'Would be silly not to': League players expect Rugby Australia's poaching spree to continue
Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii’s Sydney Roosters teammates are resigned to the prospect of rugby union poaching more NRL stars but are tipping the Wallaby-in-waiting will return to league in the future.
Speculation Suaalii could hop codes has followed the former schoolboy rugby star since before he made his NRL debut as a 17-year-old in 2021.
On Saturday, Rugby Australia confirmed it had signed Suaalii to a three-year contract worth around $1.6 million a year that will have him available for the Waratahs at Super Rugby level, as well as the Wallabies in next year’s British & Irish Lions series and at the 2027 World Cup.
The Roosters had resigned themselves to losing Suaalii prior to Saturday but his teammates only learned the move had been confirmed when it became public.
“He’s one of the most dedicated to his training and the way he goes about things. It’s a credit to him,” halfback Sam Walker said.
“You don’t ever want to see someone of his calibre leave the club but in the end, it’s his decision.”
Newly-minted Wallabies coach Eddie Jones has made no secret of wanting to entice ex-schoolboy players back to rugby since replacing Dave Rennie in January.
Now that Suaalii has signed, South Sydney skipper Cameron Murray sits atop his wishlist, while other ex-schoolboy rugby stars in the NRL include Angus Crichton, Taane Milne and Will Penisini.
Rugby Australia doesn’t have the financial wherewithal to hand out $1.6 million contracts willy-nilly but the Roosters are resigned to Jones spruiking union to other NRL players.
“Any code would be silly not to target the best players,” utility Drew Hutchison said.
“I don’t know if I see it as a threat as such, I more just see it as normal competition.
“You’ll probably see a bit more of it.”
Hooker Brandon Smith believes his former Melbourne teammate Nelson Asofa-Solomona would be the perfect candidate for an All-Blacks raid; the towering Kiwi has previously expressed interest in returning to the game of his childhood and comes off contract at the end of this season.
“He’s definitely thought about it, whether he does it or not I don’t know, it’d be hard to leave the Storm for him,” Smith said.
“He’s been there since day dot but (union) suits his lifestyle as well. He loves to travel. That’s where I think union really trumps rugby league is just the amount of countries that play.”
“I think (Suaalii) is probably the first they’ve got that’s a young, rising talent. So hopefully they don’t take too many of those.
“(But) there’s always the next kid coming up through the ranks.”
Suaalii has already been likened to legendary code-hoppers Israel Folau and Sonny Bill Williams and Hutchison, who played with Williams at the Roosters in 2020, said the comparisons were justified.
“Just the way that they’re professionals, they want to get the best out of themselves,” Hutchison said.
“No matter what code they play, they’re going to excel at it.”
And just like Williams, Lote Tuqiri, Wendell Sailor and Mat Rogers before him, the Roosters are tipping Suaalii to circle back to the NRL after a spell in union.
“Once he’s built $3 million worth of houses, he’ll come back and hopefully he’ll come back to the Roosters,” Smith said.
Walker, who himself played rugby union for GPS school Ipswich Grammar, said Suaalii’s skillset would make it easy to transition back and forth.
“He’s an unbelievable athlete, he could do whatever he wanted to do,” he said.
Comments on RugbyPass
So 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?
1 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
5 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.
5 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.
1 Go to commentsUtter grub, hope he gets his leg broken. Shocking he is still playing after intentionally breaking quinn tupaeas knee
5 Go to commentsGreat to see NZ 7s teams finally coming into form and playing at the level that is expected of them.
2 Go to commentsChief Cheapshot on the market again.
5 Go to commentsCrusaders went all in to buy Hotham and Kemara staight from Hamilton Boys. Then they picked up Reihana and Hohepa; all have been dropped for superstar Havili, who is a very good fullback, that’s it. Ennor and Goodhue were schoolboy stars too but went backwards at the Crusaders. Maybe they have finally decided to give another poach Levi Aumua the ball?
16 Go to comments