‘He makes people around him better’ – ex-Wallabies back Kurtley Beale to help struggling Force

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Former Wallabies duo Stephen Hoiles and Morgan Turinui believe Kurtley Beale will make a big impact at the Western Force after he joined the side until the end of this season.

The Perth-based outfit announced recently that they had acquired Beale’s services on a short-term deal until the conclusion of their Super Rugby Pacific campaign.

This, after the utility back was recently found not guilty of raping a woman in the toilets of a Sydney bar in December 2022.

Spent 14 months on the sidelines

Due to his involvement in that court case, Beale only returned to action for the first time in 14 months last month for Sydney club side Randwick, where former Wallabies back-row Hoiles is the head coach.

And while Hoiles was sad to see the 35-year-old go, he feels Beale will do well at the Force.

“I would have been happy for him to stay, but at the same time, he’s got aspirations to play at the highest level,” he said on Stan Sport’s Between Two Posts show. “So I hope he goes over there, and what he’s done in a really short period of time with us (Randwick), he’s played three games, two of them trials at club footy.

“And if you see, if you asked every player on our side, how was he on and off the field, you’d get seven or eight out of ten from everyone, but the guys that you’d get 10 out of 10 would be the centres, the 10, the 15.

“He makes people around him better, and that’s why I don’t think we have enough players in Australian rugby that help other people improve.

“So I’m hoping that we see a spike in performance from Dono (Ben Donaldson), from Hamish Stewart, from Will Harris, who hasn’t really fired over there this year. That’s what good senior players can do.

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“That’s what he should be sort of going over there hoping to do. He’s still got it, mate, by far. He looks sharp.”

Ex-Wallabies centre Turinui echoed Hoiles’ sentiments and said he expects Beale to shine in his new surroundings and revealed that he still has ambitions of playing for Australia again.

“What I’ve seen from him, a little bit more removed from you, but seen him train, seen him play a couple of times,” he said. “The mindset is, I think, more important. I’ve seen that he’s trained the whole time he was out.

“So he’s in good physical condition. He’s got no niggles or knots because he hasn’t played. He’s an outstanding footballer, but in some of the chats I’ve had with him, he is laser-focused on wearing a gold jersey again, all right? And this is the first step.”

Beale’s addition to the Force squad will be welcomed by their fans as they are currently languishing at the bottom of the Super Rugby Pacific table with just five points amassed from seven matches, of which six ended in defeat.

Decorated career

He has had a decorated career, representing his country at three World Cups and won the esteemed John Eales Medal in 2011 for Australian rugby’s male Player of the Year.

The 95-Test Wallaby can play in several positions and brings vast Super Rugby experience to the Force as the second most capped Waratahs men’s player (148) in franchise history.

Beale was part of the Waratahs team that won the 2014 Super Rugby title and has also played for the Melbourne Rebels (2012-2013) along with stints abroad with Wasps in England (2016-2017) and Racing 92 in France (2020-2022).