Wallabies coach Les Kiss has questioned the severity of a four-game ban imposed on centre Hunter Paisami, while stressing in-form Roosters winger Mark Nawaqanitawase and rugby-bound teammate Angus Crichton will have to earn their spots in the Wallabiesโ World Cup squad next year.
Nawaqanitawase and Crichton both finish up in the NRL in Sundayโs grand final against Newcastle before switching to rugby for a crack at playing in the 2027 World Cup, which is being played in Australia.
Crichton begins his contract with the Waratahs and Rugby Australia next month but, pending an early release from the Roosters, he may even be rushed into the Australia A squad for a two-game tour of the US later in October.
Nawaqanitawase is joining Japanese side Panasonic Saitama Wild Knights, and it is not known whether he will make himself available for the Wallabiesโ spring tour of Europe in November.
Kiss was speaking at a โone-year-to-goโ event at Circular Quay on Friday morning, just a short walk from the NRL grand final fan fest at Martin Place, where Nawaqanitawase and Crichton were being feted by supporters.
Roosters fans, and the NRL world in general, have been blown away by Nawaqanitawaseโs stint in league, in which the 11-Test Wallaby scored 43 tries in 45 games โ many of which showcased eye-popping skill โ won a State of Origin series with NSW and played for Australia. The dual international has even been included in debates about the greatest NRL wingers.
Kiss, himself a former Kangaroos winger, said the praise for Nawaqanitawase is justified, but maintained it would not guarantee him a spot back in the Wallabies.
โHeโs doing a great job there in the rugby league game, and weโre right to be very excited about what he can do when he comes back into rugby,โ Kiss said.
โBut for every player Iโve talked to, there are no promises and no guarantees. Youโve got to earn everything and thatโs [the] baseline for everyone. Even the players that everyone says are nailed on, I know theyโre driven now, just to make sure they donโt drop their guard.
โGuys like Angus and Mark Nawaqanitawase have got to come in and do the work, thatโs for sure.โ
Kiss had more immediate concerns about selection this week, ahead of the opening Bledisloe Cup game in Auckland next week.
Kiss named a squad on Wednesday which included several players carrying an asterisk, due to injury or, in the case of Paisami, a pending judiciary outcome. That didnโt take long to resolve, however, with Paisami handed a four-game suspension for a dangerous high tackle on South Africaโs Sasha Feinberg-Mngomezulu on Sunday.
Deemed a mid-range offence, the penalty began at six weeks, before two weeks were knocked off for remorse and other mitigating factors. Paisami wasnโt eligible for a 50 per cent discount via โtackle schoolโ, given he used that once-in-a-career card last year.
Asked about the severity of Paisamiโs ban, Kiss said: โIโll be careful what I say because I might get fined, but four weeks โ I thought it could have been a little bit less than that, for sure.
โWeโve got two Bledisloe games and some other games that we can put that [suspension] into play, but ultimately, heโs out and weโll have to deal with that.โ
Paisami may be able to use the Australia A tour to serve two more matches of the ban, leaving him free for the Nations Cup clash against England on November 8.
Fullback Jock Campbell was called into the Bledisloe Cup squad, but Kiss said the likely candidates to replace Paisami would be Isaac Henry, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, Filipo Daugunu and Jordy Petaia.
Ikitau has โbone bruisingโ and is a 50-50 to play at Eden Park, he said. Key lock Josh Canham, who missed the Boksโ Test with a hamstring injury, was also named but is even less likely.
Kiss said there was plenty to take from the Wallabiesโ incredible win over the Boks in Perth, both from a strong opening 60 minutes and the โfight and careโ shown by the players to still win when reduced to 11 players in the last ten minutes.
After conceding two yellows for high tackles, and perhaps escaping on another from Tom Hooper that could have seen the Wallabies down to 10 men, Kiss said working on tackle height would be a work-on to ensure they donโt dig a similar yellow hole in the future.
New Zealand are currently on a three-match losing streak โ and havenโt lost four in a row since 1998. But heading to a venue where the Wallabies havenโt won since 1986, Kiss said the side would not get carried away with the feats of Perth.
โThey are unbeaten there in 52 Tests at Eden Park, so itโs going to be a formidable challenge,โ he said.
Rugby World Cup organisers announced on Thursday they have sold 1.3 million tickets.
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Iain Payten is a senior sports reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via X or email.From our partners
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