Beale 'laser focused' in Wallabies comeback bid

Kurtley Beale’s fast tracked return to Super Rugby Pacific could well be the catalyst for a Wallabies comeback.

Beale’s criminal trial largely kept his aspirations at bay throughout 2023 and into the new year but having been acquitted and welcomed back to rugby he’s been elevated back into the frame.

A return to Shute Shield with Randwick signalled the first step towards a professional comeback and after just one round, Beale has been given a lifeline by the Western Force who have called on the 35-year-old in Harry Potter’s absence.

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Potter suffered a season ending injury requiring syndesmosis surgery.

Speaking on Stan Sport’s Between Two Posts, former Wallabies Morgan Turinui and Stephen Hoiles spoke positively about Beale’s attitude.

“In some of the chats I’ve had with him, he’s laser focused on wearing a gold jersey again,” Turinui said.

Kurtley Beale signs with the Western Force. His club coach, Stephen Hoiles, weighs in on the decision 👀

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“This is the first step.”

Hoiles, who coached Beale briefly at Randwick, has seen first hand how the Wallabies player of 95 caps has performed in his short spell.

“I’m really happy for him,” Hoiles said.

“He needs that. I would have been happy for him to stay, but at the same time, he’s got aspirations to play at the highest level.

“What he’s done in a really short space of time, he’s played three games, two of them trials at club footy. If you asked every player in our side how was he on and off the field, you’d get seven or eight out of 10 from everyone.

“The guys you’d get 10 out of 10 would be the centres, the 10s, the 15s. He makes people around him better and that’s what I don’t think we have enough (of) — players in Australian rugby that help other people improve.

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“I’m hoping that we see a spike in performance from Donno (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. That’s what he should be hoping going over there.

“He’s still got it, by far. He’s sharp.”

Speaking on Rugby Heaven, another former Wallabies player, Justin Harrison, said Beale’s return to Super Rugby Pacific goes beyond his own individual pursuits.

Kurtley Beale of Randwick sings the national anthem at Crosby Park.

With the Western Force languishing in last and searching for their second win of the season, Beale’s inclusion could rejuvenate the side.

“Kurtley Beale now is not just Kurtley Beale’s horoscope,” Harrison said.

“What he is is a senior player that needs to look across the landscape of where he is and develop IP in the mentorship and be comfortable lending his capacity to prepare professionally to other players who may or may not take his position away from him and be comfortable with that.

Round 7 of #SuperRugbyPacific delivered some EPIC tries! Sit back and enjoy our favourites 🤩

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“But also understand that he wants to show Joe Schmidt and the Australian public that he can play at Super Rugby level and be an international standard player, absolutely, but also fit into a team fabric. That’s really important.

“You look at the Western Force too on their journey to find identity, look at the effect Jeremy Thrush, Richard Kahui had on that backline.

“That’s the sort of thing from an Australian playing perspective and pathway of talent, and talent retention, absolutely we want to see players like Kurtley Beale with that muscle memory of Wallaby and performance ratio developing back down to the youth but also we want him to perform as the athlete we know he is.”