Joseph Sua’ali’i: What ‘box-office’ NRL star will bring to rugby union following code switch
Joseph Sua'ali'i will move to union next season
New South Wales and Sydney Roosters back Joseph Sua’ali’i is set to jump codes over to rugby union at the end of the current NRL season, and he should be a box-office recruit.
Still only 21-years-old, Sua’ali’i has made 60 appearances for the Roosters in the NRL and notched an impressive tally of 28 tries in the process. He has also represented Samoa at Test level, and helped them reach the 2021 World Cup final.
He is clearly an incredible talent, but what will he bring to rugby union? Well, here is the lowdown on the Waratahs newest recruit.
Style of play
The Roosters back is a proper player, and has a really good all-round skillset.
Sua’ali’i is deceptively strong on both sides of the ball. He is a great carrier of the ball, and carries very hard into traffic and has really good feet at the line to help him power through tackles.
Elsewhere, his time on the wing and full-back have helped him become a genuine threat in the air, particularly in attack. In league, kicks to the corner are a huge part of any attack, and he has really worked on this skill and added yet another string to his bow.
Defence was often a tough one for him, but he has improved in this area this season. He has really began packing a punch in the tackle, and more importantly has got a much better understanding of how to defend at centre too, which will be crucial upon his move to union.
He is a very complete athlete, and his style of play should help him succeed in union.
Position
Sua’ali’i has played across the backline in the 13-man-code. He featured at full-back during the World Cup, and for the Roosters has played both centre and wing, and that’s likely where he will feature in union too.
The role of a centre in rugby league is slightly different to that of a union midfielder, but he should make the jump across with ease. His abrasive carrying, strength in the contact and more importantly his direct lines of running really suit the role of a number 12. He also has the defensive capabilities to flourish in this position too.
He would also be a top quality winger too. Again, the role of a league winger is fairly different to that of a union one, but in his 30 NRL matches on the wing, Sua’ali’i has scored an impressive 22 tries; and there’s no reason he wouldn’t be a top-class finisher in union either.
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A clever way to use him could actually be in some sort of in between role, similar to how Joe Marchant and Tommy Freeman have played in recent seasons. This hybrid winger/centre role has helped both players accelerate their development, and this could be a nice way to get Sua’ali’i settled into life in rugby union.
Senior high-level experience
Sua’ali’i’s multi-million dollar deal will likely him thrust into the Wallabies team for the British and Irish Lions series next year, but he already has high-profile Test experience in league.
Aged only 19, Sua’ali’i was called into the Samoa squad for the delayed 2021 World Cup. He started all six of the Pacific Islanders’ games during the competition in England, and helped his side reach the final.
He was also a part of the victorious NSW squad in this year’s State of Origin series. He started the first game, but only lasted four minutes before copping a red card, but later returned to the wider squad for the series decider.
These two experiences will have got him used to life in a senior high-level camp, so he should settle in really quickly when called up for the Wallabies.
There is plenty of hype surrounding Sua’ali’i following his great start to life in rugby league, and there is absolutely no reason why he won’t be a success in the 15-man-game.
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