Cheika looking for new Waratahs

Waratahs’ head coach Michael Cheika has invited some players to join Waratahs’ training whilst the Wallabies are away. Some of them are familiar to us; others may not be household names now but they could be listed on a team sheet in Super Rugby sooner than we think.

This time last year lock Will Skelton and hooker Tolo Latu were virtually unknown in Grade rugby yet they were invited to train by Cheika, and now they have full contracts.

2012 Australian Schools player David Horwitz was invited to train the day he finished his HSC last year, aged 18, just. Since then the youngster became the regular First Grade starting flyhalf for Randwick, toured Argentina with with the NSW Barbarians, and was given an Extended Player Squad contract with the Waratahs for 2014.

Who would have said 12 months ago that those things would happen?

Cheika is looking “outside the box” again. This year he has invited more unknown players including two “subbies” from the Sydney Suburban competition.

Loma Kaveinga was the first subbie to appear out of nowhere. He was born in New Zealand and played for Auckland Colts and Auckland B.

Of Tongan descent, he was eligible to represent Tonga in the 2009 IRB JWC [for Under-20 players] in Japan when he was 18 years old.

In that tournament he played with future Super Rugby players, Ita Vaea (Brumbies) and George Moala (Blues), and, in the same Pool, against the the likes of Justin Tipuric of Wales, and current Waratahs Kurtley Beale and Kane Douglas, of Australia.

When he arrived to play for Balmain in the Sydney Suburban competition in 2012 the unknown second rower had to start in third grade but soon worked his way up to the Ones. He impressed the club enough to put his name forward to the Waratahs for training this year.

The athletic 22-year-old, 195 cms and 108 kgs, has been pegged as a 6 for Tahs training and is as shy off the field as he is aggressive on it. He said the training at the Tahs was hard, but it was good for him, and added:

I’m just humbled to be here: to be invited to the Waratahs, especially from first division subbies rugby.

Kaveinga is not sure where he will be playing his club rugby next year; so club managers should take note.

Joel Brooks is the second subbie invited to train with the Tahs. A Balman junior in the rugby league code he had never played rugby union until he was 19 when he joined with some mates who were playing Colts subbies for Hunters Hill in 2011.

In 2012 he swtiched to the Brothers club, based in Roseville, to continue Colts subbies rugby. He played first grade for them this year.

A personal trainer outside of rugby union and with certificates to back it up, Joel is passionate about keeping himself in shape.

The 21-year-old is not only fit but is fast as well. He scored 34 tries in 2013 as a wing or fullback for Brothers and was snapped up by West Harbour at the end of the season. The Harbour coach Matt Briggs contacted Michael Cheika and Joel was invited to Tahs’ training.

Though Joel is interested in Sevens, his main goal is to get a Waratahs contract; but if he doesn’t get one this time:

I’m enjoying my time here— it’s a good experience anyway, and I can take back what I learn here to the Shute Shield.

Darcy Etrich is another player from outside the mainstream of Australian rugby.

Growing up in Melbourne, Darcy played rugby union at St. Kevins College in Toorak, which is also the old school of new Waratah, Tala Gray.

Straight out of school he went to the Melbourne Storm rugby league club and played for their Under 20s side. Since then the 24-year-old has played for NRL feeder teams, most recently for the Central Queensland Capras who fed to the Gold Coast NRL team. Now he is returning to the rugby union code.

The classy ballplayer will be playing club rugby in Sydney next year and has already been in contact with Randwick and Easts. His preference is to play flyhalf, but he has also trained well in the role of halfback or centre with the Waratahs.

Darcy is proud of his aborigine heritage and said his father came from the remote NSW area of Menindee, about an hour from Broken Hill.

He’s enjoying being back in the rugby union code at the Tahs and being with the players.

Its been awesome: they’re a good group of guys and really welcoming. The professionalism has been great, both in the gym and on the field […] It’s been a great experience for me, and hopefully that shows when I’m playing rugby next year.

Auvasa Faleali’i came to notice to many Waratahs’ fans when they watched the live-streaming of games by the touring NSW Barbarians against Argentina last August.

The solid 90 kg scrummie sparked the team with some damaging snipes and his strong passing and tackling. He was not shy to turn the ball over at a ruck either, and had a booming box kick.

He started playing for Auckland in the ITM Cup when he was 19 years old and represented Samoa at the 2009 IRB JWC.

Although he was chosen twice to tour with the Samoa senior side he was not capped, nor could he get a Super Rugby gig in New Zealand.

Now 24 years old he decided on a fresh start to his career and arrived in Australia to play for the Newcastle Waratahs (in the Newcastle and Hunter Rugby Union) for the 2013 season. After he had some sensational games he was recommended by a connection of Alan Gaffney who still has contact with the Waratahs.

Faleafi’i hasn’t been at training with the Tahs for the past few weeks so he may have been recruited elsewhere, but if not, he will be an excellent stand-by for the Tahs and a dream acquistiion for any Shute Shield team.

Last year Cheika rewarded all the invited players who stayed with the programme with stints in the early trials and no doubt he will do the same in 2014.

This will give them a goal to focus on, and who is to say there are not a couple of them who could earn Super Rugby contracts for the following year as Skelton and Latu did?

2013/14 players invited to Waratahs’ training include:

Loma Kaveinga, Joel Brooks, Darcy Etrich, Auvasa Faleali’i, Michael Ala’alatoa, Steve Cummins, Ryan Dalziel, Johnson Falefa, Ryan Hodson, Stephen Hoiles, Seilala Lam, Tim Metcher, Hugh Roach, Sam Talakai.

Below is a gallery of pics of Waratahs’ training

Photos by Lee Grant