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‘Always a Rooster’: Rugby recruit Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii 'coming back' to NRL
Rugby recruit Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii hasn’t played a game for the Waratahs or Wallabies yet, but the Sydney Roosters flyer has apparently told the NRL club that he’ll be “coming back in 2028.”
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Following what felt like months and months of rumours and speculation, Suaalii officially penned a lucrative three-year deal with the NSW Waratahs and Rugby Australia in March.
But in the months that followed, Suaalii’s form took a hit – and the Wallabies’ season under former coach Eddie Jones went from bad to worse, too.
Still, Suaalii is a marquee recruit and may be the saviour that Rugby Australia so desperately needs ahead of the British and Irish Lions Tour in two years and a home World Cup in 2027.
Suaalii may go on to be a superstar at Super Rugby Pacific and Test levels, but keeping the Wallabies hopeful in the sport beyond this deal may already be a lost cause.
In an interview with Channel 9’s rugby league reporter Danny Weilder, Sydney Roosters chairman Nick Politis revealed a bombshell development about Suaalii’s future in the 15-player game.
“Joseph is a good guy, a good kid. It’s sad that we lost him to union but he tells us he’s coming back in 2028,” Politis told Nine News.
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“Of course (we’d welcome him back). Always a Rooster.”
If true, this is a hammer blow for Rugby Australia at the back end of a disastrous year. The Wallabies failed to make it to the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time, and that’s having a flow-on effect.
Star wing Mark Nawaqanitawase is reportedly set to meet with Suaalii’s NRL club the Sydney Roosters over a potential move, and Mark Jorgensen has also caught the attention of league sides.
According to The Sydney Morning Herald, The Australian Rugby League Commission is set to discuss salary cap exemptions believed to be up to $1 million to lure players across from rival codes.
“We have been looking at bringing in salary cap exemptions for players from other countries for some time,” ARLC chairman Peter V’Landys told The SMH in April.
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“It was about bringing in players from America and other nations. It would also to apply to players from other sports, and yes, other sports include rugby.
“If a Wallaby or an All Black wanted to come over, we’d look at cap exemptions for sure.
“We have been looking at this for quite a while, and it’s a good time to revisit this. It’s something I’d like to see come in now.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Morning, John. Do you think that it may be a good idea to rest both teams from the Madrid comp leading in to the Olympics
2 Go to comments« I am preparing myself for much more, something much bigger. I’m focussing on the next cycle, » You don’t say…
1 Go to commentsGeez plenty of time to come right before test season starts. Dont panic mr Mannering!!!!!
1 Go to commentsGreat read Nick. The Reds really have been great to watch this year, and the improvement of not only the players you mention, but the squad in general has been obvious. The Reds 10/12 play making axis is a nice counterpoint to the 10/15 partnership at the Brumbies and Rebels. If Schmidt was to pick say, Lolesio, Paisami and Wright / Kellaway, would this be too many play makers? I notice in a lot of those clips Tim Ryan playing across the field in support of Vunivalu. Is this a feature of Kiss’s structure?
2 Go to commentsSo sad, god rest him. Too young to be gone. RIP
2 Go to commentsRIP big man 🙏
2 Go to commentsThe GB coach. “Just because we don’t get together as much as other teams we don’t use that as an excuse for performances when we don’t hit the mark”. Why mention it at all then?
1 Go to commentsNo mention of the yellow card for Harlequins which really cost them.
3 Go to commentsThought you’d left us Nick. Good to have you back writing for us. So hunter ikitau works? I reckon wright kellaway as two of the back 3. Tim Ryan and Toole looking good for strike winger but I still want the power of korobeiti and figure our forwards still need him to help them out. Million dollar question is who plays 10? I’m thinking Noah for his kicking and combo with wright. Reckon the pair adds up to an attack and kellaway will help. Can you comment on Zac Lucas in Japan? How is he going?
2 Go to commentsMack Hansen, Ethan Roots, Taine Plumbtree, Louis Lynagh, Emmanuel Meafou? Which country do you want to pick your Barbarians from?
3 Go to commentsInstead of apologising, try to act like an adult, fcknut.
3 Go to commentsLooks like the Force twisted his leg…ahem arm
6 Go to commentsScotland should change their name to the Barbarians
3 Go to commentsThe game was already over leave the bloke alone ….from a Welsh fan 😀👍
3 Go to commentsShamefully the Toulouse players acted like footballers, falling down feigning injury at the slightest knock. About time refs penalised this play acting.
8 Go to commentsAnother non Scot for the anti Scot Townsend. Soon there will be no Scottish born and bred players in the National team.
3 Go to commentsGreat comeback to the playing field by Richie Mo’unga after the loss of his father. A great performance by Richie . I know him well and he is a great guy. On and off the field one of the greatest for the Crusaders. Scott Robertson would have loved him in his All Black’s side. A very missed player and person.
3 Go to commentsYeah nah he comes across as a funny bloke, but that stopped abruptly after the Nutcracker Prince debacle✋
3 Go to commentsAt this point I can’t watch him without thinking he’s a dirty slimebag. He should have been banned for the same amount of time that Quinn was out. It took Tupaea near on a fricking year to get fit enough to play again and his leg will never be the same. The other crap thing is that he was at ABs level and now he has to claw his way back there when he could have had several games under his belt.
6 Go to commentsThe Black Ferns 7’s have been without Captain Sarah Hirini now since Dec 23 in Dubai where she suffered a bad ACL injury - hopefully she is on the road to recovery for Madrid and Paris. Now also have Tyler King and Shiray kaka on the Injured List but the Team still found a way to win in Singapore and claim the overall Title.
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