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‘Travelling the world’: Why NRL star Joseph Suaalii signed with Rugby Australia

(Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

NRL star Joseph Suaalii admits the opportunity to potentially play against the British and Irish Lions in 2025 played a key role in his sensational decision to swap codes.

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Following long-lasting rumours and speculation, Rugby Australia and the NSW Waratahs confirmed in March that they’d signed the Sydney Roosters flyer on a three-year deal.

Suaalii, who also represented Samoa at last year’s Rugby League World Cup, will remain with the Tricolours until the end of the 2024 season before switching codes in October.

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The teenager will ply his trade in rugby union until at least the end of the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia – an event that Suaalii said “speaks for itself.”

For the first time since Rugby Australia confirmed the headline-grabbing deal, Suaalii has opened up about what motivated him to jump codes.

“I always loved both games. I always had visions when I was younger of playing in both codes. It was something I always visualised and saw in my life,” Suaalii told The Daily Telegraph.

“The Lions Tour was one of my first encounters with union. It has been something that has always been a goal.

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“A home World Cup – playing in Australia – I think it speaks for itself.

“Money has never been my main factor. Obviously it plays a part but the World Cup, Lions Tour, Bledisloe Cup – I have always seen that as a bigger factor. Travelling the world is another key factor as well.

“I have taken up my option. All my focus is on playing for the Roosters this year and next year. Everyone at the club knows I want to be here for the remainder of my contract.”

Suaalii starred at First XV level at Kings College in Sydney and was widely considered a generational talent. A teenage athlete had never been talked about as much in Australian sports.

After capturing the attention of both codes – with NRL super coach Wayne Bennett describing the pressure on the then 16-year-old as “unfair” – Suaalii eventually inked a deal with the Roosters.

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Still only 19, the electrifying utility back has gone on to impress – and was even called into New South Wales’ State of Origin squad after just 12 games at NRL level.

Despite all the pressure and hype that followed the teenager into professional sport, Suaalii has managed to leap over every hurdle with both grace and poise.

But rugby union was always in his sights.

“I was really clear with (Roosters coach Trent Robinson) Robbo throughout the process of signing my deal with union,” Suaalii added.

“We were clear and honest with everyone. I still look to Robbo for advice off the field and on the field.

“He still is and always will be a mentor. I feel like Robbo and I have a great connection. He is the sort of man I aspire to become one day.

“It was a hard decision for me to leave. I always chase my dreams and that has always been in my heart.

“It is going to be hard to leave the Roosters in a couple of years but my heart and my dreams always come first.”

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RedWarriors 2 hours ago
Brendan Fanning: 'Wales have been insulted by the degree of arrogance abroad on this side of the Irish Sea.'

Watching 6N since the 1970s. You?


As an occasional journalist (although politics) I have an eye for sentiment in media. Almost every broadcast I heard, at worst were at pains to be careful to be considerate and at best were remarkably respectful. I read a few articles in Irish papers of record even supply researched articles into how aspects of the Irish system could be applied in Wales and which would be unsuitable. In short I have never experienced a build up to a 6 nations match where one sides media and pundits showed as much respect to another. Every country will have a broadcast which takes the p1ss. Thats not news. If that is the bar then every country has been a ‘national embarrassment’ before every match. Your substantiation for believing Ireland (in particular) is a national embarrassment is therefore unclear.

Why do I read the Daily Telegraph? I read many rugby articles, and related articles in Daily Telegraph and The Times to get different perspectives. You might as well ask why listen to ‘Off The Ball’ and place such an importance to it that a joke in it is a national embarrassment?

I don’t speak for you, but equivalently you don’t get to declare a joke as a ‘national embarrassment’ without substantiation.


The issue was not the joke, thatw as nothing. It was the noise made by ‘outraged’ British and Irish media who were cynically cashing in on it.


Yesterday WalesOnline continued their decades long extreme bias against Irish rugby by attacking Dan Sheehan and the Irish team saying they “laughed at the whinging Irish” when Sheehan brought up issues with how the scrum were adjudicated.

This comment was not made in jest. Do you consider this a national embarrassment? Should we attack all Welsh rugby fans and media for tolerating these continuous quasi zenophobic attack on Irish rugby and fans? Nah, didn’t think so.

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