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'He's a very, very good player': The potential Wallabies star Will Genia believes is the real deal
By Online Editors
Former Wallabies star Will Genia has lathered up-and-coming Reds halfback Tate McDermott in praise, but has issued a warning if the talented Queensland youngster is to realise his full potential.
Genia is back in Brisbane amid the coronavirus pandemic after spending a season with the Kintestsu Liners in Japan's second-tier Top Challenge League following last year's failed World Cup campaign with the Wallabies.
During his time back in Australia, the 32-year-old has been working with McDermott after fielding a call from Reds attack coach Jim McKay to help aid the development of the incumbent Queensland halfback.
Genia's retirement from the international game leaves new Wallabies head coach Dave Rennie with a void to fill at halfback, and the 110-test veteran firmly believes McDermott could be the player to fit the bill.
Widely regarded as one of the most promising prospects in Australian rugby, the uncapped 21-year-old was described by Genia as a "very, very good player" in an interview with rugby.com.au.
However, Genia - who was instrumental in helping the Reds clinch their maiden Super Rugby title in 2011 - said that McDermott's natural attacking instincts need to be maintained if the Wallabies are to get the best out of him.
"I definitely think he’s got the game (to play test rugby), he just needs to make sure he doesn’t get that coached out of him," Genia said.
“I just love how he plays off instinct, he’s got that good balance with that attacking brand of rugby, he sees the breakdown and in anticipation he might do something, whether he runs or whether he’s putting someone into space and I like watching him play heads-up footy.
"He needs to keep that attacking mindset and that want to play the game because makes him the player that he is.
"For me, players like him don't want to coach those things out of him.
"He's got something in his game not many other halfbacks in world rugby have, he’s just got that really attacking mindset and the ability to get players in the game - whether it be in his running, passing, quick taps or though mauls, scrums and lineouts.
"He's got a good ability to read space and fill space - you never want to coach that out of them and have that 'get to the breakdown, pass, get to the breakdown, pass' approach, you want to encourage him."
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Latest Comments
Turn it up. Give me your john A game would ya!
Go to commentsI didn't really get the should tone from it, but maybe because I was just reading it as my own thoughts.
What I read it as was examples of how they played well enough in every game to be able to win it.
Yeah I dunno if Ben wouldn't see it that way (someone else would for sure need to point it out to him though), I'm more in the Ben not appreciating that those close losses werent one off scenarios camp. Sure you can look at dubious decisions causing them to have to play with 14 or 13 men at the death as viable reasons but even in the games they won without such difficulties they made a real struggle of it (compared to how good some of their first half play was). This kind of article where you trying to point out the 3 losses really would most likely have been wins only really makes sense/works when your other performances make those 3 games (or endings) stand out.
There might have been a sentence here and there to ensure some good comment numbers but when he's signing off the article by saying things like ..
and..
I don't really see it. Always making sure people are upto date with the SH standing/perspective! NZ went through some tough times with so many different perspectives and reasons why, but then it was.. amusing how.. behind everyone was once they turned a corner. More of these 'unfortunate' results returned against SA and France at the start of the RWC which made it extra tasty to catch other teams out when they did bring it. So that created some 'conscious' perspective that I just kept going and sharing re thoughts on similar predicaments of other teams, I had been really confident that Wallabies displays vs NZ were real, that the Argentines can backup their thing against Aus and SA (and so obviously the rest), and current one is that England are actually consistent and improving with their attack (which everyone should get onboard with), and I'm expecting a more dominant display against Japan (even though they should have more of their experienced internationals for this one) that highlights further growth from July. 👍
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