Anasta ‘can’t cop’ comparison between Joseph Suaalii and Sonny Bill Williams
An NRL great says he “can’t cop” comparisons between Joseph Suaalii and Sonny Bill Williams as the teen’s code swap makes waves.
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Braith Anasta says he “can’t cop” comparisons between Joseph Suaalii and his former Canterbury Bulldogs teammate Sonny Bill Williams.
Suaalii is the talk of the rugby world after officially committing to leaving the NRL at the end of the 2024 season in a lucrative deal with Rugby Australia.
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Suaalii’s contract with RA and the NSW Waratahs – reportedly worth $1.6 million – is until the end of 2027, ensuring he is availabile to play for the Wallabies at that year’s Rugby World Cup as well as against the touring British and Irish Lions in 2025.
The 19-year-old backline utility is no stranger to rugby union, having played the 15-a-side code for The King’s School, and represented NSW and the Australian Schoolboys in rugby sevens.
There’s been no shortage of rugby league players who have made the switch to union over the years.
Mat Rogers, Wendell Sailor and Lote Tuqiri famously made the move from the NRL to be part of the Wallabies side that made the 2003 Rugby World Cup Final.
Former Wigan player Jason Robinson won that World Cup playing for England, while Sonny Bill Williams won two Rugby World Cups representing the All Blacks in 2011 and 2015.
Williams also won NRL premierships with the Bulldogs in 2004 and the Roosters in 2013.
Israel Folau is the most successful player to make the move to the Wallabies in recent times, and now Suaalii has naturally drawn comparisons to cross code stars of the past.
But many believe the teenager hasn’t done enough at this early stage of his career to warrant the hype and the hefty $1.6 million price tag.
“I can’t cop the comparison to Sonny right now, at this stage of Suaalii’s career,” Anasta said on NRL 360 on Tuesday night.
“He debuted with me, Sonny. Sonny Bill was man of the match game one. He was almost the best player in every game from he put that Bulldogs jersey on.
“He was leaps and bounds ahead of this kid at the same stage of their careers. I cannot see the comparison as yet.
“The potential is there to be as good, if not better. But right now, I can’t cop that comparison.”
The Daily Telegraph’s Paul Crawley said other teenage stars of years gone by such as Greg Inglis were far better than Suaalii at the same age.
“He’s a really talented athlete, obviously,” Crawley said of Suaalii.
“He’s really good in the air and he’s very, very brave. But has he really had the impact that someone like Greg Inglis had in his teenage years?
“Like Greg Inglis went out and played five-eighth and won a Clive Churchill Medal. Sonny Bill, when he first exploded onto the scene, he used to tear teams apart.”
Suaalii’s code swap has prompted a war of words between Rugby Australia boss Hamish McLennan and ARLC Commission chairman Peter V’landys.
V’landys believes the 19-year-old will get “terribly bored” in union and will return to the NRL in the future.
McLennan then hit back at the critics, labelling them a “bunch of cry babies.”
Roosters teammate Brandon Smith, a Kiwi, delivered a hilarious press conference full of cheeky digs at rugby, saying: “A $1.6 million winger from the Roosters isn’t going to help (the Wallabies) beat the All Blacks.”
Bulldogs supremo Phil Gould called on the NRL to cut ties with Suaalii immediately.
“Every time he scores a try. Every time he does something in our game people are going to refer to the fact that he’s going to rugby,” Gould said on Nine’s 100% Footy.
“Why do we need that? Go now. Don’t let the door hit you on the arse on the way out. Go. Go now. Gone. He’s made his decision. You sign a contract for rugby 18 months before his league contract ends.
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Originally published as Anasta ‘can’t cop’ comparison between Joseph Suaalii and Sonny Bill Williams
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