OPINION: The appointment of Les Kiss as coach was seen as the worst-kept secret in Australian Rugby. But what it did was hide the true secret.
The Queensland Reds coach will replace Joe Schmidt, but at a much later date than expected, as Schmidt extends his extension into 2026.
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The deal will see Kiss see out his contract with the Reds before joining the national side right before the World Cup campaign.
Switching coaches so close to the World Cup often presents challenges, but this is the best possible way to do so.
The prolonged announcement allows Kiss to integrate into the system for the next 12 months whilst keeping charge of a Reds side full of Wallabies talent.
Australian Rugby has struggled with stability for so long, so a measured approach like this is the perfect option.
For starters, Schmidt stays around way longer than expected.
By the end of this deal, former Ireland boss will have coached 31 matches instead of the initially expected 17 from his original deal.
He’s shown that he is one of the best coaches in the world with how he has lifted the standard of play across the board.
What’s been clear is that Schmidt has created a real bond with this Wallabies group.
The coach was always likely to stick around after the Lions tour, at a minimum as an advisor.
But this announcement shows once someone has a coaching bug, it’s tough to shake.
Schmidt and Kiss had a long-standing, successful relationship that included multiple Six Nations titles, so the reunion of the powerful duo is only positive.
For the Reds, they get the opportunity to create a succession plan and properly hunt for a Super Rugby title.
Kiss has said in the past discussions around the Wallabies job had not played on his mind but it’s hard not to, especially as negotiations continued around whether he’d stay on.
This provides clarity to players and staff of a set timeline for the Reds coach and allows Queensland to look at what’s next for 2027.
There will be a plethora of options within the Reds system thanks to the talent assistant group already at Ballymore.
On top of this, 12 months is a very long time for a coach so there will be several further options that emerge on the radar.
For players, they finally get security around what the Wallabies coaching situation looks like for the foreseeable future.
Noah Lolesio was among several to concede that the insecurity had played a part in his decision, but the clear pathway shows the plan for the future.
Meanwhile, Dan McKellar and Stephen Larkham can finally stop answering questions about what their future looks like and keep their focus on turning around the Waratahs and Brumbies.
It’s a win all around - but it does possess risk if the Reds struggle and/or Kiss can’t continue the success Schmidt could bring over the next 12 months.
The Reds and Kiss need success over the next two seasons to ensure he enters the job with his stock as high as possible.
Meanwhile, if Schmidt delivers well above expectations, an awkward situation could emerge as fans and pundits call for one more year of Schmidt.
Ultimately, it follows the trend of decisions around the game in the past couple of years - long thought out, stability-oriented, and geared for the best possible outcome for the game for years to come.
