Australian player’s ‘honest’ response to jealously question after ex-rugby league star’s multi-million dollar deal
Wallabies' newest recruit Joseph Suaalii and his Waratahs team-mate, fly-half Tane Edmed.
Australia have confirmed that Joseph Suaalii will be on their end-of-year tour while a player insists that there will be no resentment towards him.
The 21-year-old has made the switch from rugby league after becoming a star of the 13-a-side code during his short stint in the NRL.
Rugby Australia are reported to be paying Suaalii a whopping AUS$5.35 million over the next three seasons, but that could go rise to AUS$9 million should he stay for two more years.
Despite never playing a game of professional rugby union, coach Laurie Fisher categorically stated that the youngster would be heading with the Wallabies squad to the northern hemisphere.
Chances of playing
“He’ll definitely be on the tour, which side he’ll be in or start in, I’m not certain at this stage,” Fisher said. “But he’ll definitely be over there and he’s obviously a huge part of the plan moving forward.”
It is a risky but perhaps unsurprising decision given how much they forked out for the exceedingly talented ex-Sydney Rooster.
That contract makes Suaalii the highest paid player in Australia but his Waratahs team-mate, Tane Edmed, insists that there is no jealously towards him from the other players.
“Oh, mate, I think he’s earned it, to be honest with you,” Edmed said.
“No-one’s going to hold any hard feelings against him for it, you know – he’s earned that. If he came in here and he wasn’t a good bloke and he didn’t work that hard… but, mate, he’s a great man.
“Super mature. You can tell why he’s gotten to this level that he has, because he’s not just a talent, you know, you can see he wants to work hard. We’re all happy to have him.
“I think he’s going to be a massive asset to the Waratahs and then hopefully the Wallabies in the future.”
Suaalii will be playing alongside Edmed at the Waratahs next season, but they could be linking up sooner than that should the fly-half also be selected in the Wallabies squad.
They have both attended a two-day training camp in the capital Canberra this week, which has given the playmaker a chance to get to know their new recruit.
“He’s slipped in really nicely,” Edmed said.
“I’m really excited about what he can do once he learns the intricacies of rugby, which won’t be too foreign to him…
“It probably won’t take him too long. He’s a natural athlete. He’s got his head on his shoulders, well and truly, he’s intuitive.
“He’s looking to learn every session and at the end of the day he’s a great football player, so I don’t think it’ll take him too long.
“And being an outside back, I don’t think there’s a whole lot different. I think he’s going to be just fine.”
‘Quick learner’
Wallabies’ experienced coach Fisher was also in attendance, running the rule over some of the Waratahs and Brumbies players, and the 66-year-old has been impressed by Suaalii.
“He’s a really nice young man. He’s an excellent athlete,” he said.
“He’s a quick learner and he’s hungry to be successful. He doesn’t overcomplicate the game which fits in with what we want to do.
“We talk a lot about eyes and feet, about being able to see the threats in defence, the opportunities in attack and then use your feet to get to where you need to go and that suits him down to the ground. It’s not about point A to point B to point C.
“It’s about opportunities and threats, shutting them down, opening them up. I think he’ll be fantastic at that.”
