Cheika comeback firms as possibility after Foley and Phipps return to Tahs

Two of the heroes of the Waratahs’ only premiership season were unveiled as the club’s new signings on Thursday, and a shock comeback by 2014 coach Michael Cheika could be on the cards as well.

As revealed by this masthead last month, Bernard Foley and Nick Phipps will suit up for the Waratahs again after signing one-year deals.

The coach who recruited them, Dan McKellar, is now gone, having resigned in June.

But in an intriguing twist, former NSW and Wallabies coach Cheika has this week firmed as an option to also return to the club he led to its only Super Rugby title.

Cheika is currently an assistant coach at the Roosters, but after missing out on the head coach vacancy at the Dragons recently, the decorated coach is eyeing a probable return to the 15-man game.

He said last month he’d not heard from the Waratahs, or their owners, Rugby Australia, about the NSW vacancy, but after lobbying from senior Waratahs players, RA officials have come to appreciate the massive impact of a Cheika return to the Tahs and are now exploring how it could work, according to informed sources.

If Cheika returns, another 2014 Waratah and current California Legion coach Stephen Hoiles would likely be involved in the coaching team.

“It’s hard to get a hold of the great man [Cheika],” Phipps said. “I do know there’s been lots of really quality candidates who put their name forward [for the NSW job].

“Like it or not, the Waratahs is probably one of the jewels in the crown of the [Super Rugby] competition; you want to think that lots of players and coaches would want to be a part of it …

“Obviously, it’s disappointing not to go the full way with Dan [McKellar], but I’m certain that whoever comes in next will be great for the squad.

“It’ll be good for the guys in there training this week [to know who the coach will be], and there’s a little bit of uncertainty about how it’s all going and what the future and the scheduling leading forward will be with everything going on.

“It’d be good to put that to bed early and then let them start to impress coaches and get ready for the next season.”

Phipps and Foley were originally sold the dream of returning to the Waratahs for one last dance by McKellar, before an end-of-season review by Rugby Australia sealed the coach’s fate.

McKellar joined the club in 2024 on a three-year deal, but was unable to see out the final season of his contract.

Foley believes the Waratahs’ recent lack of success – two finals appearances, in 2022 and 2023, since 2018 – is partly due to the turnover of coaches.

“It hasn’t been from a lack of effort, and you know as an outsider you are never really privy to what happens within the walls of this place,” he said. “But I’ll tell you one thing that hasn’t helped is the changeover of coaches and environments.

“That doesn’t help anyone involved; it doesn’t set you up for success and there’s no longevity in what they’re trying to do. So the amount of change and disruption I’m sure has caused a lot of heartache for a lot of guys and, hopefully, they can set this place up for a long time with sustained success.”

Neither Phipps nor Foley would be drawn on naming their preferred candidate, but Foley did describe the character both veterans want from the Waratahs’ next coach.

“A guy who’s going to drive a good standard, but also empower the players to really be themselves to bring their flair each and every day, on and off the field,” Foley said.

“We want this to be a place where everyone wants to come to work, everyone wants to turn up and work hard for each other, and be able to express themselves and feel included and enjoy the environment, so yeah it’s just finding a coach that can deliver all those things.”

Foley is also excited to get to work with the NSW backline and is keeping a close eye on Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, who will start for the Wallabies this Saturday in Japan. The five-eighth believes outside centre is Suaalii’s best position, and it is his job to get him the ball as much as possible.

“I’d just love to free him up,” Foley said. “He could be interchangeable … I’d probably persist with him at 13.

“But it’s going to be the nature of the backline and the other players who are available already. But I also don’t think that if you’ve got [jersey] 13 you always have to be in that position. You can start to evolve his game and evolve the backline in that regard.”

Foley last played for the Wallabies in November 2022 against Ireland and is keen to compete for a spot at the 2027 World Cup in Australia once he has established himself at the Waratahs.

“I’d be lying if I said it’s not on the radar … a couple of months ago I was retiring [from rugby] and looking at that, so there’s a lot of work to be done, get through a pre-season, get through a Super season and then try and think whether you can do a home World Cup,” Foley said.

“There’s not that many players in front of you [at the Wallabies] if you can go and have a good season. I haven’t spoken to anyone involved at the Wallabies, and I’m not really looking at it at the moment, but if I can get the body right and get myself into a good position and have a good Super season, then I might consider it.”

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