Suliasi Vunivalu has rejected claims he is heading back to the NRL by saying he wants to re-sign with Rugby Australia after an injury-riddled start to his time with the Reds.
Hamstring problems have dogged Vunivalu since he made the switch at the end of 2020 and is due to make his Super Rugby return in a fortnight for the Reds.
Off contract at the end of the year, the Dolphins NRL expansion side is keen to lure the Fijian-born 26-year-old winger back to league but Vunivalu told rugby.com.au that he was committed for the long haul.
“I’d like to stay in rugby but I’m not going to make any decision until I’m back on the field and have played three or four games,” Vunivalu said.
“I ran at full pace last week. I’m back in the main training group with contact and I’ll be fit to play after the Brumbies game on Saturday.
“I had a lot of scans on the hamstring before the doctors gave me the thumbs up in January to run fast again. It’s exciting.
“I never want to be talking about my hamstring again. Scoring tries, catching kicks … that’s my job.”
The Reds have a week off in the schedule following Saturday night’s top-of-the-table clash with the Brumbies at Suncorp Stadium so Vunivalu’s first appearance for 2022 is set to be the April 15 clash with the Rebels in Melbourne.
Vunivalu was a try-scoring machine for the Storm, touching down 86 times in just 111 games over a five-year stretch which included the 2017 and 2020 grand final wins.
When he was growing up in Fiji, he played outside centre and on the wing before earning a scholarship to go to Saint Kentigern College in Auckland as a 16-year-old.
He progressed to the Blues’ academy and was viewed as a Super Rugby player of the future but the Melbourne NRL talent scouts convinced him to make the leap across the Tasman to give league a try.
However, his time at the Reds has been underwhelming. He was only able to make seven appearances last year and his time with the Wallabies training camp was cut short when his hamstring problems flared again so he’s still yet to earn a green and gold Test jersey.
After undergoing surgery, he is confident of staying on the field and earning a new deal with the Reds.
Vunivalu is likely to have to take a pay cut whether he stays in rugby or links with the Dolphins after his value has dropped dramatically due to his frequent unavailability.
The Reds welcome back second-rower Lukhan Salakaia-Loto from an ankle injury for the Brumbies blockbuster, while Liam Wright and Filipo Daugunu will start in place of the injured Seru Uru and Jock Campbell.
Brumbies five-eighth Noah Lolesio (ankle) is out injured and won’t get the chance to push his case for a Wallabies cap later this year against incumbent James O’Connor, while Test halfback Nic White will come off the bench a week after the birth of his third child.
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Jacko
Roar Rookie
strick to being a guest. You dont know anything at all. that way you can change your name and run away. Oh then you can come back with another fake name and insult others.
Spraggy
Guest
Tupou dont need a work-rate when you have plenty of interchanges for props in league.
Beefa
Guest
Gus bell is too slow to be a mungo. Good union player.TT on the other hand would be a sensation with his size speed and footwork..
Chully Bun
Guest
' the Kangaroos arnt even the top League side ' Lol :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: stick to rugby mate you know nothing abut league.Kangaroos still reigning world cups champs bro. Oh and the your abs haven`t been the best teams for 3 years. :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:
Scott.
Guest
Have you seen how short and tiny the 120 test wallaby test captain is.
Jacko
Roar Rookie
My view is there isnt enough talent for 16. The standard is slipping for the non glamour clubs and you only have to look at the Bronco's to see that the talent just aint there anymore. Its not just a league thing tho as many sports are sufferring the same thing. Younger people arnt taking up sports like they used to.
Jacko
Roar Rookie
No just about how if any of these pro atheletes take up either sport they will be just as successful in either.
Dionysus
Guest
Does that say something about League v Union players or simply highlight the quality difference between League and Union Talent scouts ?
Rubbish Surf 69
Roar Rookie
hahahahahahahahaha
Dionysus
Guest
By the NRL's own fans admission, that game was probably the worst NRL match in the last 30 years. It was an absolute shocker. Watch the Panthers v Souths game on Friday night and see the difference. As for 17 teams, in a couple of years it will be 18 and could easily make 20 within the next decade. My view is that there is ample talent for 20 teams.
Dionysus
Guest
If you look at who the Dolphins have been chasing and the money they are offering then you are completely wrong. They have been able to poach quality players from other clubs by out bidding their existing clubs. So I think the Dolphins are going for quality at almost at any price. I would also say that Bennett is an astute assessor of playing talent. If he is going after Vunivalu it is because of what he is capable of not the unfortunate fact that he has been injured.
Dionysus
Guest
Having watched both Koriobete and Vunivalu's careers quite closely when they were playing league, I would say that Vunivalu edges Marika by quite a way.
Dionysus
Guest
Having watched him play for the Storm over the years then if he gets an injury free season you guys will soon change your tune.
jcmasher
Roar Rookie
Only those who couldn’t see past his glaring deficiencies that have never been addressed. Sure he is dangerous when given room and probably the best in the world at taking a high kick but can’t pass to the right - cost us a game against Ireland st the SCG, can’t pass accurately to the left, can’t tackle well and was never in the right place in defence anyway and can’t kick accurately.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Yeah I think he was a bit of a questionable signing given the alternatives we had available. But he’d been a star and played plenty of footy during his tenure
Cam
Roar Rookie
If league adopted the union model of scrums, their code would also be unwatchable, at least in live time. The reason league went to uncontestable scrums was because they could, unlike rugby, who are governed by a convoluted international board who have zero intention of addressing the mess that is rugby scrums. I love my rugby, but will continue to watch it retrospectively, so that I am able to fast forward the 20 minutes of scrum resets that precede the obligatory penalty. And to show you that I haven't come to the party without solutions, I propose any knock becomes a short arm penalty. Teams still have the option for a scrum, but there is the potential to increase the speed of the game and produce around 10 minutes extra ball-in-play time.
Cam
Roar Rookie
Ha, ha love it. Have a look at some highlights and tell me he isn't playing the wrong sport. The bloke is built for rugby league https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DO3eL6OfPU and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfYZSsbFWgY
Cam
Roar Rookie
TT doesn’t have to play 80 minutes and make 50 tackles. If you had him in your squad, 20 minutes at the start, he gets a 55 minute rest and then 20 minutes at the end, where he would need to make on average, one run and one tackle every 2 minutes. Tupou is of a similar build to Junior Pualo, who gets through around 50 minutes a match and averages 24 tackles, 18 runs. And to be fair, he couldn’t walk around behind the play any more than D.Fifita does and he is on $1.3m a year.
Jacko
Roar Rookie
Haha Small sport syndrome... Yes in NZ you cant sign a pro sport contract until 18. Well you can but its pointless as was shown with the Nanai-Seturo case. League buys them at 15 with 60K a year contracts not included in any cap. The Cowboys currently have 6 NZ schoolboys on their books and that includes their family relocations from NZ to Townsville and jobs for the parents. All without affecting the Salary cap. I wish Union had the money to do the same but the costs are horrendous.
Jacko
Roar Rookie
Unfortunately it’s been the Rugby boards,& the Coaching teams, which constantly rush out to buy the League guys. So why does League sign 50 Union juniors a year from NZ? Your knowledge of world sport is horrible. Blinkered view...