Unwanted Wallabies forward makes case for selection
Salakaia-Loto was a stand-out as the First Nations and Pasifika XV almost caused a massive boilover at Marvel Stadium before falling to a 24-19 defeat.
It was the lock/back-rower's third meeting with the Lions and he again proved he has the skills, physicality and aggressive mindset to unsettle the highly fancied tourists.
His First Nations and Pasifika coach Kefu, an integral part of the Wallabies team that downed the Lions in 2001, said Salakaia-Loto had been "outstanding", while Test centurion and former captain Hooper said the 28-year-old should be in the starting side.
But Salakaia-Loto wasn't convinced he would be recalled to the Wallabies squad ahead of their must-win match at the MCG on Saturday night, when they need a victory to keep the series alive after a loss in Brisbane.
Told by Schmidt he needed more minutes after an injury-affected Super season, Salakaia-Loto said he'd done what he could.
"I've had three chances, three cracks at these guys, so I don't have any more chances to sort of try and push my case forward," the Reds veteran said.
"I've got my flight details to go home, back to Brissie to see my two girls and my partner, so that's all I'm worried about."
Salakaia-Loto said his performance had been inspired by the emotion of representing his Samoan culture and family, as well as "a bit of frustration".
He said he also took the attitude that he didn't care about the celebrated status of the Lions players.
"I'll be honest, I just don't care," said the 30-cap forward.
"I got a taste of them up against the Reds and I just knew that what they're about means nothing to me, I just go out there and play.
"You mix that with a bit of frustration, a bit of emotion, and I guess the passion that I've been playing (with), especially for this week."
While the Wallabies team for the second Test will be revealed on Thursday, the Lions appear set to rule out lock Joe McCarthy and winger Mack Hansen, with the star Irish pair both battling foot injuries.
"Joe hasn't trained so far, but with the nature of the week, which is a bit different, we will see how he is for Thursday," said coach Andy Farrell.
"Mack's progressing. Whether he's progressing quick enough, we'll see towards the end of the week."
Owen Farrell captained the Lions for the first time and completed 80 minutes against the First Nations and Pasifika outfit to put his hand up for a midfield bench role.
Farrell described the MCG clash, where more than 90,000 fans are expected, as the "biggest game of our lives" and said his team would need to improve to beat a desperate Wallabies side.
"There will have to be plenty of improvement to get to the point where there's a win on the cards, because we know that Australia are going to be a lot better," Farrell said.
"If you can't get up for what's coming, we're all in the wrong place. To me, this is the biggest game of our lives for every one of us who is part of our squad."
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Sydney Morning Herald
an hour ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
How adversity and pool noodles helped Max Jorgensen become a Wallabies leading man
You can imagine all the sports science and hi-tech equipment used to prepare a finely-tuned athlete. Suitcases full of GPS monitors, lactate tests, altitude tents, virtual reality simulators, a vast array of gym equipment … you name it, a sports team has used it. And, of course, there's the pool noodle. Yes, the same humble pool noodle you probably have wedged into your shed; a long, thin styrofoam toy used by kids when swimming and, every now and then, to help train Test rugby wingers to fly through the air and successfully catch a towering kick. Max Jorgensen's spectacular try last week against the Lions at Suncorp Stadium? Shoutout to the $2 pool noodle. 'Obviously, it's something you have to practice a lot, but I think there's a lot more technique than people think,' Jorgensen says about the art of winning an aerial contest. 'It's not just jumping up for it and catching a ball. It's a lot of reps in training, and pretty much doing it every day. 'And there are techniques we will use to train. Sometimes they get out the pool noodles, and as you go up to catch you get hit in the face, hit on the arms and on the body, to try and distract you and train you to stay focused on the ball. And you get a lot of pad work as well, trying to stay big into the contact, and win that space. 'That aerial contest, obviously it's massive in rugby now. With that new rule, where you're not allowed to obstruct chasers to protect the catcher, ultimately, it's a 50-50. You don't know who's going to come down with the ball.' In the 29th minute at Suncorp Stadium, and with the Lions leading 10-0 and getting on top, Jorgensen stayed big in the contact and scored a memorable try to rally the Australian cause. With the Wallabies, like most other Test teams, employing a contestable kick strategy, Jorgensen chased a Jake Gordon box kick and the youngster leapt into the night sky to compete with Lions fullback Hugo Keenan. The pair both latched onto the ball, but Jorgensen ripped the ball away from Keenan upon landing, and raced 25 metres upfield to score in the corner made famous by Israel Folau in the 2013 Lions series. 'A big one for me is just looking at the ball all the time, and you have just got to be confident into the space and get your timing right,' Jorgensen said. 