Photo: Mike Remaili

NRL star Luke Keary is rumoured to be in talks with both the NSW Waratahs and the Queensland Reds and he’ll have no trouble slotting back into the 15-man game, according to his former rugby coach.

Keary starred for ISA powerhouse Oakhill College throughout his high school years and was picked in the Australian Schoolboys rugby side in 2010, before earning 54 NRL caps and a premiership ring in 2014 with the South Sydney Rabbitohs.

“I think he is suited more to rugby than he is to rugby league because he has the ability to be that key link between the backs and the forwards,” Oakhill Rugby Director Anthony Toro told Rugby News.

“He’s a real organiser. He’s got a good kicking game and he is able to handle the physicality for a smaller guy. There were a lot of concerns about his size earlier in his career but I think he has shown he can handle himself.”

After falling out of favour at South Sydney, Keary could be the answer for the Reds at flyhalf, or possibly replace Kurtley Beale at the Waratahs, should Beale take up a lucrative contract overseas.

According to Toro, the 24-year old would be an instant success.

“My first memory of Luke was on his year seven camp and we ran some internal trials for our under 13s and Luke stood out straight away. He was smooth, he was fluent and he had skills that no one else had in that year group,” Toro said.

“He played both flyhalf and fullback but by year 12 he was our first choice flyhalf and he had this ability to score tries from nowhere. Exactly as he has been doing in the NRL, he’d go to the line, dummy, accelerate and go straight through.

“More importantly though, he’s got a smart rugby brain.”

Oakhill have produced eight Australian Schoolboys dating back to 1978, with Toro admitting the school would love to see Keary back playing rugby.

“There is a lot of talk at the moment but we’ll leave that decision up to Luke.

“If he does sign in rugby, I certainly think he’ll be successful. It might take him a few years to find his feet but if he has the players around him, then I certainly think he’ll go places and I know there are a lot of people here at Oakhill that would love to see him in a Waratahs jersey,” Toro said.

“Who knows what could happen after that.”