Liazz: 'The [FlyQuest] kick f**king sucked; I didn't know what to do with my career'

There's plenty on the line for the Oceanic CS2 squads in Brisbane this week, with two LANs at the DFRAG studio likely seeing at least one team through as an Asian representative at the IEM Cologne Major.

But more is at stake for THUNDER dOWNUNDER's Jay "Liazz" Tregillgas. The 28-year-old veteran thought his time in competitive CS was all but up following his exit from FlyQuest last July.

Instead, he channelled everything into this project, linking up with other ex-FlyQuest crew in Alistair "aliStair" Johnston and Chris "dexter" Nong — and as many expected, the experienced TdU began their conquest of their home region.

Liazz caught up with DFRAG after his upper bracket win over Mindfreak on Saturday, March 14 before their all-important UB final against SemperFi, where he spoke about the rather low-profile exit from FlyQuest, how he navigated life back at home, and why the kick has reinvigorated him and his drive to be the best again.

Mindfreak has been good of late but you and the THUNDER dOWNUNDER boys looked too strong today. Talk me through the series, and talk to me about how much preparation went into the matchup.

“It went, like, as expected. I think Mindfreak is actually a solid team, they've been developing a lot since [Tyler “tucks” Reilly] moved to coach, he's a smart guy.

“But we knew that coming into the LAN, we have a lot of experienced players. There's a lot of young kids in the Australian scene now and on LAN, as long as you're managing expectations, staying calm, and keeping your energy at a good level, that's always going to give you an advantage against these guys. So we felt a lot stronger coming into the series for that reason.

“Yeah, nah, I'm gonna give you the same f**k-old boring answer that every CS player does, but you're playing your game. That's all it is. I think that any team that doesn't say that is a team that doesn't trust themselves and trust the process and trust their practice. We trust our practice.”

You’re one of the region’s most experienced players but the Counter-Strike landscape looks a hell of a lot different now than it did when you were first coming through the ranks. Do you think our young talent finds it more difficult today to break out into the local scene, let alone the international stage?

“I think it is a little bit more difficult today because of the absence of [longer-form] leagues. If there's leagues happening everywhere overseas, like online leagues,  that gives Australian players the chance to jump over.

“But VRS does kind of f**k the smaller regions. It does feel like any time we want anything here, we're just begging for someone to throw us a bone.

“DFRAG is doing a really good job and I think they have a few more initiatives that they're beginning to start that will try and help other kids a little bit more. I think we have the idea of a league coming to Australia and that'll really help. But yeah, it's very different these days. 

“When I started playing, it was like, if you have good stats in Australia, you're getting random DMs from European coaches and American coaches for, like, a trial, or at least a chat. I don't think that happens so much anymore.

“There's always a 15-year-old Russian kid that will do it for half the price. But that said, Australia still has a lot of talent. I think people should be a little bit more open to it. With the right guidance, some of these kids could be incredible.”

Is helping foster and develop this OCE talent and showing them the path forward something you’ve been more open to?

“Yeah, I think that at some point in my career I want to try and help the scene in that way. One thing Australia's sort of struggled with is when the veterans come back home they usually play for fun with their mates, or they just quit entirely. 

“I think it's important to give back to the scene a little bit, to help at the same level that we got when we started out.”

Is that something that was going through your mind following the exit from FlyQuest? How was that few-month period following your exit from a team you’ve been a part of for so long?

“The exit itself was a little bit of a s***fest. I was being told one story then got another story. There were a lot of things and moving pieces happening last second and unfortunately I was at the short end. What can you do?

“I think I had my flights booked to join the boys at a bootcamp and then literally three hours later I got a message and then a call. But it was fine, it was just a f**ked situation.

“After it sunk in… the kick f**king sucked. It was a massive kick in the balls more than it was a kick from the team. I didn't really know what I wanted to do with my career at that point.

“I thought that I would have at least a few more months at FlyQuest and I could at least play out my twilight days overseas and then potentially finish on my own terms. That was sort of my idea.

