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International

'Not be vindictive': Rugby Australia boss sends warning to League over Suaalii reaction

By Ben Smith

16 Apr 2023

Joseph Suaalii and Nathan Cleary arrive for a New South Wales Blues State of Origin training session at Hale School on June 21, 2022 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)

Rugby Australia boss Hamish McLennan has offered some sage advice to rugby league if they want a chance at getting star recruit Joseph Suaalii back.

The reaction by rugby league figures to the original news of Joseph Suaalii’s impending switch to rugby union has been bitter, with figurehead pundit and Bulldogs Chief Phil Gould telling the Roosters star to ‘go now’ and get out of ‘our game’.

The discussion dominating rugby league now is whether Joseph Suaalii should be prevented from playing State of Origin, Australian rugby league’s showpiece event between Queensland and New South Wales.

RA chairman McLennan said that they need to be ‘dignified’ in how they handle Suaalii and avoid burning bridges with the young man.

“League should pick on talent and form, and not be vindictive,” McLennan told the Nine papers.

“I suspect they’ll have a better chance of ever getting him back if they’re dignified about it.

“If Joseph’s wish was to return to league at some point in the future, we’d be relaxed about it.

“It’s a great honour to play for the Wallabies or in a Lions series, but we wouldn’t be punitive.”

Wallabies head coach Eddie Jones was excited by the prospect of seeing his future player in the Origin arena and did not want to see him miss out over the contract situation.

The 63-year-old believed performing well at Origin level was a good indication of how a player would handle Test rugby.

“The league recruits we had in the past, Wendell Sailor, Lote Tuqiri and Mat Rogers, all were brilliant at Origin,” the Wallabies coach said.

“It’s a true test of a league player, and they showed they could cut it there, and it would be good to see Joseph in that same arena.

“I think if you can handle what Origin throws at you, it shows you will be able to handle Test rugby.

“It’s the highest of standards and it would be great to see him make it into the Blues side and then play well.”

Suaallii was involved with the NSW Blues squad in 2022 but has not featured yet in a State of Origin game.

He represented Samoa at the Rugby League World Cup in 2022 and helped the Pacific side make the final.

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Comments

1 Comment

Willie 584 days ago

More "pearls" from Mr Ed and Wilbur.

Join free and tell us what you really think!

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Comments on RugbyPass

Bull Shark 10 minutes ago

Sadness pervades as Gatland stands on the brink of Welsh exit

Not true. I'm a South African and I absolutely loved seeing the Wallabies beating England. And miss the Wallabies of old who were a devastating force with some of the greatest players of all time.

I hear quite regularly that Australians prefer Aussie rules, league, and cricket over rugby.

So again, seems like Australians are to blame for the state of the game in Australia?

16 Go to comments

Bull Shark 18 minutes ago

Let's be real about these All Blacks

I find Ben Smith to be an emotionally driven hysteric. So I question everything he writes.

He launched into the year about the ABs being back this year. For a "journalist" his opinions are based on the flavour of the month.

He's at least gone quiet about how sh1t the boks actually are. Although I suspect he's working on an outrageous article to that effect as we speak, to drive engagement after the end of the Autumn series, as we'll all be taking a break until the 6N.

22 Go to comments

Chesterfield 21 minutes ago

Michael Hooper reacts to Scott Barrett’s controversial late-game call

The dominant pack should be enforcing their superiority with maximum points and the psychological advantage of taking the lead.

You don’t get that by saying we’ll settle for three and try again you get it by scoring seven and trying again. Doesn’t come off every time?

No.

But if you’ve asserted dominance letting the opposition off and not trying to build a double score difference is wrong minded.

All blacks have traditionally played to build the unassailable lead not meekly win a single point victory.

11 Go to comments

Arnold 23 minutes ago

Let's be real about these All Blacks

Aaah. Ben Smith. Ever the unbiased, objective rugby scribe......NOT.

Unable to give credit where it's due, other than for the ABs, especially when it comes to the Boks. His contempt for them is tangible. If you want to " Get Real" about these ABs Ben, consider when they last beat the Boks??? For us Bok fans, beating the ABs is the only true measure.

22 Go to comments

Reader76 42 minutes ago

Let's be real about these All Blacks

"they [All Blacks] are nuggety and resourceful and don’t wilt. They are prepared to win the hard way, accumulating points by any means necessary."

Sounds like you're describing your arch-nemesis Ben 😁

22 Go to comments

CM 45 minutes ago

'Steve Borthwick hung his troops out to dry - he should take some blame'

This article only shows a part of SBs failings as England Coach. Firstly his reputation st Leicester was false, his SA and Welsh players won the matches not his coaching prowess. He has Wigglesworth as attack coach, someone who rarely attacked when playing. His player selection is awful, ignoring form players and sticking with failed internationals. He picks players that he knows and will be easy to manage for him. What on earth is Slade doing when even for Exeter he does not make line breaks with steppping, pace or guile, why on earth are Cole,George,Steward,Ford,Iseweke and a few other anywhere near the Team. Borthwick is awful as Head Coach of England.

1 Go to comments

Mzilikazi 46 minutes ago

Key Wallabies trio running hot a year after being left in cold

Good to be writing about a WB team that has beaten two 6 N sides in successive weeks, Brett.

Lolesio indeed is looking very comfortable under Schmidt coaching. He must feel as confident now as he was feeling in his spell at Toulon last year. It will be interesting to see how he does against Finn Russell.

30 Go to comments

J Marc 1 hour ago

'Passionate reunion of France and New Zealand shows Fabien Galthie is wrong to rest his stars'

Your unterstanding of the relation FFR LNR, is far better than the one in the article. For Meafou, there is an article on Skelton saying he is totally indispensable in the australian game.

In France they are often compared, and french game is often, but not always ,based on this kind of number 5. But , there are a lot of kind of play in France and in the world, and it's a blessing, because otherwise, the game would be boring.

On my other post ,which you replied, my intention was to explain with some historics facts the main importance, in France, of the championship.

But ,once again, I would prefer 3 games in NZ , with the better french players.

287 Go to comments

Ninjin 1 hour ago

Let's be real about these All Blacks

I said before the November tests that the AB's should go smash some Nh teams to find their feet and it seems that is just what they did bar France. Could have should have always sucks. Better to look to the future.

22 Go to comments