Wallabies: Israel Folau reveals which position suits Joseph Suaalii best
New Wallabies recruit Joseph Suaalii and former full-back Israel Folau.
Former Wallabies star Israel Folau has given his verdict on which position fellow high profile code hopper Joseph Suaalii should settle on in rugby union.
Suaalii was recently included in Wallabies head coach Joe Schmidt’s 34-man squad for their internationals against England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland next month.
No stranger to rugby union
The 21-year-old is no stranger to the 15-a-side code as he was a schoolboy rugby superstar who represented the Australia Schoolboys side at full-back in 2018.
Suaalii then made the switch to rugby league, where he initially impressed for the South Sydney Rabbitohs at age-grade level before joining fellow NRL outfit the Sydney Roosters in 2021.
However, he finished his rugby league career last month and returned to rugby union after signing a contract thought to be around AUS$5.35 million, which will take him to the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
That deal could rise – if reports are correct – to AUS$9 million if he stays an extra two seasons.
Folau, who played mostly at full-back in 73 Tests for the Wallabies between 2013 and 2019, was sacked by Rugby Australia in 2019 for a “high-level” breach of their code of conduct following a stream of social media posts that were anti-gay.
And he believes the number 15 jersey will be the best fit for Suaalii who, like Folau, will also represent the Waratahs at Super Rugby Pacific level.
“I probably see him as a full-back,” Folau told The Australian.
Could feature at centre in the future
“He’s such a big body I think he could, long term, play (in the centres), but for now I just think full-back, for me personally, is his position.”
Prior to his rugby union career, Folau also had stints in the NRL and AFL and the 35-year-old believes Suaalii’s initial spell in the 15-man code will stand him in good stead upon his return to the game.
“He went to a rugby school,” he added.
“I think he’s got no dramas in the sense of understanding the game and making the transition over.”
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