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Opinion
The announcement of the signing of Sydney Roosters’ outside back Joseph Suaalii on a three-year contract worth $1.6m per season from the end of 2024 is one of the most bizarre decisions ever made by Rugby Australia, and given their track record, that’s saying something.
Based on the reaction to the news by fans and administrators from both codes, commentators, out of touch idealogues like Phil Gould, and virtually anyone with leather elbow patches, the moment young Joseph put pen to paper was possibly the biggest moment in Australian rugby since either Matt “Friar Tuck” Dunning landed his unwanted field goal nearly twenty years ago, or the sacking of under-performing Wallabies coach Eddie Jones some two years later.
RA emptied their piggy bank to land the potential star despite the fact that he’s yet to celebrate his 20th birthday, has played just 34 NRL games, and won’t have played a game of rugby for some five years by the time he makes the switch.
This all-in play is partly justified by RA on the basis that Suaalii will become their flag bearer in 2024, and in the meantime, will generate valuable exposure for the 15-man game. Or will it? Perhaps what they’ve done instead is provided the NRL with a RA funded, two year advertising campaign?
Joseph Suaalii . (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
Following the news of the young prodigy’s signing, I strongly suspect that there wasn’t a single Australian rugby fan with access to a TV remote who didn’t secretly tune in to the Roosters versus Parramatta NRL showdown on Thursday night, not only to see what all the Sua’ali’i fuss is about, but also to see what rugby can expect to get for its money.
They certainly would’ve liked what they saw, as following a failed HIA by Roosters number 1 James Tedesco early in the match, Sua’ali’i switched to fullback, really showed his class and went on to play a very influential role in his team’s victory.
After that introduction, you can bet RA’s bottom dollar that rugby fans tune in en masse again next week, and the weeks after that, for some more Suaalii magic, and to watch rugby’s future saviour in action.
This will not only be a big shot in the arm for the NRL’s viewing figures over the next couple of years, but who knows, the more rugby fans watch the more they will inevitably be drawn to rugby league and the other talented NRL players who put Suaalii in the shade?
It would certainly be preferable to watching Australian sides lose week after week to their Kiwi cousins in the Super Rugby.
If NRL supremo Peter Vlandy’s is smart, and yes, that is a big “if”, he’ll ensure that young Joseph is also selected in the NSW Origin team, the Australian team, and any other team he can think of, to ensure maximum return for the NRL on RA’s investment.
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