'And the other guys are coming on to it, so also getting ready for that contact, because you're hitting each other pretty hard in the air. It's just being courageous, I guess, into that contact. 'It was a bit of a weird one [with Keenan]. We both caught it at the same time but then he hit the ground and I ripped it off him, and I think the difference was, if you look at it, me staying on my feet helped massively.' Continuing a trend he began at Twickenham last year, Jorgensen then set sail for the line and scored a nerveless try on a massive global stage, against some of the world's best players. Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt marvelled after the game that it's easy to forget Jorgensen is still only 20 years old, such is his capacity to not only handle the pressure of Test rugby, but thrive in it. 'Sometimes even I forget, it [leaving school] was only three years ago,' Jorgensen said. 'It feels like it's been way longer, to be honest. It feels like it's more been five years. But yeah, sometimes I look back and you go, 'It's a bit crazy where I'm at now'. 'When we ran out and the stadium was all dark and the flashlights were on, and how loud it was, that's really when it hit me. I was like, yeah, this is something special.' There are many remarkable parts to Jorgensen's swift rise, which began in 2022 when he was the subject of a recruitment war between league and union while still at school, and ultimately saw him sign – and later extend – with RA and the Waratahs. Jorgensen was playing for NSW in 2023, and was a bolter in the Rugby World Cup squad at the end of the year. He made his Test debut last year against the Springboks in Perth, and played in all four Tests on the Wallabies' Spring Tour. He was a starter for Schmidt against Fiji earlier this month, and then for the Lions Test series. At each step, Jorgensen has not just looked right at home, he's put his feet on the couch. He has almost effortlessly elevated his game to suit the occasion. But what's perhaps most remarkable – and easily forgotten – is that Jorgensen has done it all while battling consistent bad luck with injury. In three Super Rugby seasons, Jorgensen is yet to finish one. In 2023, he missed the end of the Waratahs season with a knee injury, returned and then broke his leg at the World Cup. In 2024, he again didn't finish the Super season after badly tearing his hamstring, and in 2025, Jorgensen was on fire until he suffered a syndesmosis injury that required surgery via a hip-drop tackle in round seven. 'Looking back at it, I definitely struggled a lot to begin with, in those early injuries, especially in my first year and being so young,' Jorgensen said. 'But looking back at it now, as bad as the injuries were and as much as they suck, I think they actually helped me as a player and as a person. 'Earlier in my career, with those first couple of injuries, I had the attitude, 'This is bullshit. Why is it always me? There's 30 other guys on the field at that time. Why couldn't it happen to anyone else? It's always happening to me'. And I was sort of looking at it like that. 'But as time went on and with the help of guys at the Tahs, I started looking at it as like, 'OK, it is what it is. It's part of the game. It's what I do for a living.' You have to just focus on the next steps, recover and get back. You can't change it, so it doesn't help anyone to mope around. You or your teammates. 'Going through all that has really helped me mature, and I think mature quicker. It has helped me learn to overcome adversity whenever I face it, however small or however big.' Another reminder: Jorgensen's try against England last year was in his fourth game back from injury, and his strong showing against Fiji earlier this month his first game in 100 days. Which begs the question – how? How does Jorgensen appear to return to footy, and Test footy no less, without looking like he's missed a day? 'Obviously you get set back physically, but you don't lose any game knowledge or anything like that. That's how I look at it. You can tell some people are injured, but that's probably just because their body's still not right,' Jorgensen said. 'So the main thing is first getting your body right and getting your injury right, so you're feeling back to normal. And then when I get back out there, I'll look back and I go, 'I've done this before. I'll just go out there and do it again. It's not like anything's changed.' That's sort of the way I look at it.' After an early stint in the 'next big thing' spotlight in his first year, Jorgensen is now happily off to the side in a darker part of the stage, with his NSW teammate Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii out front and centre. He'd be happy if the Lions overlook him on Saturday night at the MCG. It wouldn't be the first time. By virtue of him being born in England in 2004 while father Peter was playing for Rotherham, Jorgensen has a British passport. He keeps it quiet. Loading Had they done their homework, however, a rich English club might have also been in the fight for the teenage Jorgensen back in 2022, and, theoretically at least, there might have been one more Aussie-raised Lion in the red jersey. 'Ha, no, that was never on the table for me,' Jorgensen laughs. 'I don't think many people know I was born there and have a passport. Anytime I tell someone they're always surprised.
