Former NRL premiership-winning winger Suliasi Vunivalu is poised to have his greatest yr since switching codes as he targets a everlasting spot within the Queensland and Wallabies backline.
After transferring to rugby forward of the 2021 season, Vunivalu struggled with accidents and kind, failing to cement a tempo the Reds facet, and never doing sufficient to impress then Wallabies coach Dave Rennie.
However, his fortunes turned final yr as loved extra recreation time for Queensland and caught the attention of lately departed Wallabies coach Eddie Jones, who was keen to gamble on Vunivalu’s expertise and potential.
The Fiji-born flyer was named in Australia’s Rugby World Cup squad, and regardless of not securing a beginning spot throughout a marketing campaign in France marred by news that Jones had been interviewed for the Japan job he later accepted, Vunivalu gained confidence from the expertise.
“I’m feeling good – last year was my best since I moved to rugby,” he stated.
“I had a goal of representing the Wallabies and making it to the World Cup.
“(Eddie) was good to me. I have nothing bad to say about him. He’s always been good to me, and he’s been good to most of the boys.”
“Whatever was going on with Eddie, it’s just the same as any player. If you’re negotiating a contract, you’re doing it privately.”
Vunivalu was assured his recreation would additional enhance this season underneath new Reds coach Les Kiss, one other former rugby league winger who represented Queensland at State of Origin degree and the Kangaroos in 4 Tests.
“I didn’t find out that Les used to play rugby league until a week and a half ago when I had a chat with my manager,” a laughing Vunivalu stated.
“Then I spoke to him one day after training last week and said to him ‘you came from league as well, what’s with these all these league wingers joining rugby union?’.
“Les wants me to be busy around the park creating options so there’s a space somewhere on the field.
“I’m doing everything, pretty much like a fullback, roaming at the back.”
Vunivalu was additionally joyful to find that Kiss was at one stage an assistant coach to new Wallabies mentor Joe Schmidt in the course of the latter’s tenure as Ireland coach.
“It’s a good boost for myself and I’m really excited about what I can do,” stated Vunivalu, who hopes to impress Schmidt in the course of the Super Rugby Pacific season.
“It’s exciting bit of it you can’t get too excited if you don’t put in the work. If I do the work, it will all pay off.”
Source: www.news.com.au
