NRL 2021: Roosters must clear contract hurdle before Joseph Suaalii debut

The ailing Roosters have until later today to resubmit Joseph Suaalii’s contract with the NRL if he is any chance of making his first grade debut this weekend.

Joseph Suaalii. Picture: Matt King/Getty

A huge injury toll has paved the way for Joseph Suaalii to potentially make his highly anticipated top grade debut, but the teenager is a facing one big hurdle — his contract is yet to be approved by the NRL.

News Corp understands a contract was submitted last week but an incorrect signature on the paperwork has stalled the process.

The NRL has asked the Roosters to re-lodge the contract with the correct signature before Suaalii’s NRL deal can be finally registered.

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Joseph Suaalii’s NRL contract is yet to be lodged to the NRL.

As of Monday afternoon, the Roosters had not officially lodged the teenager’s NRL contract with the governing body.

It means Suaalii, who was granted an age exemption to play NRL before turning 18 in August, is not an official member of the Roosters top 30 squad or contracted as a development player and won’t be eligible to play NRL until the contract is ratified.

It’s believed Suaalii, who joined the Tricolours on a two-year deal from arch rivals South Sydney in December, is currently only on a NSW Cup contract.

For coach Trent Robinson to name Suaalii in his 21-man squad to take on the New Zealand Warriors on Sunday, the Bondi club would need to lodge Suaalii’s NRL contract on Tuesday.

Given Luke Keary [ACL], Lachlan Lam [MCL] and Lindsay Collins [concussion] have all been added to the club’s burgeoning causality ward, the Roosters are expected to ask for an injury exemption to be able to name a 21-man squad.

A spot for Suaalii could open up on the edge if Robinson opts to go with centre Joseph Manu in the halves.

Luke Keary is the club’s highest profile player in its growing casualty ward.

But it’s unlikely an injury exemption would be sought or granted specifically for Suaalii, a back, given it is Robinson’s halves stocks, and not his outside backs, which have been decimated with injury.

If Suaalii’s contract is not upgraded on Tuesday, or even in the coming weeks, the teenager could potentially make his NRL debut on via his NSW Cup contract with Roosters feed side, the North Sydney Bears.

Under new contract rules, development players and players from outside of the top 30 will be available for selection from after round 10.

In the past, clubs needed an injury exemption to name players from outside of the top 30 roster.