Roosters' Crichton targets Waratahs move and Suaalii midfield reunion under Cheika

Angus Crichton will return to rugby union for the first time in over a decade when he joins the NSW Waratahs on November 7, with the 2019 NRL premiership winner eyeing a midfield partnership with fellow league convert Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii under the newly appointed Michael Cheika.

Crichton, 30, last played the 15-man game at Scot’s College before signing with South Sydney as an 18-year-old in 2014 — the same year Cheika coached the Waratahs to their one and only Super Rugby title. The pair have since crossed paths at the Sydney Roosters, where Cheika has served as an assistant coach, and Crichton says that relationship will be central to his transition back to union.

“Him being over here will definitely be a benefit for me, him understanding a little bit more about league and me being out of the game so long,” Crichton told AAP. “He’ll be able to help me adjust back and learn a bit quicker than I would have without him.”

Cheika is set to rejoin the Waratahs as head coach for the 2027 Super Rugby Pacific season after two seasons on the Roosters’ coaching staff, adding another chapter to a career that has taken him from Padova and Randwick to Leinster, Leicester, Stade Français, and national roles with the Wallabies and Argentina’s Pumas.

Crichton, a 17-time NSW State of Origin representative who played in the centres before switching codes, could form a potent midfield combination with Suaalii at both Waratahs and potentially Wallabies level. He is measured about the prospect, however. “I look forward to that and it excites me and it’ll be great, but if you look too far ahead you’ll fall over,” he said, stressing his focus remains on completing his Roosters commitments.

The back-rower is currently recovering from foot surgery performed three months ago, a setback that effectively rules him out of the Rugby League World Cup. He could still be considered for Australia A’s two-match tour of the United States next month, or for the Wallabies’ spring tour of Europe in November, though no selection has been confirmed.

Crichton was effusive about Cheika’s qualities as both a coach and a person, highlighting the importance of culture in a successful squad environment. “You see a lot of head coaches get super serious and they sort of lose that fun side of the sport,” he said. “He’s such a good energy and just a good bloke to be around.” On Cheika’s return to rugby, Crichton added: “He’s pretty much the perfect guy for the job. So I had a feeling that they’d probably come looking for him.”