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Ex-Wallabies star reveals why re-signing Jack Maddocks should be one of Rugby Australia's 'great priorities'
Former Wallabies midfielder Morgan Turinui has described re-capturing the signature of Waratahs flyer Jack Maddocks as “one of the great priorities” in Australian rugby following his impressive return to action over the weekend.
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Maddocks starred in New South Wales’ 32-26 defeat to the Queensland Reds in Brisbane on Friday, putting on a scintillating attacking show that saw him run for 139 metres, beat a pair of defenders and make three clean breaks.
The 23-year-old’s capped off his display with a belter of a try in the second half after running a deft line to receive an inside pass from teammate Lachlan Swinton that set him free to dot down untouched under the posts.
In what was undoubtedly his best performance for the Waratahs since moving back to Sydney this year after three-season spell with the Melbourne Rebels, the match was also the first time that Maddocks was selected in his favoured fullback position for his new side.
During his time in Melbourne and in his previous appearances for the Waratahs prior to the COVID-19 lockdown, the seven-test Wallaby struggled for game time in the No. 15 jersey due to the presence of Dane Haylett-Petty, Reece Hodge, Kurtley Beale and Israel Folau.
Maddocks was subsequently utilised predominantly on the wing, with some suggesting he could even ply his trade at No. 10 due to his diverse skill set.
However, speaking to the Rugby Ruckus Tight Five podcast, Turinui indicated that if Maddocks is to realise his test-level credentials and consistently replicate the form he showed at Suncorp Stadium on Friday, he needs to remain at fullback.
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“Jack Maddocks is a fullback, and excellent fullback, and he’s going to be for a long time,” Turinui, who coached Maddocks at the Rebels during his time as an assistant in 2017, said.
“People have talked about him being a 10 because he’s a skilful player, he can actually throw a ball of both sides quite well.
“We saw a decent left foot kick from him on the weekend, so he can kick off both feet when he has to, and it’s great to see players with the confidence and the work ethic to have that confidence that goes behind it.
“To kick off both feet’s what we want from our fullbacks, it’s what we ideally want from our wingers, and it’s definitely what we want from our 10s.
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“You see a talented footballer with good vision, good skills, we think ‘Maybe we should make him a 10’, and perhaps that’s what we did with [Stephen] Larkham all those years ago, we’re always looking to turn a player into the next great 10.
“This bloke’s a fullback. He definitely isn’t a winger, he’s not brilliant positionally as a winger, defensively doesn’t suit him as a winger.
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“He’ll come up and make a really good front-on tackle one-on-one if he has to as a fullback, but he was always out of position just giving too much space to quality attackers at wing.
“It made him look worse than he was, he was unhappy on the wing, he’s a 15.”
Turinui said that the departures of Folau (Catalan Dragons) and Beale (Racing 92) from the Waratahs has given Maddocks a chance to stake his claim for the Australian fullback spot under the tutelage of new head coach Dave Rennie.
“He understands the Rebels, they’ve got Haylett-Petty. He [understood] early days with Beale, he was hesitant, probably, to come back to the Tahs at the time.
“Folau was still probably going to be there, and Beale, as well, was going to be there, so now the Red Sea’s opened and he has an opportunity.
“He’s a fullback, and now what he’s going to get is an opportunity to create that body of work for Dave Rennie to watch.
“He’s going to wear that 15 jersey, and if he continues the way he is from the weekend, he’ll be in that Wallabies team.”
While Maddocks impressed in his first game back in four months, speculation has been rife about a potential move to Major League Rugby in the United States.
Reports emerged last month that Maddocks was one of three fringe Wallabies, including Brumbies halfback Joe Powell and Waratahs prop Tom Robertson, who were in talks to join the newly-formed LA Giltinis.
The Venice Beach-based franchise has strong Australian links through its owner Adam Gilchrist and coaches Darren Coleman and Stephen Hoiles.