The Age
an hour ago
- The Age
How adversity and pool noodles helped Max Jorgensen become a Wallabies leading man
You can imagine all the sports science and hi-tech equipment used to prepare a finely-tuned athlete. Suitcases full of GPS monitors, lactate tests, altitude tents, virtual reality simulators, a vast array of gym equipment … you name it, a sports team has used it. And, of course, there's the pool noodle. Yes, the same humble pool noodle you probably have wedged into your shed; a long, thin styrofoam toy used by kids when swimming and, every now and then, to help train Test rugby wingers to fly through the air and successfully catch a towering kick. Max Jorgensen's spectacular try last week against the Lions at Suncorp Stadium? Shoutout to the $2 pool noodle. 'Obviously, it's something you have to practice a lot, but I think there's a lot more technique than people think,' Jorgensen says about the art of winning an aerial contest. 'It's not just jumping up for it and catching a ball. It's a lot of reps in training, and pretty much doing it every day. 'And there are techniques we will use to train. Sometimes they get out the pool noodles, and as you go up to catch you get hit in the face, hit on the arms and on the body, to try and distract you and train you to stay focused on the ball. And you get a lot of pad work as well, trying to stay big into the contact, and win that space. 'That aerial contest, obviously it's massive in rugby now. With that new rule, where you're not allowed to obstruct chasers to protect the catcher, ultimately, it's a 50-50. You don't know who's going to come down with the ball.' In the 29th minute at Suncorp Stadium, and with the Lions leading 10-0 and getting on top, Jorgensen stayed big in the contact and scored a memorable try to rally the Australian cause. With the Wallabies, like most other Test teams, employing a contestable kick strategy, Jorgensen chased a Jake Gordon box kick and the youngster leapt into the night sky to compete with Lions fullback Hugo Keenan. The pair both latched onto the ball, but Jorgensen ripped the ball away from Keenan upon landing, and raced 25 metres upfield to score in the corner made famous by Israel Folau in the 2013 Lions series. 'A big one for me is just looking at the ball all the time, and you have just got to be confident into the space and get your timing right,' Jorgensen said. 'And the other guys are coming on to it, so also getting ready for that contact, because you're hitting each other pretty hard in the air. It's just being courageous, I guess, into that contact. 'It was a bit of a weird one [with Keenan]. We both caught it at the same time but then he hit the ground and I ripped it off him, and I think the difference was, if you look at it, me staying on my feet helped massively.' Continuing a trend he began at Twickenham last year, Jorgensen then set sail for the line and scored a nerveless try on a massive global stage, against some of the world's best players. Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt marvelled after the game that it's easy to forget Jorgensen is still only 20 years old, such is his capacity to not only handle the pressure of Test rugby, but thrive in it. 'Sometimes even I forget, it [leaving school] was only three years ago,' Jorgensen said. 'It feels like it's been way longer, to be honest. It feels like it's more been five years. But yeah, sometimes I look back and you go, 'It's a bit crazy where I'm at now'. 'When we ran out and the stadium was all dark and the flashlights were on, and how loud it was, that's really when it hit me. I was like, yeah, this is something special.' There are many remarkable parts to Jorgensen's swift rise, which began in 2022 when he was the subject of a recruitment war between league and union while still at school, and ultimately saw him sign – and later extend – with RA and the Waratahs. Jorgensen was playing for NSW in 2023, and was a bolter in the Rugby World Cup squad at the end of the year. He made his Test debut last year against the Springboks in Perth, and played in all four Tests on the Wallabies' Spring Tour. He was a starter for Schmidt against Fiji earlier this month, and then for the Lions Test series. At each step, Jorgensen has not just looked right at home, he's put his feet on the couch. He has almost effortlessly elevated his game to suit the occasion. But what's perhaps most remarkable – and easily forgotten – is that Jorgensen has done it all while battling consistent bad luck with injury. In three Super Rugby seasons, Jorgensen is yet to finish one. In 2023, he missed the end of the Waratahs season with a knee injury, returned and then broke his leg at the World Cup. In 2024, he again didn't finish the Super season after badly tearing his hamstring, and in 2025, Jorgensen was on fire until he suffered a syndesmosis injury that required surgery via a hip-drop tackle in round seven. 