Less than three days after signing a $4.5 million deal with Rugby Australia, Eddie Jones is already looking to poach three NRL stars to help spark a Wallabies revival.
On Monday morning, Dave Rennie was sacked as Wallabies coach following an underwhelming three-year stint as national mentor — his win percentage of 38.24 was the lowest of any Wallabies coach with more than 30 Tests.
Jones was unveiled as Rennie’s replacement, set to lead the Wallabies through to the 2027 World Cup on home soil. He officially starts the new role on January 29.
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The 62-year-old, who was stood down as England coach seven weeks ago, has eight months to prepare Australia for the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France, and he already has his eye on a trio of former schoolboy rugby prodigies — but he won’t reveal any names.
Jones was at the helm of the Wallabies when RA picked off Wendell Sailor, Lote Tuqiri and Mat Rogers from rugby league ahead of the 2003 World Cup on home soil, helping Australia reach the final.
According to The Daily Telegraph, some high-profile rugby league stars who are all off contract this year are on RA’s list of interest, with Sydney Roosters gun Joseph Suaalii the No. 1 target.
The 19-year-old, who starred for Samoa during last year’s Rugby League World Cup in England, represented the Australian Schoolboys in 2019 before making his NRL debut for the Roosters in 2021.
Parramatta Eels centre Will Penisini, Manly flyer Tolu Koula and Melbourne Storm enforcer Nelson Asofa-Solomona are also wanted by RA, News Corp reports.
“We always want to develop players in rugby first. That’s the No. 1 priority,” Jones told the Sydney Morning Herald.
“No. 2 is to get back players who were lost initially from rugby to rugby league due to the financial inducements that league are able to give the players. We want to get players back who are lost.
“Thirdly, at the right time, is there an opportunity to secure some talent we don’t have in rugby from league? I think there is a strategic plan that needs to be put in place but the first thing is to retain the talent we do have.
“I’m sure the allure of playing in a home Rugby World Cup might be something to attract them back.”
Penisini, who captained The Kings School’s First XV to an undefeated season in 2020, is a free agent after the 2023 season, but Koula, another member of the 2019 Australian Schoolboys side, is contracted until the end of 2024.
Meanwhile, Asofa-Solomona has already explored the possibility of playing for the Wallabies, meeting with former Australian coach Dave Rennie in 2021.
Jones, who boasts an unrivalled World Cup success rate of 82 per cent, is determined to “leave Australian rugby in a better place” when his tenure wraps up in 2027.
“It’s the greatest honour and privilege. The only thing I can promise you is I will give it 100 per cent to get Australian rugby back in the position we want to be in,” Jones told the Sydney Morning Herald.
“I never divorced Australian rugby, they divorced me. Now we’re remarrying. Who said you can’t go to the altar twice?
“At the end of the day, you’ve got to win. That’s what people want to see. The Australian cricket team is popular when they win. When they don’t, they’re not too popular.”
According to The Telegraph, RA had courted Jones in a series of secret meetings dating back to the Wallabies spring tour of November 2021.
“Eddie and I believe we can win the World Cup this year. That’s a lot to do but we really believe we have got a fair shake,” RA chairman Hamish McLennan told AFP.
“I think it is a whole-of-game reset that Eddie will lead.
“I think in life quite often you mature with age and I think he’s a better coach than 20 years ago.
“He performs well at World Cups — that is really critical for us. And then we have the home World Cup in 27.
“Eddie is very enthused by the opportunity and as you would know, Eddie is a worker, and so he will make it all work.”
