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Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii is pretty 'confident' about return to rugby
By AAP
Fresh off his NRL season with the Sydney Roosters, big-money rugby recruit Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii is putting his hand up for game time on the coming UK tour.
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The 21-year-old, who signed a multi-million dollar deal to play with the NSW Waratahs and Wallabies, has joined a “training hub” in Canberra this week under the guidance of Test coach Joe Schmidt.
Rugby Australia (RA) will next week announce two squads to send overseas in November, with the Wallabies facing England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland.
An Australian XV will play English club Bristol Bears and England A.
Suaalii said he had recovered from the NRL season, in which the Roosters progressed to the preliminary finals in late September, and was ready for action.
“If they throw me in, I’m ready to go,” Suaalii said on Monday.
“I played the game at school, so it’s just fine-tuning and getting the skills back that I had in rugby.
“I’ve always backed myself going against anyone so I’m very confident in my ability to play.
“I needed rest from that NRL season, it’s a long, brutal season.
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“Now, it’s about learning each day, and sitting down and going through film and little things. I’ve played the game before, and I’m very confident in my ability.”
Suaalii’s monster deal, under the previous RA regime, attracted plenty of scrutiny and that spotlight is expected to intensify.
But as a former schoolboy star long courted by both rugby codes, he said he wasn’t bothered by it.