'Looking back at it, I definitely struggled a lot to begin with, in those early injuries, especially in my first year and being so young,' Jorgensen said. 'But looking back at it now, as bad as the injuries were and as much as they suck, I think they actually helped me as a player and as a person. 'Earlier in my career, with those first couple of injuries, I had the attitude, 'This is bullshit. Why is it always me? There's 30 other guys on the field at that time. Why couldn't it happen to anyone else? It's always happening to me'. And I was sort of looking at it like that. 'But as time went on and with the help of guys at the Tahs, I started looking at it as like, 'OK, it is what it is. It's part of the game. It's what I do for a living.' You have to just focus on the next steps, recover and get back. You can't change it, so it doesn't help anyone to mope around. You or your teammates. 'Going through all that has really helped me mature, and I think mature quicker. It has helped me learn to overcome adversity whenever I face it, however small or however big.' Another reminder: Jorgensen's try against England last year was in his fourth game back from injury, and his strong showing against Fiji earlier this month his first game in 100 days. Which begs the question – how? How does Jorgensen appear to return to footy, and Test footy no less, without looking like he's missed a day? 'Obviously you get set back physically, but you don't lose any game knowledge or anything like that. That's how I look at it. You can tell some people are injured, but that's probably just because their body's still not right,' Jorgensen said. 'So the main thing is first getting your body right and getting your injury right, so you're feeling back to normal. And then when I get back out there, I'll look back and I go, 'I've done this before. I'll just go out there and do it again. It's not like anything's changed.' That's sort of the way I look at it.' After an early stint in the 'next big thing' spotlight in his first year, Jorgensen is now happily off to the side in a darker part of the stage, with his NSW teammate Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii out front and centre. He'd be happy if the Lions overlook him on Saturday night at the MCG. It wouldn't be the first time. By virtue of him being born in England in 2004 while father Peter was playing for Rotherham, Jorgensen has a British passport. He keeps it quiet. Loading Had they done their homework, however, a rich English club might have also been in the fight for the teenage Jorgensen back in 2022, and, theoretically at least, there might have been one more Aussie-raised Lion in the red jersey. 'Ha, no, that was never on the table for me,' Jorgensen laughs. 'I don't think many people know I was born there and have a passport. Anytime I tell someone they're always surprised.
7NEWS
2 hours ago
- 7NEWS
Brisbane Lions veteran Dayne Zorko fined for ‘insulting and profane language' against Western Bulldogs
Brisbane Lions veteran Dayne Zorko has copped a $3000 fine for his foul-mouth tirade towards the officials bench last week. The AFL deemed Zorko used 'insulting and profane language' as he exited the field of play during the last quarter of his team's 10-point win over the Western Bulldogs at the Gabba. 'The AFL reminds all players that the AFL has no tolerance for abusive or insulting conduct towards AFL umpires and other match officials,' the AFL said in a statement. Zorko played a key role in Brisbane's premiership-winning campaign last year, and he is averaging a career-high 26.7 disposals per game this season. The Lions sit second on the ladder with a 13-4-1 record, and they'll be aiming to bank their fifth win on the trot when they take on Gold Coast in Saturday's QClash at People First Stadium. Meanwhile, Hawthorn captain James Sicily can escape with a $3750 fine for his off-the-ball hit on Carlton's Blake Acres in Thursday's 24-point win over the Blues. The rough conduct charge was graded as intentional conduct, low impact and body contact. The Lions play local rivals Gold Coast in a crucial finals-shaping clash on Saturday afternoon.
