Reds fullback Heremaia Murray’s kick and chase for himself burst the New South Wales bubble. But from there, it was a return to basics - precision at the set piece, grit at the breakdown, and resilience and structure in their goal line defence. Signs of enterprise remained, some slick hands down the blindside unleashing Fraser McReight, and that balance of patience upfront and running rugby is part of the Kiss appeal. He backs his players to trust their instincts, and it is telling the likes of McReight, Wilson, Lukhan Salakaia-Loto and Matt Faessler shunned overseas opportunities to remain at Ballymore. A heavy defeat to the Crusaders last week was a blemish, however Kiss led the Reds to three wins against New Zealand outfits for the first time in more than a decade in 2024. “They pushed us off kilter a little bit, but I was really proud of the way we worked our way back into our rhythm, mixed our game up a little bit and then once we spent some time in their 22 we got the rewards.”Les Kiss