He’s back.

Twelve years after he guided the Waratahs to their one and only Super Rugby title, Michael Cheika has been officially appointed as the franchise’s new head coach.

The Waratahs made the official announcement on Wednesday, confirming this masthead’s report earlier in the week. Waratahs head of high-performance BJ Mather informed players at a meeting this morning.

Cheika is set to rejoin the franchise on a two-year deal, which will see the 59-year-old return to the Tahs in 2027 and have the option to continue in 2028, or pass the baton to a senior assistant coach, who is yet to be appointed.

Cheika coached the Waratahs between 2013 and 2015, winning the competition in the second season and making the semi-finals in the third. The Tahs and Rugby Australia hope Cheika can turn the club around, and re-ignite passion for the team among lapsed fans.

The recruitment comes after coach Dan McKellar exited the troubled franchise in June, following two underwhelming seasons.

The Tahs haven’t made the Super Rugby finals in three seasons, and the club has only played in the semi-finals once in the 11 seasons since Cheika departed at the end of the 2015 season, to focus on being the full-time Wallabies coach.

Cheika will not start with the Waratahs until November, after finishing up the NRL season with the Roosters - where he is an assistant coach - and then leading Lebanon in the Rugby League World Cup.

While still employed by the Roosters, the highly decorated coach did not want to do interviews about his Waratahs role. In a statement issued by the Waratahs, Cheika said the Tahs job had an emotional pull after his first stint.

“The NSW Waratahs have always occupied a special place for me - it’s my home state and I feel ready to return as their Head Coach ahead of an important year for the Waratahs and also for Australian Rugby in the lead up to the home Rugby World Cup,” Cheika said.

“Being involved in the NSW squad that lifted the Super Rugby trophy in 2014 is something I will never forget, especially the passion and energy of our supporters. This is a new time, a different time and I am looking forward to being able to enjoy those same kinds of feelings and more with players, their families and all the fans in this new adventure.

“I really would like to share all the experiences I have been lucky enough to gain since I was last here and make this a great place to play footy. Before all of that I want to give my all to my rugby league club, the Sydney Roosters, to help achieve our goal for this season, to pay them back for the trust and belief they have always shown in me.“

Cheika is not the only 2014 Waratah returning, with Bernard Foley and Nick Phipps having also signed for a season in 2027. Roosters backrower Angus Crichton is also coming across to the Waratahs.

The former Randwick hardman took over the Wallabies at the end of 2014 when Ewen McKenzie quit, and a year later took the Australian side to the final of the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

The Wallabies couldn’t achieve the same heights in 2019, when a quarter-final exit saw Cheika step away.

He joined Argentina as an assistant in 2021, and then took over as Pumas head coach in 2022. Cheika took Argentina to the semi-finals of the Rugby World Cup in 2023.

In a strange twist, Cheika also took over at Leicester in the 2024-25 season when McKellar departed the club prematurely, after one season.

After finishing third-last in 2023-24, the Tigers played in the final under Cheika in his one season, falling to Bath in the last match.

Cheika returned to Australia and has been working as an assistant at the Roosters since late 2025.

Robinson congratulated Cheika on his appointment in a Roosters release.

“Cheik has brought a huge amount to our group this year. His knowledge and experience are obvious, but it’s his passion for coaching and his ability to connect with people that have really stood out,” Robinson said.

“He’s embraced rugby league and our Club completely, and we’ve all benefited from having him as part of our coaching team.

“This is a great opportunity for Cheik to return to a Club that means a lot to him. He has a strong connection to the Waratahs and a proven history of success there, so we’re really pleased for him and wish him every success when he takes on the role next year.

“For now, we’ve still got plenty we want to achieve together this season, and I know Cheik’s focus will be firmly on continuing the work with our group.”

More to come

Suaalii positional shift flagged in Wallabies squad for Argentina

Coach Les Kiss has flagged a potential move for Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii into the Wallabies’ back three after the NSW superstar was cleared to return from a hamstring injury for the two-Test tour of Argentina.

Kiss released a largely unchanged Wallabies squad on Wednesday for the series with the Pumas, which will see them clash in San Salvador de Jujuy on August 30 and Mendoza on September 6.

The two major additions from the Wallabies squads that downed Japan in Osaka and Townsville were Len Ikitau, who missed both games with an ankle injury, and Suaalii, who was out from the big win at the weekend in Townsville with a hamstring problem.

In an interesting twist, however, one of the men who dropped out the squad to make room for the star duo was fullback Jock Campbell, just a few days after the 31-year-old was named as Queensland’s best player.

Campbell started for the Wallabies in the first Test of the year against Ireland before being contentiously moved to the bench for the Test against France in Brisbane, where he was used as a five-eighth. Campbell has since not featured for the Wallabies.

After coming in for Suaalii in Townsville, Josh Flook also dropped out of the squad, but Kiss has not made room for Ikitau and Suaalii by dropping any other of his centres; namely Hunter Paisami and Isaac Henry.

Both turned in outstanding performances for the Wallabies as a starting midfield in Townsville, with Henry playing strongly at No.13 in his run-on debut.

His form prompted questions post-game about whether Suaalii might be looked at as a winger or fullback. The omission of Campbell suggests Kiss may be considering that for the Argentina trip.

Kiss moved Suaalii to wing in Osaka when Henry entered the game in the second half.

Tom Wright is the starting fullback, but with Campbell gone, the back-up would be between Max Jorgensen, Suaalii and Ben Donaldson.

In other news, Tom Hooper has also been named in the squad, and as forecast, Taniela Tupou will also tour Argentina. The pair play for overseas clubs but are remaining with the Wallabies under World Rugby’s regulation 9. The rule allows the mandatory release of players by clubs for Test rugby.

With one more game of a suspension to serve, Miles Amatosero was also left out.

Kiss said in statement: “As coaches we’ve looked to maintain consistency in selection with the bulk of this squad having laid a solid foundation over the past few weeks, through their hard work and connection on and off the field.

“Touring Argentina presents another tough challenge for us as a new group, and it’s one that we know will require us to go to another level as we continue to look to build and develop our game.”