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'What the hell just happened?': Suaalii's secret rugby session that floored everyone who saw it

25th March, 2023
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25th March, 2023
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Well before Joseph Suaalii pulled on the tri-colours jersey and became a household name and signed a multi-million dollar Wallabies deal, the then 15-year-old schoolboy prodigy rocked up at an Australian sevens training session alongside three other emerging stars, including Tolu Koula.

It wasn’t long before Suaalii made his presence felt – and had everyone’s jaws dropping to the Kippax Field.

Nick Malouf, the current Sevens captain and a regular try-scorer for Leicester Tigers the previous season, copped the brunt of it – and has not forgotten it.

“Who snuck you this story?” he told The Roar. “He winded me. He came in and we went up for a restart against each other and I felt like I’d been hit by a tonne of bricks and he was 15.

“It’s not been a secret for a while how good he is and I certainly was on the receiving end when he was a youngster.

“He sat me down, won it and I got up thinking, ‘what the hell just happened there.’ He’s incredible.”

Malouf isn’t one for hyperbole.

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But the well-spoken captain, who is considered one of the best in Australian rugby at the specialist kick restart area, marvels at Suaalii’s potential and believes he will be an instant hit if, as seems probable, he takes the leap and signs with Rugby Australia.

“Wherever he plays, he’s going to be a weapon. Wherever he plays,” Malouf said.

Nick Malouf

Nick Malouf (Photo by Getty Images)

“He’s an incredible athlete. Gifted footballer, works really hard clearly. Physically, you can see mentally that he’s driven and motivated and disciplined. He’s been impressive from a young age.”

Another well-respected figure who was at the Kippax Oval when Suaalii leapt over Malouf was Scott Bowen – the Australian sevens high-performance guru and former Wallabies playmaker.

“Nick Davis, who works with the Swans, was here that day as well and done a lot of our restart work, so when we saw him leap in the air, we both looked at each other and thought, ‘he’d be perfect for our game’ and I think we said it at the same time,” Bowen said.

“He’s a freakish talent. He’s the same age as my son [Jack], so they played NSW primary schools together as a 12-year-old and we knew back then that he was destined to be a very good footballer.”

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Another who got to work first-hand with Suaalii was former Waratahs star turned coach Peter Hewat.

Hewat, who spent years at the Brumbies alongside Dan McKellar before taking on the head coaching role with Ricoh Black Rams, was the Australian Schoolboys coach in 2019 when they knocked over New Zealand Schools across the ditch.

“I just thought he was a freak athlete,” Hewat told The Roar.

“He could play 13-out with ease. He glided along the ground. He was very good in the air. He was a freak basketballer and had a great vertical jump.

Joseph Suaalii looks dejected after a loss during the NRL Elimination Final match between the Sydney Roosters and the South Sydney Rabbitohs at Allianz Stadium on September 11, 2022 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

Joseph Suaalii. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

“But what I was surprised about what was that he was in year 10. He was asking questions and wanting to know more. Physically too, he was playing against kids much older than him but he and Tolu Koula were the standouts.”

While Rugby Australia was in the reckoning to sign Suaalii out of school, the schoolboy sensation ultimately turned down advances from then CEO Raelene Castle, director of rugby Scott Johnson and Wallabies coach Dave Rennie.

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On Saturday, Suaalii signed a multi-year $1.6 million deal to join Rugby Australia from October 2024 through until the 2027 World Cup.

New Wallabies coach Eddie Jones, who was pivotal in luring Wendell Sailor, Lote Tuqiri and Mat Rogers to the code, batted away any questions regarding Suaalii at the 50th anniversary of the 1973 Australian Schoolboys lunch on Friday in Sydney.

“I’ve got no idea, mate. I’m only worried about this World Cup,” he said.

Jones, who saw first-hand the importance of retaining its young stars by going through school with the Ella brothers, said it was vital Rugby Australia did more to ensure it didn’t lose its emerging talent.

“It’s massively important,” he said. “A chance for the best kids to play with the best kids. Gives them a chance to play other countries, experience that feeling of playing together.

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“You look at every successful World Cup team in the world and generally it started at the 18s level.

“Then into the 20s and they come up into the senior level. So it’s massively important.”

He pointed to the extraordinary Australian Schoolboys side of 1977, who were dubbed as ‘The Invincibles’ after knocking over Ireland, Wales and England, which transformed Australian rugby and led to a golden generation that culminated in winning the World Cup in 1991.

“I think with the experience they can beat anyone in the world, and then continues through to what – the 91 World Cup, 84 grand slam. All of that success in that period was built on the success of the ’77 schoolboy side,” Jones said.

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