Rabbitohs secretly chased Wallabies star after Gagai’s departure

A report claims South Sydney went hard at trying to tempt a former Storm star to abandon a $1.8 million deal and return to the NRL.

Suliasi Vunivalu in Queensland reds colours. Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images.

The Daily Telegraph’s Buzz Rothfield has claimed the Rabbitohs attempted to sign former Storm flyer Suliasi Vunivalu after losing Dane Gagai in the off-season.

The South Sydney side were outclassed in their Round 1 clash and were clearly lacking in the outside backs after losing their Origin star to the Knights.

While the Redfern side missed the direction of veteran playmaker Adam Reynolds after his departure to the Broncos, their attack looked lacklustre without Gagai’s offensive threat.

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Vunivalu was selected in Wallabies coach Dave Rennie’s squad last year but was denied a chance to debut for the Wallabies as a result of a series of hamstring injuries. He is in the final year of the two-year contract — reported to be worth $1.8 million — he signed with Rugby Australia and the Queensland Reds before leaving the NRL.

“The right wing is a problem, they are okay on the left with Alex Johnston but what I can tell you is during the off-season Vunivalu who won the premierships at Melbourne Storm, then went to Rugby Union, playing for the Queensland Reds,” Rothfield said on NRL 360.

“Behind the scenes they tried desperately hard to get him into a Souths jersey, they couldn’t come up with the money at the end of the day.

“On the left centre I think that’s a problem too, with Jaxson Paulo.”

Buzz Rothfield revealed the South Sydney Rabbitohs were chasing the signature of former Storm flyer of Suliasi Vunivalu on NRL360.

While the Rabbitohs were damp in attack, Latrell Mitchell’s inclusion, after serving his suspension for a brutal hit on Joey Manu, will be a welcome one for Souths.

Blake Taaffe’s late exclusion didn’t help the Rabbitohs only days before Round 1, moving Johnston to fullback and bringing Mansour into the side.

But Rothfield believes the Origin star owes it to his club to have a huge season in 2022.

“I think Latrell has a debt to the Rabbitohs, I think he hasn’t taken complete ownership on the tackle he made on Joey Manu last year,” Rothfield said.

“He has been dirty on the world, he thinks the game has gone soft, he thinks he shouldn’t have got a seven week suspension all that sort of thing.

“What he has got to think about, I think the pain for Souths fans, players, sponsors, was as much as Joey Manu suffered.

“I honestly think Souths win the grand final if Latrell plays, and I looked at that side against Brisbane and I saw how much they needed him the other day.”

Originally published as Rabbitohs secretly chased Wallabies star after Gagai’s departure