Waratahs vs Reds takes: Super Rugby’s best winger, Reds’ MVP contender

The NSW Waratahs have started their 2026 Super Rugby Pacific campaign with a 36-12 win over the Queensland Reds in Sydney. Max Jorgensen stood out with a game-changing double in front of 16,655 fans at Allianz Stadium.

Jorgensen scored an early try-of-the-season contender with an individual effort just before the half-time break, which helped extend the Tahs’ lead to 12. But the Reds reduced the deficit in the final play of the half, with Fraser McReight setting up Joe Brial.

It was one-way traffic in the second term, with Wallaby Isaac Kailea and Jorgensen both getting on the scoresheet to all but secure the win. Replacement scrum-half Teddy Wilson had the last point-scoring say with a try in the 77^th minute.

Here are some takeaways.

The best winger in the competition

Max Jorgensen recently became just the third player ever to sign a five-year deal with Rugby Australia and the NSW Waratahs, joining four-time John Eales Medallist Michael Hooper and code-hopper Lote Tuqiri in that incredibly exclusive club.

Jorgensen will be available to represent the Wallabies at the next two Rugby World Cups, and it’s great news for the Tahs as well. While there can be a lot of hype and even pressure that comes with a history-making contract like that, ‘Jorgo’ is more than up to the task.

The 21-year-old cracked the RugbyPass Top 100 for the first time in 2025, ranked in the low 90s after a breakthrough campaign in Wallaby gold. While the international season is still months away, Jorgensen seemed destined to shoot up those rankings quite drastically.

With the match in the balance during a tense first half, Jorgensen produced a moment of magic that will be replayed for years to come. Joey Walaton reeled in a loose ball before finding rookie fullback James Hendren, who shovelled the ball onto Jorgensen around halfway.

Capped Wallaby Jock Campbell waited as the last time of the Reds’ defence, leaving Jorgensen with plenty to do en route to the try line. Jorgensen won that battle with sheer pace, showcasing some fast feet before turning on the afterburners.

Jorgensen completed a double during the second half, with openside flanker Charlie Gamble catching a cross-field kick before offloading to the flyer. But support play is the key focus here – Jorgensen was almost always in the thick of the action against the Reds.

With the match all but won, Jorgensen nailed a 50/22 attempt in the 75^th minute. That was the icing on the cake, capping off a standout performance that suggests Jorgensen might just be the best winger in Super Rugby Pacific this season.

Tim ‘The Junkyard Dog’ Ryan could be a Wallabies bolter

There will be talk about potential Wallabies bolters and debutants throughout this year’s Super Rugby Pacific season; it’s an inevitable truth. It’s a fan-favourite talking point, and with a home Rugby World Cup just around the corner, the stakes couldn’t be higher.

In an Australian derby such as this one, there are going to be players who push their case for higher honours, and that was no different on Friday. Clem Halaholo was impressive on debut for the Tahs, Teddy Wilson scored a try off the bench and Joe Brial was solid for the Reds.

But let’s talk about ‘The Junkyard Dog’.

Max Jorgensen and Harry Potter are the incumbent starters on the wings for the Wallabies in the Test arena, and with good reason. Those two, who lined up on the edges for the Tahs in this round one fixture, can change a game in an instant with their game-breaking ability.

Dylan Pietsch and Filipo Daugunu are other options to start on the wings, with the Wallabies blessed with genuine depth and quality out wide. But if we look at uncapped Wallabies prospects, Tim ‘The Junkyard Dog’ Ryan continues to push his case.

Ryan scored a remarkable hat-trick against the Blues at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium in 2024, before starting in 11 of 14 appearances for the Reds last season. That led to Australia A honours against a Japan XV last October, scoring a double in the convincing 71-7 triumph.

20 months out from a Rugby World Cup, Ryan did his Wallabies chances absolutely no harm with a try-scoring shift after the Tahs. Ryan showed rapid pace to make up ground on Gamble before touching down for the Reds’ first try of the season.

Ryan finished the match with a team-high 12 carries for more than 30 metres. While Ryan wasn’t picked in the Wallabies’ 40-man squad for a January training camp in Sydney, the winger could emerge as a genuine Test bolter with more nights like this.

This Waratahs side won’t be easy to beat in 2026

It’s only round one, so let’s not get carried away.

But if you’re a Waratahs fan, this 24-point win over the Reds should give you a lot of confidence about your team’s chances this season. While it wasn’t a faultless performance, there are plenty of positives to take out of the opening-round triumph.

Jorgensen was a clear standout, while Suaalii and Halaholo also enjoyed impressive nights in Cambridge blue. Lawson Creighton steered the ship as the starting fly-half, and the bench made a noticeable impact when given their opportunity on the field.

With coach Dan McKellar at the helm, this Waratahs team has what it takes to go far in Super Rugby Pacific this season. There will be lessons to take out of this match; the same can be said for the Reds, but it’ll be interesting to see just how far they can go in 2026.

The Waratahs host the Fijian Drua and Hurricanes before their first away trip of the season, making their way up to Queensland to face the Reds. With four home matches in their first five fixtures, a strong start to the campaign is essential.

Fraser McReight delivers an MVP-level performance

It should come as absolutely no surprise to read that Fraser McReight delivered a Player of the Match-calibre performance against the Tahs. McReight was among the standouts in every area of the contest, which included some genuine heroics on both sides of the ball.

Queensland’s captain made more tackles (12) than anyone else during the first half, and that trend continued until the final whistle. Joe Brial finished second on the tackles completed charts with 18 by full-time, with McReight ahead as the only player in the 20s.

McReight made a try-saving stop on Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii with a few minutes remaining in the first term, bringing the Tahs centre down just short of the try line. The 26-year-old backed up that try-saving effort with an assist for Brial in the final play before the break.

Ethan Dobbins and McReight both recorded a game-high two turnovers won, and then some things can’t be measured by stats, like work rate off the ball. While it wasn’t to be for the Reds down in Sydney, this was still an MVP-level performance from their skipper.