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Rugby Australia poised to win million-dollar tug-of-war for the teenage whiz branded as 'incredible' by Sam Burgess

21 Jul 2020

(Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

Rugby Australia are poised to pull off a mighty coup and win the million-dollar tug-of-war for the services of teenage whiz Joseph Suaalii. RA on Tuesday coyly claimed the deal was “not done yet” after reports surfaced that 16-year-old Suaalii was set to turn his back on a $1.7million offer to remain with NRL club South Sydney for three more years.

Like super-coach Wayne Bennett, Suaalii is contracted to Souths until the end of next season. But the Rabbitohs had hoped to lock down the prodigious talent long term until new Wallabies coach Dave Rennie apparently swooped having hotly pursued Suaalii for Rugby Australia since first trying to sign him in February.

With Souths unable to register the contract with the NRL until Suaalii turned 17 on August 1, Rennie and RA time have seemingly talked the teenager into a late change of heart. But cash-strapped RA has denied promising Suaalii $1m a year.

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A gifted all-round sportsman who has also excelled at AFL and basketball, Suaalii stands a towering 196cm and weighs 96kg and spent the off-season training with the Rabbitohs NRL squad.

Souths great turned assistant coach Sam Burgess last month hailed the hulk as incredible. “Look, I hate rapping young kids,” Burgess told Fox Sports.

Kid coveted by four sports ?https://t.co/h8S4GznZPE
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) June 17, 2020

“I’ve seen him first-hand, training with the first team and forget his athletic ability, what I saw inside Joseph Suaalii that day, I saw (how) we took him to the edge of the cliff and he hung on for dear life and he had the courage of a 25- to a 28-year-old man.”

The Rabbitohs offered AAP a “no comment” when contacted on Tuesday night.

Meanwhile, former Super Rugby chiefs boss Rennie has suggested his successor as Wallabies coach should ideally be Australian. “The ideal scenario is that the next coach is Australian and there needs to be some thought around that,” he told The Australian.

“If there is someone ready to go after the (2023) World Cup, that may be in the best interests of Australian rugby. You can’t think too far ahead in this game. I’m fully committed to the (2023) World Cup but what happens beyond that… there has to be an emphasis around identifying and developing other coaches to coach Australia.”

Just when things were beginning to warm up for the youngster https://t.co/ejEZkwRtLX
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) July 21, 2020

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Comments on RugbyPass

BM 14 minutes ago

'The success of Skelton, Hooper and Tupou should trigger a rethink on Australia’s overseas selection criteria'

I think Nuc came back had a look and saw nothing has changed since he left, particularly in the Kingdom of the North, so change would be impossible.

268 Go to comments

BM 24 minutes ago

'The success of Skelton, Hooper and Tupou should trigger a rethink on Australia’s overseas selection criteria'

Don’t necessarily disagree but I also think JS is playing along with the corporate line around keeping our players in OZ. “If you leave we will favour the locals ahead of you”.

TV rights are already 10% of NRL / AFL so imagine what they would drop to without our best players and what that would do to the game.

268 Go to comments

d 47 minutes ago

Scott Robertson explains 'hugely challenging' five-halfback situation

totally agree, Aaron Smith proved that the only skills needed for a halfback were fast hands (or so the ladies said) we need to worry more about finding a 10 who can kick accurately and maybe transfer those skills to the rest of the side as well. That said Love needs to tidy up his passing before he slots into 10 at AB level. I’m not totally convinced we have better than Jordan at 14, and Love did fine at fb so put him there for now.

16 Go to comments

PM 50 minutes ago

Tour fortunes of English Lions blur selection picture for Borthwick

Therefore, expect;

1. Genge

2, Cowan Dickie

3. Stuart

4. Itoje

5. Martin

6. Ollie Chessum

7. Tom Curry

8. Tom Willis

9. Mitchell

10. F Smith

11. Freeman

12. Atkinson

13. Slade (until Lawrence returns)

14. Feyi-Waboso

15. Furbank

16. Baxter

17. George

18. Heyes

19. CC-S

20. Earl

21. JvP

22. M Smith

23 O Farrell/E Daly (it’s either or)

Ultimately, Borthwick has to make a decision between Farrell/Ford at 10 or Farrell/Slade at 12 (once Lawrence returns). One or two of the experienced heads will need to miss out from Farrell/Ford/Slade/Daly - there isn’t the room for all 4 in a matchday 23.

6 Go to comments

PM 1 hour ago

Tour fortunes of English Lions blur selection picture for Borthwick

There is next to no chance of Lawrence being fit for the Autumn Internationals and it’s touch and go if he will be back for the Six Nations (which will be 12 months out).

6 Go to comments

CO 1 hour ago

Scott Robertson explains 'hugely challenging' five-halfback situation

Kirifis a little guy, only five eleven and replaced a guy who's six foot four in Dalton or Blackadder at six foot three. Lakai is a little larger at six foot one and was in a losing pack against France. The pack definitely is what lost to both France and the Boks. Getting beaten by the benches in the second half. Razor talks about requiring size and then selects short people in the pack. Timoci is another shorty along with Reece, Narawa. I get it if they had amazing x factor but nine is these small guys do. The Fijian Allblacks would struggle to make the Fiji team.

