Brumbies winger Toni Pulu kicks away crackdown distraction

The ACT Brumbies winger says players getting caught up in rule changes and referee crackdowns will get distracted from why they play the game.

That's why the lightning quick Pulu has put his energy into adding a strong kicking game to his artillery to help him go to a new level.

Pulu was a surprise omission from the Wallabies World Cup squad, with Test coach Michael Cheika opting for players he knows rather than new blood for the tournament in Japan.

The Wallabies campaign has been engulfed in drama, particularly after some harsh referee decisions which has confused many about contact in the game.

Centre Samu Kerevi hitout at officials, calling for consistency and fearing rugby union is going "soft".

The silver lining to Pulu's absence is his chance to get more game time with Brumbies teammates in the National Rugby Championship.

The 30-year-old is regarded as one of the fastest players in Super Rugby and he is using his time in the NRC to improve different areas of his game.

"The rules are there to protect the players, and I'm sure they will look to review that in the future," Pulu said when asked about the World Cup crackdown.

"If I get caught up in it then I'll pay the price later on. I don't intentionally go out there to hurt people, I just go out there to play hard and hopefully do the right thing.

"It's important. You still have to work on the things you aren't too good at. Kicking is one of the things I need to work on, but I'm happy with how I'm going this year. I've got [Peter Hewat] and [Dan Hooper] who help me out along the way with my kicking this year.

Pulu has scored four tries in four games for the Canberra Vikings so far in the NRC season, picking up where he left off after a strong first campaign for the Brumbies.

The Vikings will play Sydney in Canberra on Saturday afternoon and have a chance to clinch a spot in the finals if they win in the second last game of the regular season.

There is just six points separating second and sixth on the ladder as teams jostle for finals spots in the hit-and-run competition.

A loss against Sydney would put the Vikings in a must-win scenario for the last game before the play-offs against NSW Country next week. "It's been a long season for me, but to play with the younger dudes is really exciting. Hopefully we can get into the finals," Pulu said.

"We didn't start the season how we'd like. It was good to get the win last week and hopefully we can push forward."

Cheika's World Cup selection decisions have boosted the Vikings, with Pulu, Pete Samu, Joe Powell, Rob Valetini and Tom Banks all getting game time in the NRC.

A host of younger players are also trying to impress and push for Super Rugby game time next year as the Brumbies brace for a changing of the guard.

Outside centre Len Ikitau, who turned 21 on Tuesday, made his Brumbies debut earlier this year and has been strong since making his comeback from injury two weeks ago.

"It's good to be able to finish the season off with some home games," Ikitau said.

"Sydney hasn't really performed well the last couple of weeks, but we're not going to take this game lightly."

NRC ROUND SIX

Saturday: Canberra Vikings v Sydney Rays at Viking Park, 12pm.