Rugby Australia is poised to steal prodigiously talented sporting teen Joseph Suaalii from the NRL in both a major coup for the code and a blow to South Sydney.
Cash-strapped Rugby Australia (RA) has denied splashing out $3 million to nab teenage whiz Joseph Suaalii from under the noses of the NRL.
RA on Tuesday night coyly claimed a deal was “not done yet” after seemingly convincing the 16-year-old sporting sensation to turn his back on a $1.7 million offer to remain with 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 so-called next Greg Inglis long term before new Wallabies coach Dave Rennie swooped, having hotly pursued Suaalii since first trying to sign the prodigy in February.
With Souths not allowed to register the contract with the NRL until Suaalii turned 17 on August 1, Rennie and RA made their move and are now poised to win the tug-of-war for his services.
The Sydney teenager and 2019 Australian under-18s representative has starred for The King’s School’s First XV for the past two years.
“I met him when I was here in January. Impressive athlete and a very mature kid for 16,” Rennie said last month.
“Guys like Joseph, they command a lot of attention and clearly Souths are very interested in him and have thrown some serious money in front him.
“So he’s just an example of the type of kids that we want to keep in our game, but it’s a competitive market and it’s not easy.
“We’re going to miss out on some of these kids coming out of school but I think it’s important that we keep in contact with them and keep that relationship going so that when they’re making the next decision around a contract our game is still an option for them.”
But, crippled financially by the coronavirus and having laid off 40 per cent of its staff, RA says promising Suaalii $1 million a year is crazy.
“Financial offers being speculated in the media presently are totally fanciful and are being propagated by the usual suspects whose sole interest it is to inflate and misrepresent contract values,” said RA interim CEO Rob Clarke.
“At this stage, there has been no agreement between Joseph, his family or his representation.
“Joseph Suaalii is an upstanding young man and a talented rugby player. We have made it no secret that we would like to keep Joseph within the rugby pathway.”
The Rabbitohs offered AAP a “no comment” when contacted on Tuesday night.
A gifted all-round sportsman who has also excelled at AFL and basketball, Suaalii stands a towering 196cm, 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 “incredible”.
“Look, I hate rapping young kids,” Burgess told Fox Sports.
“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 28-year-old man.”
The Late News
Roar Rookie
So same as us mortals then!
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Well right now they are paying nothing. He hasn't been signed.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
He has no agent
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Reports are that it's closer to $200k a year too.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
I suspect any offer is what he can earn if he's good enough (i.e. test match payments, etc).
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
What do you mean? Leaguies have to defend Mitch. Genuine superstars like Thurston and Lockyer weren't poor defenders... oh...
ScottD
Roar Guru
The kid is 16 ffs. Let RL have him if they want. We can steal him back when he is 20 and wants to be part of a real international game and play outside of Sydney.
In brief
Guest
How dare you use the term jealousy and the give yourself the derogatory moniker ‘kick n clap’. You are a hypocrite. Goes to show how small minded lougie’s can dish it out but can’t take it. Pathetic.
Double Agent
Guest
I've noticed quite a few northern accents in interviews.
Kick n Clap
Guest
Thanks DaveJ, Actually as Nothern Englishman nobody north of Leicester is remotely interested in “kick n clap “. If want to see what real sport, I’d follow Football ,which the true World Game? That is factly true in Europe , Africa and the World. You keep up with your skills in trying to prevent RL world wide. Jealously & envy is very dangerous and a sad state of affairs? Don’t forget you RU GUY’s have got history is theses matters??
Boomeranga
Guest
Which 4 or 5 Tahs would that be? Hooper, ... Sounds like make believe to me.
Muglair
Roar Rookie
I would hope any contract is back ended with appropriate incentives for the young man and also an exit for RA if it does not work out in the first year. One asset rugby does have for a player choosing between rugby and NRL is the 7s circuit and Olympic representation and that could create a potential for quite a sensible arrangement. If he was good enough to make it to Tokyo, and play well in a medal winning team, the interest he will generate is probably worth $3m to rugby over the next three years.
Ralph
Guest
Yeah don’t forget Cumbria
Guess
Roar Rookie
Ozzy franchises don't have money :silly: Unless they're bought by private investors... Then you could be in trouble, true
Guess
Roar Rookie
Surprised Rennie is so involved in it 0.o Soon they’ll be talking up infants… Really don’t get it when they hype up kids. Not only in rugby. There seems to be a trend. Leave it to scouts, as a fan I’m not interested in someone I didn’t see in action even. Also If they’re already willing to pay him such money (I know it’s speculation but…) for just being promising how much he’s going to ask if he will become a big deal? :shocked:. Talk about salary inflation
Gray-Hand
Roar Rookie
A wallaby coach is only a wallaby coach for as long as he has the support of NSW Rugby.
Purdo
Roar Rookie
Stillmissit: I hope so.
Rico
Guest
According to paper if we can trust it they(souths) were looking to register contract on August 1 But I think the point should be are the au looking to pay a kid a massive contract with high pressure to preform All while engaging in a war of words with NZU with no funds to find get it Their expression of interest to NZ sides won’t work because they’re contracted to the NZU not the super sides To be honest both the unions should be fighting on the private
stillmissit
Roar Guru
Purdo: I suspect one of the attractions for a young player with talent is to be with others of a similar mind set and he would get that with the young guys coming through in union. It may be tempting to be with a young team building Australian Union into a power house again.
MW7
Roar Rookie
I don't think anyone knows the truth yet. Some reports are that he has signed, RA say he hasn't. Some reports say $3m deal, others say not that much. Some reports suggest RA is stumping up all the cash, others say it is financed by benefactors (similar to Pocock's deal). Time will tell.