'We can scare them': Kiss confident he can stay Reds coach for another week

Queensland Reds coach Les Kiss is focused on extending his coaching tenure by at least one more week, as his team faces a crucial qualifying final against the Chiefs in Hamilton.

Kiss, who will take over as the Wallabies coach later this year, is set to conclude his three-year stint with the Reds at the end of the Super Rugby Pacific finals series. While this weekend's match could be his last with the Queensland club, Kiss insists his attention is solely on the present task.

“

This team, they just keep you focused on the now. It's a day-by-day job this week. Get this job done today, and tomorrow we'll travel and we'll just focus on that. We do those things right, we'll get to the end of the 80 minutes in the best way possible. We've just got to go there with the confidence and belief that we have put our best foot forward. I think we can scare them, that's for sure.

"This team, they just keep you focused on the now," Kiss said. "It's a day-by-day job this week. Get this job done today, and tomorrow we'll travel and we'll just focus on that. We do those things right, we'll get to the end of the 80 minutes in the best way possible. We've just got to go there with the confidence and belief that we have put our best foot forward. I think we can scare them, that's for sure."

The Reds have a history of early exits from the finals, having been eliminated in the first week in each of the previous four seasons, including two during Kiss's tenure. Although they lost to the Chiefs earlier this season, Kiss is proud of the broader successes achieved during his time with the club, including significant squad deepening, strong culture, and the development of young players.

“

The W is the big thing in sport. That's the true measure of success in a lot of ways. But there are other things that come with success. We've deepened the squad big time this year. There is a great culture here, there's people developing at a rate of knots. We've exposed some beautiful young players over the last couple of years. There's some really good things happening here, so we'll always recognise those things.

"The W is the big thing in sport. That's the true measure of success in a lot of ways," Kiss acknowledged. "But there are other things that come with success. We've deepened the squad big time this year. There is a great culture here, there's people developing at a rate of knots. We've exposed some beautiful young players over the last couple of years. There's some really good things happening here, so we'll always recognise those things."

Finishing fifth on the ladder and as the highest-placed Australian team, the Reds enter the match as underdogs against the second-placed Chiefs. Despite the daunting prospect, Kiss expressed confidence in his squad's readiness. "There is an excitement in the group. The feeling is that we've been slowly building. We've been working hard every week to try and improve. They are going to be tough. Chiefs at home, the weather conditions look dire, so we're going to have to be good. But there is a lot of confidence in the group, that is for sure."

“

There is an excitement in the group. The feeling is that we've been slowly building. We've been working hard every week to try and improve. They are going to be tough. Chiefs at home, the weather conditions look dire, so we're going to have to be good. But there is a lot of confidence in the group, that is for sure.