As Dan McKellar played down any prospect of taking over from Joe Schmidt by reiterating his commitment to the Waratahs, the new NSW coach did his best to shut down any talk of his new Super Rugby side being February champions.
The Waratahs rocketing into favouritism at the start of every Super Rugby season has become as common as the sun rising, but McKellar, having dismantled them regularly during his time at the Brumbies and watched them finish last in 2024, was intent on getting the message across that there will be no such grand statements under his watch.
Even before being asked about his objective for 2025, McKellar had got on the front-foot by asking for time.
“I just think their buy-in has been excellent,” McKellar told a well-attended media contingent, eager to hear his thoughts on Schmidt’s future and Australian rugby’s new shiny toy, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii.
“They’re as determined as anyone to turn things around. It’s going to take some time. We need to be patient and understand that there’s a lot of talent out there. [But] this group’s never played a game of rugby together and we’ve never coached them in a game of rugby yet, the majority of them. So we need to be patient, but I think the most impressive thing has been their attitude and their character. They’re a good bunch of young blokes.”
Dan McKellar is making no great sweeping statements ahead of his first season in charge of the Waratahs. Photo: Hugo Carr/NSW Waratahs
Yet, given the star-studded side that has assembled at Daceyville, with Suaalii joined by new Test recruits Andrew Kellaway, Taniela Tupou, Isaac Kailea, Darby Lancaster and a string of other seasoned players, already there is an element of expectation despite the side’s bottom-place finish in 2024.
As such, it’s no surprise McKellar was asked whether a first championship since their maiden title in 2014 was out of the question.
“My objective is that we turn up tomorrow to be better than we were today and the following day we do exactly the same,” he said.
“I know that’s not going to excite you blokes, but that’s all I want. I just want us to turn up and get better every day. If we do that as staff, as players, then we’ll put ourselves in a position to get some positive outcomes.”
McKellar isn’t the first Super Rugby coach to say such things, but after guiding the Brumbies to back-to-back semi-final appearances, he more than most understands that Rome wasn’t built in a day.
“We just need to be realistic,” said McKellar, who was Dave Rennie’s assistant with the Wallabies for two years before taking the reins for one ill-fated season at Leicester Tigers in 2023.
“I mean, it’s all ahead of us. We’re certainly not preparing here to make excuses over the first few weeks of the competition, but we’re not going to be perfect. No team’s going to be perfect in round one.
“I’d like to think that we’ll be fit and we’ll be well prepared, and we’ll play with a whole lot of fight and play to the strengths of the squad that we’ve got in front of us.
“There’s always going to be people who get it and there’s going to be people that don’t, you know what I mean, and expect you to win by 40 on February 14th against the Highlanders. I’m sure Jamie Joseph and the crew over there will have something to say about that.
“We’ve just got to be patient and understand that we’ll get some things right and we’ll make some mistakes along the way. But, ideally, we’re winning some games along the way as well, so that’s the plan.”
Dan McKellar says he wants people to give his new-look Waratahs side some patience. (Photo by Luis Veniegra via Getty Images)
Nevertheless, McKellar knows the calibre of players he’ll be working with.
Indeed, it flowed off his tongue when he mentioned that he was “genuinely interested” in the Waratahs’ head coaching role because of the “talent that’s available here”, the reasonably new “facility” at Daceyville, “beautiful stadium” and a strong rugby community “that’s crying out to get behind a team” that is seen through the strong Shute Shield crowds at club rugby.
The players, several of whom have been coached by McKellar previously at the Wallabies, have also bought into their new boss’s militant style after coasting through at the Waratahs over the past decade since Michael Cheika left the Waratahs in 2015.
“I’m big on standards and discipline and being really clear on what you stand for as a group off the field as well as on the field and being really good professionals,” McKellar said.
“Being really good professionals and what does a good professional look like? That’s your sleep, that’s your diet. It’s the choices you make away from here. We train a lot but we’re only in here very few hours of a week. It’s what you’re doing away from here. They’re the things that I went after.
“You’ve got to have high standards. You can’t just flick a switch on Saturday and all of a sudden become this really disciplined side. That’s probably where I saw some low-hanging fruit.”
That has already been seen on the training paddock, with McKellar heard barking orders on the field in a stark contrast to Darren Coleman’s softly-spoken manner during his three-year reign at the Waratahs.
On Suaalii, McKellar said he wanted to keep his cards close to his chest where the NRL recruit would line up for the Waratahs.
Dan McKellar at training on Thursday alongside Wallabies Jake Gordon (L) and Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii. Photo: Waratahs Media
The experienced Super Rugby coach said he was impressed by the 21-year-old’s dedication to his craft as much as his obvious talent.
“He’s a big physical bloke,” McKellar said. “He’s tall, rangy, good size. He’s got offload, he can kick. He’s powerful in contact, he’s aggressive. The thing that’s impressed me most is his desire to want to work hard on his game and his character. He clearly comes from a really good family. He’s the first on the field, he’s the last off it. I’ve noticed that. Within any drill, he competes. He competes hard.
“He’s obviously been blessed with a whole lot of talent on top of that work ethic. When you’ve got both of them, it’s pretty scary.”
At the same time, McKellar was eager to stress that the addition of Suaalii wouldn’t solve the Waratahs’ recent woes.
“It’s madness to think that an individual – we’re not playing under 8s here – is going to do it all on his own,” McKellar said.
“He needs others. He needs his forward pack to provide a good set piece and a platform for him. If he does that, then he can play off the front foot off whoever’s inside him. He’s going to rely on others.
“It (the gameplan) is not just going to be, ‘get the ball to Joseph and let’s go back to the halfway line’, because that’s not going to work.”
As for his other huge recruit Taniela Tupou, McKellar said he was hopeful he could get the best out of the off-contract Wallabies tight-head prop.
“He’s pretty good and I just want to get the best out of him,” said McKellar, a former prop himself.
“Through my experiences with Nella, when he’s really happy, he’s in a really good space mentally, physically, if we get him where he needs to be, then he’s a point of difference player, isn’t he? He’s a tight-head prop, so that’s the job ahead of us and Nella over the next few weeks, and ideally he hits round one in a really good headspace and in really good shape.
“I know he’s excited to be back. He’s a big, happy, lovable character and he’s certainly been that over the last couple of days. So, when you’re seeing that side of him, you know good things are ahead.”
Meanwhile, McKellar distanced himself from any possibility of taking over from Schmidt should the New Zealander decide against continuing as Wallabies coach following the Lions series.
Asked whether RA, who owns the Waratahs’ licence, had contacted McKellar about his appetite, the 48-year-old said he was keen to get NSW back in the winner’s circle.
“No, I’m just head down, bum up, just getting stuck into this,” the former Wallabies assistant said.
“I’m genuinely keen and excited. I think if we can get things right here, that’s going to help Rugby Australia. I’ve come back to help [and] I think I can do that.”
Pressed on what he would do if Schmidt steps away from the Wallabies’ coaching role, McKellar said he wasn’t thinking of anything other than overseeing the Waratahs’ revival.
“Mate, I’m contracted here for the next three years, so that’s all I’m worrying about,” he said. “We’ll give Joe the space that he needs to make his decision and crack on.”