Despite not joining the club until November, the coaching pair have targeted the off-contract trio as professional players in Australia continue to endure a 60 percent pay slash due to the financial strain caused by coronavirus.
Although Maddocks missed out on Rennie’s ‘players of national interest’ squad in April, Turinui believes keeping the young speedster in Australia should be at the top of the Wallabies’ and Waratahs’ to-do lists.
“The other thing is, he’s off contract at the end of the year. He should be one of the great priorities for the Tahs and Wallabies to lock in.”
Maddocks and the Waratahs will be aiming to bounce back from last week’s loss on Saturday when they take on the Western Force in what will be the Perth side’s first match back in Super Rugby in three years.
Comments on RugbyPass
I always enjoy a good scrum based article. Thanks, Nick. The Hurricanes are looking more and more the team to beat down here in Australasia. They are a very well balanced team. And though there are far fewer scrums in the game these days, destructive power in that area is a serious weapon, especially an attacking scrum within in the red zone. Aumua looked very good as a young first year player, but then seemed to fade. He sure is back now right in the picture for the AB’s. And I would judge that Taukei’aho is in a bit of a slump currently. Watching him at Suncorp a few weeks ago, I thought he was not as dominant in the game as I would have expected. I am going to raise an issue in that scrum at around the 13 min mark. I see a high level of danger there for the TH lifted off the ground. He is trapped between the opposition LH and his own powerful SR. His neck is being put under potentially dangerous pressure. The LH has, in law , no right to use his superior scrummaging skill….getting his head right in on the breastbone of the TH…..to force him up and off the ground. Had the TH popped out of the scrum, head up and free, there is no danger, that is a clear penalty to the dominant scrum. The law is quite clear on this issue: Law 37 Dangerous play and restricted practices in a scrum. C:Intentionally lifting an opponent off their feet or forcing them upwards out of the scrum. Sanction: Penalty. Few ,if any, referees seem to be aware of this law, and/or the dangers of the situation. Matthew Carly, refereeing Clermont v Munster in 2021, penalised the Munster scrum, when LH Wycherly was lifted very high, and in my view very dangerously, by TH Slimani. Lifting was coached in the late ‘60’s/70’s. Both Lions props, Ray McLouglin, and “Mighty Mouse” McLauchlan, were expert and highly successful at this technique. I have seen a photo, which I can’t find online atm, of MM with a NZ TH(not an AB) on his head, MM standing upright as the scrum disintegrates.
3 Go to commentsHey. Stay home and play for Mooloo.
1 Go to commentsTighthead was always going to be our weakness this year with Ryan going home to Ireland and the Cashed Up Blues taking a third All Black prop from us - nobody else in SR does that. Numia is the exciting one. He used to be a lightweight but he's really improved. Do you have stats on the All Black hookers’ lineouts for the game? I seem to remember a few misses.
3 Go to commentsFergus Burke isn't tier 1 player quality…but guess what, he'll be playing amongst them for Saracens…. all going well and Steve Borthwick is still the head coach, England...Scott Robertson’s hint of amending NZRU’s offshore AB eligibility clause, would mean that players like Josh Moorby who show potential might get a call…
4 Go to commentsThe movement of quality players back to SA is remarkable.
2 Go to commentsInteresting article, Nic. Am enjoying seeing the Rebels doing well, partly just to spite those who are working to wipe them off the face of the Australian rugby planet. But it is also good to see a team with somany good players beginning fire. LSL has benefitted so much from his move up to Northampton for the one year. I wonder why he did not stay on for another year. Does he now looks north and see his teammates of last year now doing so well, and have some regrets.
44 Go to comments“Over 80% of the World Cup squad are over 30” No it isn’t lol
2 Go to commentsTyrel Lomax the best AB prop since Carl Hayman. Absolutely destroyed the Boks in RWC Final and is monstering allcomers in Super this season. Should be a monster battle vs touring Poms, always deliver a power pack.
