Max Jorgensen

Why the Wallabies must snub game’s hottest property and NRL target

Iain Payten, Sydney Morning Herald

Robbie Deans was still in a champagne-soaked Crusaders suit when he stood with a handful of Australian journalists near the dressing rooms in Christchurch.

Deans needed to raise his voice above the din. The year was 2008 and the moment was 30 minutes after the Crusaders had beaten the Waratahs in the Super Rugby final.

The future would be announcing his first squad as Wallabies coach a day later, but Deans’ first act in the 30-minute-old job was to explain why he would not be picking some of Australia’s rising teenage stars, who had shone in Super Rugby, for upcoming Tests against Ireland and France.

Instead, Deans had made the call to send David Pocock, Quade Cooper, Kurtley Beale, Rob Horne and Will Genia to play in the World Under 20s Championships in Ireland.
“I’m keen for the colts eligible to go to the world colts tournament. You only get one crack at that,” Deans said.

“Hopefully, they go over there, thrive and win it. It’s a World Cup tournament. They will be leaders within the team, so it is a build-up tour for them.”

They didn’t win, but the logic was vindicated. Pocock and Cooper made Test debuts later that year, Beale and Genia the following year and Horne in 2010 (due to injury), and it’s fair to say all swiftly became Wallabies leaders as they later made World Cup semi-final and final appearances.

How much of that was due to a stint in the Junior Wallabies and a well-measured entry into Test rugby? That’s up for debate, but it’s a debate worth having again now, around Max Jorgensen.

Jorgensen, 19, is in his second year of professional rugby with NSW and his second year under the 1000-watt glare of “next big thing” spotlight. A few months out of school, Jorgensen last year lived up to the hype in his early games for the Waratahs, doing things a fresh-faced kid had no right doing against the big boys.

But a knee injury derailed his Super Rugby season, and after Eddie Jones picked him anyway and took him to France, a broken leg at training was another setback. Throw in a shoulder injury, and Jorgensen spent summer rehabbing, instead of conditioning, and this season the still-teenage talent has had a quieter season.

It’s not a second-season slump, by any stretch, and the moments of raw brilliance are still there. But as the Waratahs’ form has plateaued, so too has the spectacular rise of Jorgensen.

Jorgensen had a hip issue early, and it’s likely his cross-code contract negotiations were a distraction. But even resolution – he chose to re-sign with rugby after the Roosters had another mighty dip – didn’t provide an obvious lift.

So, this week, the Waratahs elected to “rotate” Jorgensen out of the side to meet the Hurricanes on Friday, and back to club rugby. The 19-year-old will play his first game of club rugby for Randwick, in a grand final rematch against Norths.

Jorgensen may or may not agree, but it is a considered move by the Tahs that should be applauded – and built upon.

After securing Jorgensen through to end of 2026, decisions around Jorgensen should be firmly focussed on how to get the absolute best from him in the long term for the Wallabies and NSW.

Two years into his career, the electric youngster has already had three serious injuries, one pre-season and is now grinding for impact.

The starting point would be considering not rushing Jorgensen back to the Waratahs, and instead spending a few weeks in club rugby with premiers Randwick. Shute Shield is a good semi-pro standard and it’s no doddle, but there’s just a bit more time and space on offer at Coogee Oval. Confidence and self-belief can be mined in those seams.

The second decision would be Joe Schmidt’s – and Aussie Joe could do worse than follow in Dingo Deans’ footsteps and deploy Jorgensen to the Junior Wallabies, instead of the senior side.

At the end of June, Schmidt will name his first squad for the July Test series against Wales and Georgia. With Tom Wright and Andrew Kellaway in good form, Jorgensen would be in the mix without being favourite for the No.15 jersey.

Instead of a squad spot, then, the option is there for Jorgensen to join the youth side in the World Rugby U20 Championship in South Africa in July. The teenager missed the annual competition last year due to injury, but coach Nathan Grey would no doubt love to have Jorgensen. The Junior Wallabies begin the inaugural under-20s Rugby Championship on the Gold Coast on Thursday.

In that environment, Jorgensen would have the chance to not only perform, but grow as a leader too. Not to mention the upsides of building combinations with the next generation of Wallabies, and the cohesion that comes with it. Selection for The Rugby Championship could easily follow.

There is no coincidence the successful New Zealand and France under-20s teams of yesteryear are stacked with names who subsequently become All Black teammates. A picture of the 2009 team, with Beauden Barrett, Sam Cane, Brodie Retallick and 13 other future All Blacks went viral recently.

Jorgensen can be as good as those players, in time. How he gets there – or doesn’t get there – needs to be thought about right now.