‘It’s a bit much to put the fate of Australia rugby on one man’ – Martin Offiah sets two clear goals for the Wallabies’ $5m recruit Joseph Suaalii
Martin Offiah has identified the goals he believes Joseph Suaalii must prioritise ahead of his union debut.
Martin Offiah has identified the goals he believes Joseph Suaalii must prioritise when the cross-code star begins rugby union life in the UK next month.
Australia have bet the house on the Samoan league sensation sprinkling stardust on Joe Schmidt’s struggling Wallabies team and attracting new fans to a flagging sport Down Under.
The cash-strapped union is reportedly paying the 21-year-old AUS$5.35 million over three seasons despite him never having played union professionally.
Martin Offiah’s goals for Joseph Suaalii
League legend Offiah says Suaalii, sent off for a dangerously high hit playing for New South Wales in this year’s State of Origin series, will have two clear objectives: to get his tackling technique right and justify his fee.
Schmidt is yet to rule on whether the ex-Sydney Rooster will join the Wallabies’ four-Test tour or go with a separate Australia XV playing games against Bristol and England A. The position he will play has not even been made known.
Suaalii is currently training in Canberra with his new teammates ahead of squad selection next week – and Offiah has a better idea than most on what will be occupying his mind, having signed for Wigan Warriors for a £440,000 fee in 1992 – a world record that stood for 14 years.
“To start with you’re just trying to make people not say ‘what a waste of money’,” says the Londoner, who ended up with more than 500 tries in league and a statue outside Wembley Stadium.
“I remember the feeling when I was signed by Wigan. There was a lot of pressure on my shoulders. You do feel that and I was fortunate I was in a very strong team. It’s going to be tough for Joseph.”
Wigan had been champions for three years when Offiah signed. The Wallabies bombed at last year’s World Cup and finished bottom of this year’s Rugby Championship, losing five of their six games.
Tackling technique
Coming into the set-up is Suaalii, so talented that he was granted an exemption to play in the NRL before his 18th birthday. He featured in a World Cup final at the age of 19.
He blotted his copybook this summer with a head-high flying tackle which saw him become only the sixth player sent off in Origin history.
“He’s going to have to watch his tackling technique in union,” warns Offiah. “But there’s no doubt he’s a specimen, a serious talent.
“The question is can he handle the subtleties of the sport? Physically and skill-wise he’s more than capable of coping with the rigours of rugby union. His skills will definitely transfer. As they did with Jason Robinson.
“I can’t wait to watch him play. Without a doubt, I’ll be tuning in. He’s box office. Australia are going to be a far more exciting team with him and that, of course, is what they’re banking on.”
Professional rugby union in Australia is at its lowest ebb. The Melbourne Rebels, one of five Super Rugby franchises, went bust in May. In September, the Wallabies shipped 67 points to Argentina – the most they have ever conceded.
The contrast with league is stark. The NRL’s 2023 season generated revenue of more than AUS$700m – up AUS$107m on the previous year. There was an operating surplus of AUS$58.2m, TV audiences, attendances and participation figures all up.
Throwing money Suaalii
Australian Rugby bosses need the Suaalii investment to pay off and Offiah fully understands why they are throwing so much of what little money they have at him.
“Because they have to compete,” he says. “There used to be a saying ‘bums on seats’. Now ‘attention’ is the watchword. That’s what you need as a brand, as a code, as a sport. Have that and you suck in talent from every corner of the globe.
“It comes down to star power. Be it Conor McGregor or LeBron James. If you have headline talent you get attention. If you don’t it’s very hard to be taken seriously.
“We see it in the NFL and NBA in the US and we see it in the NRL. Even at home look at Wigan. We all saw what Bevan French did in the Super League final last weekend.
“Wigan paid a king’s ransom to keep him in the competition and he’s shown how valuable he is. They’ve won everything and, for me, he’s been the standout player.”
Offiah adds: “Rugby union sees itself as a world sport. It doesn’t see itself as a brand. The Wallabies are the Wallabies. One team, one squad. The NRL does see itself as a brand and it continues to expand.
“Look at Kai Pearce-Paul, London-born, played for Wigan, now at Newcastle Knights. He is going into the last year of his contract and reports suggest next time he could double his money to more than AUS$600,000 a year. The NRL is thriving.”
NLR v Aussie Rugby
The contrast with union in Oz is stark. And with the British and Irish Lions touring next summer and the next World Cup slated for Down Under in 2027, the sport is desperate for Suaalii to make a mark.
“It’s a bit much to put the fate of Australia rugby on one man’s shoulders but, yeah, it needs him to deliver,” Offiah agrees. “If he does there’s a chance others will follow [from league].
“If he doesn’t, if he goes back after a season or two, I wouldn’t say it will be the death knell [for union] but it will be very hard for them to attract another [big-name] player. They’ll have to offer them even more.
“So, yeah, there’s a lot on his shoulders. But like Wendell Sailor, Lote Tuqiri and Israel Folau before him, he’s a box-office talent and these guys back themselves.
“I love that, that confidence. It’s what people want to see.”
