Hugely promising Canberra Vikings flyhalf Noah Lolesio is the Round 3 nomination for the 2019 National Rugby Championship Rising Star award.
Launched in 2018, and won in a landslide by Fijian Drua star Alivereti Veitokani, the award recognises emerging players with fewer than three games of Super Rugby or fewer than three Tests for the Flying Fijians.
It’s incredible to think what Noah Lolesio has already achieved in a very short professional rugby career.
An ACT Rugby Premiership and two Grand Finals, a starring role that very nearly delivered an Under-20s World Championship for the Junior Wallabies, his second season at NRC level, and a widely held view that he’s the next long-term Brumbies flyhalf. And he’s still a few months shy of his 20th birthday.
“I think he’s growing in confidence,” veteran Canberra commentator Tim Gavel said, after calling the Vikings’ narrow win over Brisbane City for RUGBY.com.au on Saturday.
“What we saw on the weekend was his ability to take on the line, we saw that a little more in this game than we’ve seen in the previous two games.
"But also, his ability to shift the ball wide, they scored tries out wide, and I think that is testament to the fact the ball was shifted wide pretty quickly. I thought he controlled the game pretty well.”
Lolesio got a taste of NRC rugby this time last year, but in 2019 has been thrust into the Vikings’ driver seat, wearing the no.10 jersey and handed the playmaking keys, signalling his evolution from incredible raw talent to proper, professional footballer with expectations and pressure.
On the experience of three rounds, it seems to be going well for the Canberra flyhalf.
He was front and centre as the Vikings built up a big first half lead, and maintained a cool head steering the team around while Brisbane City launched their inevitable second half comeback.
“He was up against a pretty good Brisbane City backline,” Gavel said, “and when you’ve got the likes of (forwards) Fraser McReight and Adam Korczyk coming at you from the scrum and the breakdown, you’ve got to have the confidence to take on the line because you know there is going to be a fair defensive wall in front of you.
“I think every game that we’re going to see from now on, he’ll lift again and we saw that on the weekend with his desire to test the defence. I think it was really good.”
Lolesio has been blessed to be playing alongside scrumhalf Ryan Lonergan, who he played a lot of rugby with in 2019 for ACT club side Tuggeranong, all the way to a grand final loss in the closing minutes. Wallabies and Brumbies no.9 Joe Powell is another product from the Tuggeranong nursery, and Gavel says it’s no coincidence that Lolesio is looking more comfortable with familiar players around him.
“Interestingly enough, on the weekend, Nick Scrivener elected not to bring Joe Powell on late in the game, keeping kept Ryan Lonergan and Lolesio together as the halves pairing for the entirety, and I think that really defines that partnership.”
And this is something Brumbies fans should probably start watching closely, even getting used to.
They could be wearing the red, black and white hoops of the Canberra Vikings – or indeed, the old Canberra Kookaburras strip on the weekend – but we could be witnessing the creation of the Brumbies halves for 2020 right before our eyes.
“Lolesio has a very good opportunity to cement that no.10 position with the Brumbies, given that Christian Lealiifano won’t be there, no Wharenui Hawera as well,” says Gavel, a commentator who has seen Brumbies 9-10 combinations all the way back to George Gregan and David Knox in 1996.
“The door is open for the likes of Lolesio, and Mack Hansen – even though Hansen has played on the wing in this year’s NRC, and will probably keep shifting between wing and fullback during this campaign, but also can play flyhalf.
“It would appear Lolesio is being given the first opportunity to prove himself, playing alongside Lonergan and Irae Simone, who of course plays inside centre for the Brumbies, and then the likes of Tom Wright at outside.
“Players that he is likely going to be playing around with the Brumbies, he’s been given an ideal opportunity to prove that he’s capable of controlling games, and I think he’s been doing it pretty well. “There’s much to be played out, but what we are seeing obviously is the developing of partnerships in the lead-up to Super Rugby next year.”
NRC RISING STAR NOMINEES
Round 1: Will Harrison (Sydney flyhalf)
Round 2: Connor Vest (NSW Country lock)
Round 3: Noah Lolesio (Canberra flyhalf)
