It was at a BBQ overlooking the Sydney Harbor Bridge that Joseph Sua’ali’i accepted one of the biggest checks in Australian rugby history.
He was eating Portuguese chicken with Eddie Jones and Hamish MacLennan last summer, when the then-Australian rugby coach and president found them both charming.
Jones and McLennan, looking to make a splash in the market, have set their sights on signing two of their country’s biggest rugby league assets, Sua’ali’i and Cameron Murray.
Sua’ali’i was playing for the Union not long after leaving school and was making a name for himself as one of the most athletic backs in the NRL with the Sydney Roosters.
McLennan took it upon herself to sign him up and talked to him for months before bringing his family to his waterfront home to sign a cross-code contract worth nearly $5 million. It was the largest cross-code deal since Sam Burgess.
Joseph Sua’ali’i can now make his Wallabies debut at Twickenham against England on Saturday.
The 21-year-old star has signed the biggest cross-code switch deal worth around $5 million.
He was convinced to make the move after a barbecue with former Australia coach Eddie Jones.
Sua’ali’i, 21, joined the Wallabies for the first time on their autumn tour and can now make his professional 15-a-side debut against England on Saturday.
“Eddie thought he was a superstar,” McLennan told Mail Sport. ‘I asked, “Has anyone spoken to Sua’ali’i?” No one called him, so I called him myself. I wouldn’t have done it if Eddie hadn’t been so enthusiastic.
‘He’s so tied up in the league system and the Roosters are a top team that no one thought they’d be able to catch him.
‘He was a lovely person. I asked him if he wanted to come and play rugby and he said he had always dreamed of playing for the Waratahs or Wallabies. “Football is everything to me,” he said.
‘His agent came back asking to meet his family, so I invited them to dinner. It was me, Eddie, Joseph, Phil Waugh (CEO), Joseph’s parents Celina and Chris, my wife Lucinda, our daughter Olivia and her boyfriend Alex. We had BBQ and Lucinda cooked Portuguese chicken. We all had a great time and Joseph agreed to meet.’
Sua’ali’i’s defection was back-page news in Australia. He will be one of the Wallabies’ poster boys for the 2025 Lions tour and 2027 World Cup. Israel Folau, Lote Tuqiri, Wendell Sailor and others crossed the league-union gap.
McLennan added: ‘Union have been raided by league talent scouts for 20 years.’ ‘That’s why the wallabies fell off their perches. Rugby Australia has a dysfunctional pathway and the AFL has also lost talent.
Sua’ali’i is widely regarded as one of the Roosters’ most exciting and athletic outbacks.
Hamish McLennan has claimed Sua’ali’i’s move is ‘bigger’ than Sam Burgess’ blockbuster switch.
Prior to his move, Burgess had established himself as one of the NRL’s biggest stars.
‘I think I’d say Joseph has already paid his bills. I would say we did $50 million worth of publicity. Every game of rugby league they have been talking about how he will unite. He will sell out stadiums.
‘Bigger than a Sam Burgess code switch. Sam was a pretty big star here, but Sua’ali’i is even bigger. As great a player as Sam Burgess was, Joseph will only get bigger. Joseph grew up around rugby and everyone here sees his potential.
‘Whether it’s rugby league or rugby union, everyone in Australia agrees he’s a once-in-a-generation player. He is so talented that he could go straight into the Test team without having played Super Rugby.”
Sua’ali’i arrived coupled with glowing references. At 6ft 5in, he has already proven himself under the high ball at rugby league’s highest level. His speed and power earned him a State of Origin call-up and he has the versatility to play as a wing, full-back or centre.
‘Being the highest paid player in rugby shows what they think of him,’ said All Black code switcher Sonny-Bill Williams. ‘I’ve met him in and out of the Roosters. If you look closely, you can tell he is an athlete.
Sua’ali’i has received glowing recommendations since joining the 15-a-side code.
McLennan said Sua’ali’i had already paid because his moves were widely known.
‘Ask Sam Burgess how difficult it is to move from forward to midfield. Ask Benji Marshall how difficult it was to learn how to be a halfback. Joseph grew up playing rugby so he knows the game well. Although he has only been in the league for the past few years, he will know the nuances of rucks and breakdowns.
‘If you’re an outside back like Joseph, the difference isn’t that big. In midfield you are the thinking player, you have the voice, you look at the defensive shape, what are the player’s bad habits… That’s what Joseph must think. However, he is already playing in an outside back role.
‘His job in the league was to go out, get breaks, try to score goals and shine. He is good under the high ball, so if he is deployed on the wing at Test level, that will be one of his strengths.’
His Boys’ Union experience makes him a ready-made weapon. Rumors are swirling that he will be thrown in last resort this weekend following World Rugby’s rule changes that have made dogfights more competitive.
He has played rugby union at school but has yet to play professionally.
The 21-year-old joined the Waratahs this year and received praise from his team-mates.
‘He’s been training really well,’ said Wallabies team-mate Samu Kerevi. ‘We met with him for a few days and he asked me a lot of detailed questions, such as identifying the breakdown.
‘We’ve seen him play in State of Origin, we’ve seen him play at the highest level of rugby league. If you translate the way he competes, even though it’s a different game, he’s there. Physically he is there.
‘Even though he is 21, he reminds me of Israel Folau. I know he would love to wear a Test shirt and play a game of football, so I think he will be ready. He backs himself up. This is exactly what you want.
‘The attention to detail is really good because he wants to learn the game more, he knows the game really well and he wants to run it under test lights.’
