Joe Schmidt is stepping away from the Wallabies after this year’s Nations Championship, but he’s not leaving quietly. The outgoing head coach dropped his 37-man squad for the tournament on Tuesday, and the biggest surprise isn’t who made it — it’s who didn’t.
Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, the 6-foot-5, 260-pound lock who has been arguably the best Australian forward in Super Rugby this season, was left out entirely. No injury. No suspension. Just a straight-up omission from a squad that needs physicality in the second row.
Salakaia-Loto has been a wrecking ball for the Queensland Reds all year, anchoring a forward pack that pushed the Chiefs hard in the Super Rugby playoffs. He scored tries, he made tackles, he was everywhere. And still, Schmidt and incoming coach Les Kiss decided to go another direction.
“Lukhan’s an incredible athlete. He had some really good moments in Super Rugby,” Schmidt told reporters. “It was probably just stringing consecutive moments together. We’re looking for him to get into the best physical shape to contribute to the team. He’s just not quite where we’d like him at the moment.”
Instead, Schmidt called up 21-year-old Miles Amatosero, who has barely played at the international level. Amatosero returned from France in 2024 and had a solid season with the New South Wales-based outfit. He tips the scales at nearly 280 pounds. That size is clearly what Schmidt thinks the Wallabies need right now.
Two other uncapped players made the cut too: loose forward Lachlan Shaw and fly-half Declan Meredith. That brings the total to three debutants in a squad that also includes 37-year-old James Slipper, who unretired from Test rugby after looseheads Tom Robertson and Blake Schoupp became unavailable. Slipper is one of the greats, but nobody expected him back in gold.
Exeter duo get the call
Then there’s the overseas contingent. Flanker Tom Hooper and center Len Ikitau are both at Exeter Chiefs and will join the squad after their PREM final this weekend. Prop Taniela Tupou is still playing for Racing 92 in France — he’s in the Top 14 semifinals — so he could miss the opening game against Ireland. Angus Bell has already returned from his stint at Ulster.
Behind the scrum, Andrew Kellaway is probably the most notable omission in the backs. Fly-halves Noah Lolesio and James O’Connor also didn’t do enough to get in. Carter Gordon, Ben Donaldson, and the uncapped Meredith are the three 10s for the tournament.
The Wallabies open the Nations Championship against Ireland, then face England and either Fiji or Japan depending on results. It’s Schmidt’s last rodeo, and he’s going with a group built for pace and size up front — even if it meant leaving one of the country’s most consistent locks at home.
Full Wallabies squad for the Nations Championship
Forwards: Allan Alaalatoa, Miles Amatosero, Angus Bell, Charlie Cale, Josh Canham, Nick Champion De Crespigny, Tom Hooper, Fraser McReight, Josh Nasser, Zane Nonggorr, Brandon Paenga-Amosa, Billy Pollard, Aidan Ross, Lachlan Shaw, James Slipper, Carlo Tizzano, Taniela Tupou, Rob Valetini, Jeremy Williams, Harry Wilson
Backs: Jock Campbell, Filipo Daugunu, Ben Donaldson, Josh Flook, Carter Gordon, Len Ikitau, Max Jorgensen, Ryan Lonergan, Tate McDermott, Declan Meredith, Hunter Paisami, Dylan Pietsch, Harry Potter, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, Kalani Thomas, Corey Toole, Tom Wright
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