The Australian helmsman was guest speaker at the Gunnedah Rugby Club Sportsman’s Lunch where he spoke highly of grassroots rugby and its value to the sport.

“I think we should never lose sight of how many players country rugby is really contributing to the Australian game,” Cheika told the Namoi Valley Independent.

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He considered “love of the game” just as fundamentally important to any player or coach’s repertoire, as knowledge or skills.

“That's how I try and approach it,” he said. “You do it [coach or play] because you're passionate about the game and I think that's embodied here in the bush.”

Cheika still has friends in the area and said regional rugby has a reputation for nurturing many great players to the game’s highest levels.

“There's always been plenty of talent out here,” he said. 

Nearly 300 guests packed the Red Devils’ Gunnedah clubhouse to rub shoulders with the Wallabies’ chief tactician, who has coached the side since 2014. 

This year however is one he would rather forget after just a 40 per cent win record – reportedly the lowest of any Australian coach in more than a decade.

But Cheika was not fazed.

“I know everyone talks about results and how we lost more games than we won this year but we played the top two teams seven times and we blooded 13 new players in international rugby,” he said.

“We have a plan how we want to approach the next few years leading into the 2019 World Cup (Japan). And if I'm the one who has to take a bit of pain early on from that, so be it, because I truly believe in the way we're coaching and the way we're growing our base of players.”

Cheika was to stay in Gunnedah overnight but due to unforeseen circumstances, flew back to Sydney later that afternoon.