ACT Brumbies flyhalf Noah Lolesio determined to taste Super Rugby, World Cup success

It was January 16, the start of a career-defining year for the talented flyhalf.

Larkham, the new ACT Brumbies coach and one of Australia's greatest playmakers, knows he only has a short time to win over the youngster as he weighs up overseas offers and tries to resurrect a World Cup dream.

Lolesio's rise has been rapid. He made his Wallabies debut when he was just 20 years old and had the world at his feet before his progression plateaued and he dropped off the radar.

So Larkham wanted a meeting with Lolesio on the first day of training, and it's left a lasting impression.

"On my first day back, he brought me into his office," Lolesio said. "He said, 'all right Noah, these are your strengths, we need you to keep working on those and get our attack to go with your strengths.'

"Then he gave me some works ons and said 'this is how you're going to work on them'.

"Bernie has been the best flyhalf in the Wallabies jersey, hearing that coming from him speaks a lot for him as a person.

"He doesn't have to do that, I'm just a 23-year-old kid from the Goldie, but he's been really good. Hopefully throughout the season I can get better and better."

The lure of working with Larkham played a key role in the youngster's decision to remain in Canberra, however there are fears he could be lost to Australian rugby at the end of the year.

And it says a lot about Lolesio that he still smiles when he reflects on a brutal 2022 campaign.

He struggled to get consistent Test-match game time as former Wallabies coach Dave Rennie turned to Quade Cooper, James O'Connor, Bernard Foley, Reece Hodge and even Ben Donaldson.

It was a surprise given the 23-year-old led the Brumbies to the semi-finals and he admits the lack of action was frustrating, but he says it helped him grow as a person and player.

"I've learned a lot from last year," he said. "Personally I think it wasn't my best Brumbies season. People may think otherwise, but I feel I need to be better and I will be this year.

"The Wallabies season was up and down, like the last couple of years. It's definitely teaching me a lot of lessons, not just as a player but as a person. It's making me more resilient.

"It's not ideal to be picked, then not be picked, but at the end of the day it's a couple of people's opinions. I've just got to keep my head down, keep working hard."

Having put a challenging 2022 behind him, Lolesio has made a number of changes to his life.

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A holiday in Bali and a few weeks at home on the Gold Coast provided a chance to refresh and recharge for what will hopefully be a busy year.

Lolesio's partner has moved to Canberra and he has reinforced his Christian faith.

The son of pastors, the 23-year-old is confident off-field peace will translate to results on the field.

"You've got to change things up otherwise you're going to stay stationary throughout your whole career," Lolesio said. "I've changed my mentality, my lifestyle now is awesome.

"I've been getting in touch with myself and my faith a bit more. I'm spending a lot more time alone in the morning on the way to work to give thanks and to worship. I feel like that's put my head at a steady place."

As Rennie continued to overlook Lolesio last season, the suggestion he wasn't working hard enough or taking feedback on board filtered out of the Wallabies camp.

It's a proposition the flyhalf disputes, however he recognises he must be more consistent with his off-field preparation.

The return of Eddie Jones as Wallabies head coach has handed Lolesio a clean slate for 2023. Jones won't hand out Wallabies jerseys for fun on a "smash and grab" World Cup mission.

He wants the best players in the best form and he'll pick his team accordingly.

So the challenge is simple, even if the battle for the gold No. 10 jersey is as hot as ever. Lolesio needs a dominant Super Rugby campaign to prove he should be the man picked ahead of Foley, Cooper, Donaldson and Tane Edmed.

Larkham has been impressed with Lolesio's dedication throughout the preseason and he's confident it won't be long before the youngster's back in the Wallabies set up.

"Noah's a young talented five-eighth coming through who we want to spend time developing," Larkham said. "As an organisation we feel a responsibility to make sure we're giving Noah the best opportunity to develop."

Lolesio's upcoming season shapes as career defining in more ways than one.

The flyhalf recognises his future is up in the air, however he still has unfinished business at home.

If all goes to plan, the Larkham-Lolesio combination will deliver the Brumbies a Super Rugby title and set the platform for a successful Wallabies campaign.

Playing in and winning a World Cup sits on top of the flyhalf's bucket list, with the Bledisloe Cup not far behind.

The 2025 British and Irish Lions tour looms as a carrot for Lolesio when considering his future. For now, however, the emerging talent is simply focused on leading the Brumbies to a Super Rugby title and playing his way into Jones' World Cup squad.

"It would be a dream come true to play at the World Cup," he said. "That's the next thing on my rugby bucket list to tick off, playing in a World Cup and then to win one. It would be a young boy's dream come true."

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