straight defeat last Friday night looked to have extinguished the Waratahs' chances of sneaking into the playoffs. But a precious bonus point in the despairing 28-21 derby loss to the Queensland Reds actually improved the Waratahs' position to eighth on the table by the end of the weekend's round. Dan McKellar's side enter their last home game of the season against the Crusaders on Friday night with renewed hope but knowing it will surely be lights out for 2025 with another slip-up. Not that Porecki is getting distracted by the mathematical scenarios. "Maybe there's a few of us that think a bit differently about it, but I don't necessarily look at it at all," he said on Tuesday. "I'm going out there to win and you want to win well. So you want to win with a bonus point and the table will take care of itself." Having only returned last week from a nagging calf injury after a month out - he was also sidelined last year with an Achilles issue that led to him contemplating retirement - Porecki's bigger focus is merely staying on the park and trying to contribute to the Tahs' last push for a finals berth. "The medical team have done a great job in getting my calf back strong and, yeah, it was a shame obviously what happened with the result but it was good to finally run out," said the one-time Wallabies captain. "I was pretty close the week before but we just took a view that it was probably too risky so we held off and now I've just got to try and get a bit of match fitness back." A Wallabies recall for the showpiece three-Test series with the touring British and Irish Lions remains a goal but Porecki knows, realistically, he is well behind the eight-ball. "I'm only one week back so I'm taking a very, very short-term approach, and I want to put my best foot forward for this club so we can play finals," he said. "And then it's anyone's game in finals. "I'm always trying when I'm playing to put my best performance in and (hopefully) that's good enough to warrant selection. "But that Test level is based on performance so, if you're performing well and you're consistent throughout the year, then you put yourself in the window and you might get the tap on the shoulder." Believing their season's not done yet, hooker David Porecki insists he won't be ladder watching as he fights to keep the NSW Waratahs' Super Rugby Pacific finals hopes flickering. A third straight defeat last Friday night looked to have extinguished the Waratahs' chances of sneaking into the playoffs. But a precious bonus point in the despairing 28-21 derby loss to the Queensland Reds actually improved the Waratahs' position to eighth on the table by the end of the weekend's round. Dan McKellar's side enter their last home game of the season against the Crusaders on Friday night with renewed hope but knowing it will surely be lights out for 2025 with another slip-up. Not that Porecki is getting distracted by the mathematical scenarios. "Maybe there's a few of us that think a bit differently about it, but I don't necessarily look at it at all," he said on Tuesday. "I'm going out there to win and you want to win well. So you want to win with a bonus point and the table will take care of itself." Having only returned last week from a nagging calf injury after a month out - he was also sidelined last year with an Achilles issue that led to him contemplating retirement - Porecki's bigger focus is merely staying on the park and trying to contribute to the Tahs' last push for a finals berth. "The medical team have done a great job in getting my calf back strong and, yeah, it was a shame obviously what happened with the result but it was good to finally run out," said the one-time Wallabies captain. "I was pretty close the week before but we just took a view that it was probably too risky so we held off and now I've just got to try and get a bit of match fitness back." A Wallabies recall for the showpiece three-Test series with the touring British and Irish Lions remains a goal but Porecki knows, realistically, he is well behind the eight-ball. "I'm only one week back so I'm taking a very, very short-term approach, and I want to put my best foot forward for this club so we can play finals," he said. "And then it's anyone's game in finals. "I'm always trying when I'm playing to put my best performance in and (hopefully) that's good enough to warrant selection. "But that Test level is based on performance so, if you're performing well and you're consistent throughout the year, then you put yourself in the window and you might get the tap on the shoulder."
Perth Now
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Perth Now
Why returning Waratahs hooker won't look at Super table
Believing their season's not done yet, hooker David Porecki insists he won't be ladder watching as he fights to keep the NSW Waratahs' Super Rugby Pacific finals hopes flickering. A third straight defeat last Friday night looked to have extinguished the Waratahs' chances of sneaking into the playoffs. But a precious bonus point in the despairing 28-21 derby loss to the Queensland Reds actually improved the Waratahs' position to eighth on the table by the end of the weekend's round. Dan McKellar's side enter their last home game of the season against the Crusaders on Friday night with renewed hope but knowing it will surely be lights out for 2025 with another slip-up. Not that Porecki is getting distracted by the mathematical scenarios. "Maybe there's a few of us that think a bit differently about it, but I don't necessarily look at it at all," he said on Tuesday. "I'm going out there to win and you want to win well. So you want to win with a bonus point and the table will take care of itself." Having only returned last week from a nagging calf injury after a month out - he was also sidelined last year with an Achilles issue that led to him contemplating retirement - Porecki's bigger focus is merely staying on the park and trying to contribute to the Tahs' last push for a finals berth. "The medical team have done a great job in getting my calf back strong and, yeah, it was a shame obviously what happened with the result but it was good to finally run out," said the one-time Wallabies captain. "I was pretty close the week before but we just took a view that it was probably too risky so we held off and now I've just got to try and get a bit of match fitness back." A Wallabies recall for the showpiece three-Test series with the touring British and Irish Lions remains a goal but Porecki knows, realistically, he is well behind the eight-ball. "I'm only one week back so I'm taking a very, very short-term approach, and I want to put my best foot forward for this club so we can play finals," he said. "And then it's anyone's game in finals. "I'm always trying when I'm playing to put my best performance in and (hopefully) that's good enough to warrant selection. "But that Test level is based on performance so, if you're performing well and you're consistent throughout the year, then you put yourself in the window and you might get the tap on the shoulder."