16 Go to comments

NH 1 hour ago

'The success of Skelton, Hooper and Tupou should trigger a rethink on Australia’s overseas selection criteria'

Someone flagged it the other day, he seems to enter contact in a different body shape than what an ardie or bobby does which allows them to keep their feet better. I don’t think he will ever be quite as effective as bobby in that regard, but if he could get half way there it could make a difference for those brutal, in tight carries where you’re on a hiding to nothing.

268 Go to comments

JWH 1 hour ago

Scott Robertson explains 'hugely challenging' five-halfback situation

Probably one of the better Wallabies side in the last decade too. A shame they can’t bring Skelton, but the pack is still huge with Tupou, Frost, Pollard, Wilson, and Valetini/Hooper

16 Go to comments

JWH 1 hour ago

Scott Robertson explains 'hugely challenging' five-halfback situation

Would be a pretty handy excuse but Ratima is not all bad so can’t really see an argument for losing as having the 4th best halfback in the world playing instead of the best.

16 Go to comments

JWH 1 hour ago

Scott Robertson explains 'hugely challenging' five-halfback situation

Stress fracture for Roigard so nothing too serious, should be back for the Bledisloe games I think, but he could pull a Waisake Naholo and get some voodoo magic to bring him back earlier.

As for Mounga, he isn’t the ‘first-choice’ necessarily even though he probably is the best flyhalf that is eligible to play for NZ. His status in Japan jeopardizes his position as All Blacks 10 since the ABs don’t pick overseas players. Can’t blame him though, 3 million dollars is hard to turn down (but it is something NZR could’ve matched if they weren’t so shortsighted). He got a broken hand playing in the JRLO final, which he won to make it 9 consecutive league titles he has won.

16 Go to comments

JWH 1 hour ago

Scott Robertson explains 'hugely challenging' five-halfback situation

Kirifi is big what are we talking about? Also, ABs pack is NOT what faltered last year against SA

16 Go to comments

JD Kiwi 1 hour ago

'The success of Skelton, Hooper and Tupou should trigger a rethink on Australia’s overseas selection criteria'

I cover the other half of Nick's CV and I don't get paid either 😂

268 Go to comments

JD Kiwi 1 hour ago

'The success of Skelton, Hooper and Tupou should trigger a rethink on Australia’s overseas selection criteria'

I'm a Sale fan myself and was amazed that they didn't get a go in green.

We used to have a meme:

“You say you're a Sale fan but I bet you can't name four of their players”

“Du Preez”

268 Go to comments

JD Kiwi 1 hour ago

'The success of Skelton, Hooper and Tupou should trigger a rethink on Australia’s overseas selection criteria'

That's probably why he got that soft tissue injury!

268 Go to comments

JD Kiwi 1 hour ago

'The success of Skelton, Hooper and Tupou should trigger a rethink on Australia’s overseas selection criteria'

You're right of course. I suppose, at the time, the match seemed a cut above the rest of the tour to that point and the Lions were really rattled.

268 Go to comments

JD Kiwi 1 hour ago

'The success of Skelton, Hooper and Tupou should trigger a rethink on Australia’s overseas selection criteria'

Yes he tried to bully me with “you don't know about my profession” condescension to distract from his inability to rebut my arguments and it's always better to use calm logic in those circumstances.

If he really believes that people just can't handle views they don't agree with he must be totally deluded.

His management style comes across as very short termist and narrowly focused. I'd hate to work for him and prefer to remain a mere amateur!

Well done by the way for building the community here.

268 Go to comments

JW 1 hour ago

Mick Cleary: 'These blokes have done the jersey proud, with their buy-in and with their relish.'

Jesus PR that’s another great conclusion. I can definitely see it as blocker to bringing through new talent in time for the WC. NZ underwent a lot of change in 2018 following the Lions tour, in part thanks to key injuries. Despite the revenue spending Aaron Cruden (getting frail even at his young age then) and Lima Sopoaga (along with Julien Savea), 2 of the 3 1st5s in the Lions squad, both left before the 2019 WC for example. But when we apply your logic, their delayed departure prevented Richie Mounga and Damien McKenzie (the 15 who got injured and threw a spanner in the works) from brought through in what would possible now be considered the preferred WC preparation. Ditto on the win with a scramble of constant change their all the way through to their WC 3rd/4th playoff.

Theres certainly cause to account for certain circumstances eventuating being influenced by a Lions tour. But as both nations here select from domestic players only, theres also cause to put similar emphasis on the contracting model in general, as sometimes you can hold on too long. Ireland has a similar model, talking to another irishman here he suggests it has lead to selecting based on contracts, money being spent on a player centrally contracted. So I would not so much worry about fatigue (in part because some incomplete analysis I had done on all.rugby shows the Irish contingent have low minutes this year) but continuing to select underperforming and aging players. When in a pure context of building for a WC, one would normally want to move on an develop the future.

23 Go to comments

JD Kiwi 2 hours ago

'The success of Skelton, Hooper and Tupou should trigger a rethink on Australia’s overseas selection criteria'

Counterintuitively the forwards that have come through in the 2020s have been better than any era since the Brodie generation. Not sure how we've managed that!

268 Go to comments

Hammer Head 2 hours ago

Australia vs South Africa | Live & Latest Rugby Union Scores & Results | RugbyPass

Why is this taking so long😤

2 Go to comments

JD Kiwi 2 hours ago

'The success of Skelton, Hooper and Tupou should trigger a rethink on Australia’s overseas selection criteria'

I did like the use of the power runners and what happened off the back of them. Unfortunately Fisher isn't a defensive coach, shame Kiss couldn't join early in that role.