Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
NZ NZ

Eddie Jones distances himself from mega-bucks deal for NRL star

By AAP
Eddie Jones - PA

Wallabies coach Eddie Jones has dodged questions about Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii amid reports Rugby Australia has lured the rugby league star to the 15-man code from 2025 on an eye-watering $1.6 million-a-year deal.

ADVERTISEMENT

An elite rugby talent during his days at The Kings School in Parramatta, Suaalii earlier this month re-signed with the NRL’s Sydney Roosters through to 2024.

However, the 19-year-old has designs on playing fullback long-term and is currently being kept out of the position by James Tedesco, who captains the Roosters, NSW State of Origin and Australia Test sides.

Video Spacer

Video Spacer

The Roosters’ last week re-signed Tedesco through to 2025, putting Suaalii’s fullback hopes further in doubt.

On Friday, News Corp reported Rugby Australia (RA) had made its move on Suaalii by offering him a $1.6 million deal for 2025 that would make him the most significant signing the struggling code has pulled off in years.

The sum is unable to be matched by the NRL – the s alary cap for an entire 30-man roster this season is $12.1 million – but the contract has reportedly not yet been finalised.

Amid speculation about his future, Suaalii spent part of the Roosters’ bye week on a tour of Tamworth, where he and teammate Luke Keary participated in community events organised by the Roosters and sponsor Steggles.

ADVERTISEMENT

Quizzed about Suaalii’s signing at the Australian Schools Rugby Foundation fundraising luncheon on Friday, Jones said he was only concerned with the Wallabies’ immediate future.

“The only thing I’m worried about is this World Cup,” he said.

“I’ve got no thought pattern past (the World Cup final on) October 28. Zero. And I can’t afford to.”

Suaalii would join the likes of towering ex-NRL players Israel Folau and Sonny Bill Williams in making the jump to rugby union, while Mat Rogers, Wendell Sailor and Lote Tuqiri all featured in Jones’ 2003 World Cup final side after also making successful transitions.

A switch to rugby union in 2025 would be timely, with the Wall abies set to host the British & Irish Lions for their first tour of Australia since 2013.

ADVERTISEMENT

But Suaalii’s mooted return to rugby – which RA declined to confirm on Friday afternoon – hasn’t gone down well with everyone in the 15-man code.

There were grumblings at Friday’s 50th anniversary of the first Australian schoolboys function that Suaalii’s mega pay packet will rob other young developing talent of the chance to come through the system.

Jones distanced himself from the recruitment process when it was put to the Wallabies coach that “apparently there’s players in rugby who might be a bit annoyed if you brought in somebody from outside”.

Related

“Well, firstly, I’m not a general manager so I don’t contract players. It’s not in my realm,” Jones said.

“The main thing is that we want to make sure the young players coming through are given the opportunity to be the best player they can be.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Join free

Aotearoa Rugby Podcast | Episode 6

Sam Warburton | The Big Jim Show | Full Episode

Japan Rugby League One | Sungoliath v Eagles | Full Match Replay

Japan Rugby League One | Spears v Wild Knights | Full Match Replay

Boks Office | Episode 10 | Six Nations Final Round Review

Aotearoa Rugby Podcast | How can New Zealand rugby beat this Ireland team

Beyond 80 | Episode 5

Rugby Europe Men's Championship Final | Georgia v Portugal | Full Match Replay

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

J
Jon 9 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

35 Go to comments
TRENDING
TRENDING ‘It’s about his career’: Why NRL star Payne Haas could jump codes ‘It’s about his career’: Why NRL star Payne Haas could jump codes
Search