Queensland Reds centre Josh Flook has emerged from the stable of “most underrated players in Super Rugby” because he’s literally always in the game.
Flook, 21, is now on everyone’s radar with his positive six-try blast to open his 2023 campaign in Super Rugby Pacific.
Not since try-scoring marvel Chris Latham scored two tries in three games of the 2001 season has anyone matched Flook’s rash of two-try efforts against the Western Force, Fijian Drua and Melbourne Rebels.
The centre-winger is one of just two Reds to have played all 400 minutes of the season’s opening five games.
Flanker Fraser McReight is the other. The pair are central to how the Reds tick when the team is humming which is the plan at Suncorp Stadium on Friday night.
Playing against the champion Crusaders demands precision in every area of a player’s game whether it is smart reads in defence, decisive tackles, maximising the scoring opportunities that come your way, treasuring the ball and even quickly mopping up errors to limit deadly opposition attacks off turnovers.
It’s Flook’s make-up that he contributes shrewdly in all those areas.
Defending at outside centre is a hot spot in any game because attackers can be coming at you from all angles with extra players in the line.
“The challenge I get in defence every week is probably my favourite part of the game,” Flook said.
“You are always going to have people running at you at outside centre because that’s where your block plays or moves often come.”
The Nudgee College product’s tackling has been made with 85 per cent efficiency this season. He just doesn’t miss many.
His hardest markers might not be his peers but the group of teenagers he coaches every Wednesday night as the Brothers Under-15s.
“Some of the boys are bigger than me. They don’t let me off lightly with lines like, ‘How did it feel to get bumped off?’,” Flook said with a laugh.
“The question I most often get is how big is Taniela (Tupou).
“I really enjoy coaching the boys, working on basics like catch-pass and joining in with a bit of touch footy.”
Flook is eager to play the Crusaders for the first time because a concussion (2021) and shoulder surgery (2022) have ruled him out of the three previous clashes.
“It’s very exciting to have my first experience against the best team in the comp and see how I match up,” Flook said.
“If there is one thing I notice watching the Crusaders it is their instinct to play footy with ad-lib, eyes-up rugby where they just all know their roles.”
Standing up in defence, after leaking six tries against the Melbourne Rebels last weekend, has been emphasised all week with some brutal home truths.
“There’s been accountability this week. Everyone has been happy to put a hand up and ‘own’ doing better in their roles and limiting penalties,” Flook said.
Flook has hit the season so strongly because he got back from his shoulder problem in time to play several post-season games to end 2022.
“Playing for the Queensland Reds Development squad and going on the Reds’ tour of Japan was really important to me,” he said.
“It gave me confidence in my shoulder straight away and made for a smooth transition into this year.
“Everyone enjoyed playing against the Panasonic Wild Knights in Japan but we also got something out of watching the Wild Knights train.
“A lot of the Japanese players spent hours after training doing ‘extras’ around their positional skills and you now have Reds players implementing more work than normal on extras.”
