He tipped the scales at a bulked-up 140kg for the Reds this year and says “bully-ball” is part of the enforcer package he brings to any footy side.

But Wallabies lock Lukhan Salakaia-Loto says he still has the hops to be bankable lineout option as well, after winning a recall to the Australian squad under new coach Les Kiss.

Salakaia-Loto returned to the Wallabies camp this week after being a contentious omission in Joe Schmidt’s last squad, for the July Test series against Ireland, France and Italy.

Coming after a dominant season for the Reds, in which the 45-cap Wallaby was named in the Super Rugby team of the year, Salakaia-Loto’s omission continued a tense relationship with Schmidt where he was in and out of Wallabies squads, most notably when the big lock was overlooked for the British and Irish Lions series.

In explaining Salakaia-Loto’s absence for the July Tests, Schmidt questioned his physical condition, saying the lock had been inconsistent in games, and that he’d wanted “fast-jumping locks” for the Wallabies. Salakaia-Loto would use July “to get himself into the best physical shape to best contribute to the team,” Schmidt said.

Salakaia-Loto said he had been disappointed to miss selection but, in keeping with the bemused social media posts he made at the time, the 29-year-old said he’d kept a sense of perspective.

“I’m used to it now,” Salakaia-Loto said of his Wallabies omission. “No, it was good, it was important for me to be home.

“Two months ago, I just had my third daughter, so the silver lining for me was just spending time at home and being present with my kids, being able to wrestle the older two, give mum a bit of a break.

“It was a blessing in disguise. So [I was] disappointed, but there are more things to life than just being selected for a team.”

Salakaia-Loto – whose new peroxided hairstyle was encouraged by his daughters – said he had taken the omission in his stride.

“I did all I could do, so I was happy,” he said. “I was at peace with what I produced throughout the Super season, and you don’t always get what you deserve, I guess. You can’t dwell on it too much. So it’s nice to be named, but it doesn’t guarantee you anything.”

Salakaia-Loto confirmed he had played at the heavier weight of 138kg for the Reds this season – up from a usual 132kg to 133kg – after arriving back from pre-season bigger, and finding the extra size helped on a physical front but not at the cost of reduced mobility and fitness.

“That was intentional, to be able to play the sort of style I wanted to play this year,” he said. “But I am lighter now after a good little block [of training] at Ballymore.”

There was no specific mention of Schmidt but Salakaia-Loto was quick to point out his size had never impacted his lineout ability.

“I’ve always been able to jump in the lineout, so no matter how, I can still get up there,” he said.

The aggressive lock was also quick to stress he did not expect to be rushed back into the Wallabies second row for the upcoming clashes with Japan, after Jeremy Williams and Reds teammate Josh Canham were outstanding in the Nations Championship Tests.

“‘Jez’ and Canham have done an unreal job, and I’m not expecting any change anytime soon,” Salakaia-Loto said. “It’s good to see Canham take big steps this year. He’s a real baller – he’s someone who’s got a massive future ahead of him.”

Salakaia-Loto is also looking forward to training alongside Miles Amatosero, the combative young Waratahs lock with whom he has often butted heads in Super Rugby.

“The best way of helping someone like Miles is pushing him and challenging him,” Salakaia-Loto said. “So iron sharpens iron. So I’m sure we’ll probably lock horns in training, but we know each other a bit more now on a personal level. He’s got all the potential in the world to be whatever he wants to be.”

Meanwhile, Rugby Australia plans to use $15 million in federal government funding to increase female participation by 70 per cent – and overall participation by almost 40 per cent – by 2029.

The funding is part of a $90 million Rugby World Cup package announced on Wednesday, which was pledged by the government in 2022 as part of Australia’s winning bid to host the 2027 men’s and 2029 women’s World Cups.

With $60 million going to World Rugby to help deliver the World Cups, a further $30 million in long-term legacy funding was granted under two “Beyond Impact” programs – one in Australia and one in the Pacific.

The Australian program will focus on growing the game at community level and the Pacific funding will help support community and high-performance goals, particularly in the women’s game. It is separate from the $150 million, five-year Vaimoana program; the partnership being worked on by the Australian government to develop rugby in Fiji, Samoa and Tonga.