“But the kick kind of woke me up. It reinvigorated me. I was pretty pissed off and it gave me my motivation back to compete. Although I support them, I also want to stick it to FlyQuest, you know, I want to do better at at least one event — that will make me feel good about myself in a very selfish way.

“I [still] love all those boys but I think anyone that has a little bit of competitive spirit, they want to beat their own team and that's what's driving me right now.”

How did the move with the ex-FlyQuest boys come together after your return home? Did you foresee the THUNDER dOWNUNDER project as a long-term solution at the time? Was the goal just about getting the major slot and going from there, or was something like team sponsorship the target…

“It was two things for me. It was sort of what I said before about wanting to try and help develop the Australians here — I wanted to play with a couple of new young guns. Asap and TJP obviously were killing it, you can see that loads of potential, and I think they're really coming into themselves. um

“But it was also, like, a last little shebang Last Dance with the boys [to] try and make a major, or try and make the second major if we don't make this one. We feel that we have a little bit more to give, and I hate the bulls**t of people trying to say they want to retire on top. I think that's just cheeks.

“I think that if you truly have lost motivation, that's another thing, but if you still have the drive, just keep f**king doing it. This is what I live for, playing CS. 

“I love traveling to these events, meeting people, playing and showing and proving why I was on top. It makes me feel good about myself and I can't stop doing that, but in the same breath, I still want to develop Australia in whatever ways I can.”

Can you speak to the positives of the return home? aliStair mentioned how the element of constant travel and extended time away from home takes its toll — is that something that resonates with you too? Could you see yourself committing to a move overseas again, if the opportunity arises?

“I think so. At the time when I got booted, I was a little happy that I didn't have to be on planes every week. But when you're away for longer, you begin to miss it. I'd love to travel a little bit more. 

“But yeah, as an Australian player it is different again. I've been traveling to and from events for the majority of the year for about 10 years now, and that really takes a toll on you. Coming back to Australia, it's like, you just want to focus on your health, your family, your friends and sort of build your life here.

“I wouldn't call that a trap because I'm really enjoying it but I know what I love and I know that I have to squeeze this for everything that I can, and I'd love to have another shot overseas. I think it'd be fun.”

We’ve all been very excited to see THUNDER dOWUNDER take on SemperFi, the battle of the two top squads here in OCE. Are you reading as much into it as the scene has been, like a massive rivalry?

“I don't think it's a rivalry. We played against their core many times, we know how they play. It wasn't really a rivalry before, I don't think it's ever been a rivalry. That said, they're a slightly different team now with HaZR and ADDICT.

“We're not underestimating them in any way. They've had a very long stint overseas, I think it's been a few months for them just playing and practicing in Europe — that's really good quality for them. 

“But, you know, we're fighting our own demons at this LAN. We’re finding our team identity, managing the roles of the team… the biggest one is always communication, and I think that's what separates Australian from European and American teams.

“Australians have the worst f**king comms in the world. We really don't say what we want to do, we don't talk enough, we don't make plans, so as long as we stay on top of that stuff in practice and on the server, that's all we're really focused on.

Aside from the obvious move to IGL for aliStair and a switch back to entry for dexter, how are the roles differing for the squad — particularly you individually?

“I've always been a quiet player in my career and coming into [THUNDER dOWNUNDER] I've had to pick up a role that has a lot more control over the teammates around me. I'm trying to manage over my partner who is on a bomb site and s**t like that, so that's a new thing for me/

“That's something that I'm trying to do better with high pressure moments and matches. Obviously that can taper off a little bit [but] I’m trying to stay on top of that, trying to get the new boys to talk more and have more ideas because that drives confidence.

“[aliStair] is new to calling, he's doing a really good job but he's always working and we're very tough on ourselves because communication is the only thing as a team you can absolutely control. 

“You can always hit headshots or miss and always have a s**t day. But comms, you can always be on top of, and if you're not giving 100% in that then you're not doing everything you can.”

The DFRAG Wildcard LAN wraps up Sunday, March 15. Liazz and THUNDER dOWNUNDER are going back-to-back, however, with the squad in action on Monday, March 16 for the 2026 Autumn edition of ANZC Brisbane.