Even in defeat, Zane Nonggorr’s 78-minute stint attempting to thwart the Hurricanes announced him as a key inclusion for the Wallabies when the British and Irish Lions arrive in Australia.
That is the opinion of Queensland Reds teammate Jeffery Toomaga-Allen, a former All Black who declared the 24-year-old had the “mongrel”.
Injuries have threatened to derail the Reds’ Super Rugby Pacific ambitions, and Nonggorr was forced to dig deep in last week’s 31-27 loss to the Kiwis. He will start again in the final-round clash with the Fijian Drua in Brisbane on Saturday.
Zane Nonggorr has been tipped to take on the Lions by teammate Jeffery Toomaga-Allen, who did the same eight years ago.Credit: Getty
Toomaga-Allen, who will remain in Queensland until at least the end of 2026, believed Nonggorr had demonstrated the skill, physicality and durability needed to take on the Lions, having done so himself for the Hurricanes in 2017.
“He’s ready, man, he’s ready. With the consistency he’s showing … he’s becoming Mr Reliable,” Toomaga-Allen said.
“A lot of people don’t see the amount of work he puts in off the field – the man’s on the bike, the man’s sauna-ing, he’s the first in and last to leave.
“He’s a great example for other young players coming through – he leads by example, and I’m not surprised he can go for 75, 80 minutes.
“He lost a bit of weight in the off season, he’s in good shape, and mentally he’s gone to another level. I hope people can see that he’s bringing a bit of mongrel about him, which is what we’ve been working on.”
Nonggorr, who has 10 Test caps to his name all off the bench, is poised to challenge Taniela Tupou and Tom Robertson for the Wallabies’ No.3 jumper.
But according to Reds coach Les Kiss, who will helm the Wallabies in mid-2026, the prop’s exploits had put him in the box seat.
Jeffery Toomaga-Allen will remain a Red in 2026.Credit: Michael Bradley
“Absolutely, he’s got to be on the cusp of that,” Kiss said.
“In the off season, he really worked hard on his fitness and did a lot of things to make sure his body was more robust.
“He’s getting the just rewards for that, but what I like about Zane is he’s still not satisfied.”
Toomaga-Allen’s extension ensures he will continue to mentor Nonggorr and Massimo De Lutiis, and follows the re-signing of Seru Uru (2026), who remains uncertain for the finals with a knee injury.
While the one-time New Zealand international stressed he desired Nonggorr’s job, the best way he could be a leader was ensuring he was pushed to keep him at bay.
“It is frustrating at the start of the week when the team gets named, I’ll be honest, because you want to start, and that’s how it should be,” Toomaga-Allen said.
“I’m not just here to babysit, I’m here to compete.
“It’s a privilege and an honour to do what I do for a living. I want to inspire every young dude or girl out there to play the game of footy.”