Perth Now
12-05-2025
- Sport
- Perth Now
Play on: Wallabies coach resists call to rest Suaalii
Far from wanting his chief strike weapon wrapped in cotton wool, Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt hopes to see Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii back on the pitch ASAP. Suaalii's sickening head knock last Friday night will rule the code-hopping game-breaker out of the NSW Waratahs' Super Rugby Pacific clash with the Crusaders in Sydney on Friday night and possibly next week's derby against the Western Force in Perth. With the Tahs needing to win their last three games to squeeze into the finals, there have been calls for Suaalii to abort his Super season altogether - especially if Dan McKellar's men are out of the running entering a last-round battle with the Blues - and freshen up for the showpiece British and Irish Lions series. Schmidt, though, doesn't subscribe to that approach. "I'm keen to see him keep playing," he said. "He's missed a few games already this season. He hasn't had that many games anyway so, for Joseph, it's important that he just keep playing when he's fit and available to play. "He will probably miss the game against the Crusaders but, all going well, hopefully he will be back for the next one." After playing the one-time NSW State of Origin star his Wallabies debut at outside centre on last year's grand slam spring tour, Schmidt has no issues with Waratahs coach Dan McKellar deploying Suaalii at fullback. "I'm really happy that Joseph plays wherever Dan needs him to play," he said. "Dan and I have had the conversation. Dan actually asked me, 'Do you want me to play him at 13?' "And I said I just want him with his boots on, playing the game. "One of the beauties of playing 15 is you see the whole game in front of you and so for Joseph, he's had that opportunity. "But, then, they don't use him like a normal 15 either. He comes into the front line on some set plays and ends up in the front line on occasions. "The try against the Brumbies - 15s don't usually take flat balls off lineouts and things like that. "So for Joseph, it's just great to see him out there and playing and I thought he was going really well until he got that knock in Friday's game. "But he's OK, and that's the main thing going forward."
The Advertiser
09-05-2025
- Sport
- The Advertiser
Suaalii knocked out in Waratahs' Super derby with Reds
Code-hopping superstar Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii has been escorted from the field on a medicab after being knocked out in the first half of the NSW Waratahs' Super Rugby Pacific derby with the Queensland Reds in Sydney. Suaalii was wiped out after copping an accidental knee to the jaw from teammate Andrew Kellaway as the pair collided in a tackle. Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt was watching on at Allianz Stadium as the fullback was treated for several minutes before being taken from the field. Rubbing insult to injury, the friendly fire mishap happened with Queensland on a penalty advantage. The Reds scored 30 seconds later through hooker Richie Asiata to level the match up at 14-14 moments before the halftime break. Code-hopping superstar Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii has been escorted from the field on a medicab after being knocked out in the first half of the NSW Waratahs' Super Rugby Pacific derby with the Queensland Reds in Sydney. Suaalii was wiped out after copping an accidental knee to the jaw from teammate Andrew Kellaway as the pair collided in a tackle. Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt was watching on at Allianz Stadium as the fullback was treated for several minutes before being taken from the field. Rubbing insult to injury, the friendly fire mishap happened with Queensland on a penalty advantage. The Reds scored 30 seconds later through hooker Richie Asiata to level the match up at 14-14 moments before the halftime break. Code-hopping superstar Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii has been escorted from the field on a medicab after being knocked out in the first half of the NSW Waratahs' Super Rugby Pacific derby with the Queensland Reds in Sydney. Suaalii was wiped out after copping an accidental knee to the jaw from teammate Andrew Kellaway as the pair collided in a tackle. Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt was watching on at Allianz Stadium as the fullback was treated for several minutes before being taken from the field. Rubbing insult to injury, the friendly fire mishap happened with Queensland on a penalty advantage. The Reds scored 30 seconds later through hooker Richie Asiata to level the match up at 14-14 moments before the halftime break.
West Australian
09-05-2025
- Sport
- West Australian
Suaalii knocked out in Waratahs' Super derby with Reds
Code-hopping superstar Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii has been escorted from the field on a medicab after being knocked out in the first half of the NSW Waratahs' Super Rugby Pacific derby with the Queensland Reds in Sydney. Suaalii was wiped out after copping an accidental knee to the jaw from teammate Andrew Kellaway as the pair collided in a tackle. Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt was watching on at Allianz Stadium as the fullback was treated for several minutes before being taken from the field. Rubbing insult to injury, the friendly fire mishap happened with Queensland on a penalty advantage. The Reds scored 30 seconds later through hooker Richie Asiata to level the match up at 14-14 moments before the halftime break.