3 Go to commentsEye gouging seems like such a strong term for what can only be described as a poke in the eye. When I think of eye gouging I think of someone trying to intentionally pop someone’s eyeball out. it’s like calling a high-tackle attempted decapitation.
3 Go to commentsGreat article. No insights to add, just wanted to say that. :)
1 Go to commentsLeinster are going to win the world cup.
13 Go to commentsSuper Rugby desperately needs to lose at least 2, but up to 4 teams. Rebels quietly going bankrupt would have made that a bit easier. Teams like the Rebels and Force serve only to weaken Australian Rugby and Super Rugby more widely. In 13 years in the comp the Rebels are yet to win more games than they lose in a season, have never finished in the top half of the competition, and have come dead last a number of times. The Western Force, barring a brief stint of mediocrity under John Mitchell from 2007-2009 have been even worse. Sadly it’s hard to see a future for Moana Pasifika in Super Rugby. Likewise I think the writing is on the wall for the Highlanders, it’s hard to see how NZ rugby can continue to support 5 SR teams, and population distribution suggests one team in the south island would make the most sense.
44 Go to commentsNice that Connor Evans is happy to stay on here, that JD Schikerling is returning and Steven Kitshoff. Dobbo is careful to bring back just anybody but having a new financial lease of life, it has made the Stormers a more attractive club. On top of being good quality, having the financial backing helps a lot
1 Go to commentsEngland-qualified too, I believe.
1 Go to commentsThis might turn out to be emblematic of a real issue in Irish rugby. Ireland have one of the best -if not the best - senior sides in the world, and one of the best under 20s sides as well, but don’t seem to be giving graduating under20s players many opportunities to break through into URC starting lineups. There is a risk that a lot of the junior talent they are developing will either be wasted, or lost to other nations.
1 Go to commentsYou ask good questions, Nick. The group who have put together the proposal to play out of Tarneit and participate in the growing of the ground’s capacity are not a bunch of white knights who have been dragged in post-crisis; they were around whilst the Rebels accummulated $23m in debt. Why do we come up with ideas that might make the franchise affordable after it’s broke and not when it might have prevented the trainwreck this offseason was? As for Gordon/Kellaway v Lolesio/Wright, they are both good options. I think the former are better rugby players but the goal kicking of Noah may be decisive when Schmiddy makes his choices. I know Harry Jones has the hots for Edmed but I think it’s one of his few poor choices and he and Jorgensen aren’t close to the other pairs. By coincidence, the wife and I went into town over the weekend to watch Brian Cox and Patricia Clarkson in Long Day’s Journey into Night. Beautifully acted but it was 3.5 hours in the chair and very hard work. Like the Rebels, there were only small bursts of joy to go with a lot of bad news and a depressing story line. In the end, I was hoping it would end and I could give my sore butt a break. Again, familiar.
44 Go to commentsGood decision, very good player but not international quality. But so was Jamison Gibson Park …..
4 Go to commentsLoose forwards always look good going forward and winning. It’s the same loose forwards for the Crusaders and the Canes this year as last year. Too much of the shiny new things getting noticed here while older consistent ones getting bagged. It’s early days. Calm the farm.
8 Go to commentsThanks Nick, and on the money. We tend to be apathetic until something REALLY BAD happens, then we aren't! At least this applies to the Reb players and coach, if not the spectators. They seem to be getting very quick ball at times. Have they altered something, or is it just all of the skills coming together at the right time? It seems almost the opposite of the Reds, who started the season with quick ball, but haven't been showing that in the last 3 losing games. Is it attitude (McDermott hasn't looked “right” to me for 3 weeks), or something else?
44 Go to commentsGood summary. As said, Sevu Reece has been electrifying for the Crusaders. Great try and he has been everywhere. Amazing he is now equal with Caleb Ralph , club record of 52 tries for the Crusaders. That record beckons. Good to see Dallas McLeod getting regular starts at last. A big few weeks are ahead.
8 Go to comments