‘He’s a great mentor of my life’: Suaalii credits Folau for Wallabies rise

On the eve of the Wallabies’ departure for their spring tour of Great Britain and Ireland, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii has revealed he is being mentored by one of rugby’s most successful – and controversial – code-hoppers, Israel Folau.

The Suaalii roadshow pulled up in the grand surrounds of the Bennelong Lawn overlooking the Sydney Opera House on Tuesday to launch the new Wallabies jumper for the upcoming Lions tour.

Suaalii said one of his strongest early memories of watching rugby came in 2013, the last time the Lions toured Australia, when Folau scored on his Test debut against the tourists.

Watching the former NRL and AFL star shine in that game planted the thought in the mind of the nine-year-old Suaalii that, maybe, he could represent the Wallabies one day.

As a young student at The King’s School, Suaalii was already showing huge potential on the rugby field – but he was hungry for knowledge, and reached out to Folau. The subsequent encounter sparked a lasting friendship.

“I actually met Israel when I was 14, I really looked up to him,” Suaalii said. “When I was younger, I felt like for a young kid, I really wanted to ask a lot of questions. I feel that’s been one of my strengths, just learning.

Joseph Suaalii models the Wallabies jersey to be used in the upcoming British and Irish Lions tourCredit: Getty Images

“And I feel like Israel was someone I could look up to and ask questions to. Yeah, every now and then I do catch up with him, and he’s a great mentor of my life.”

What is the best piece of advice Folau has given him ahead of his Wallabies debut?

“He is a man that doesn’t speak a lot, but it’s his actions I kind of picked up on,” Suaalii said. “He’s a great man, first of all. I feel like that’s the biggest thing I’ve learned: always be a great man outside of footy.”

Folau played 74 Tests for the Wallabies but had his contract with Rugby Australia terminated in 2019 over an anti-gay social media post.

Israel Folau proved a revelation for the Wallabies when making his debut against the Lions a decade ago.Credit: Dallas Kilponen

Folau claimed he had been unlawfully sacked and launched legal action, ultimately reaching a settlement agreement with RA. He resumed his career playing rugby league for Catalan Dragons, before returning to rugby union in Japan with Urayasu D-Rocks and debuting for Tonga against Fiji in 2022.

On the field, there are distinct similarities between Folau and Suaalii, most notably in their physical size and explosiveness. Folau started his Test career as a winger, before eventually finding his position as a world-class fullback, and debate has raged as to where Suaalii fits in to the Wallabies team.

“I’ve been training everywhere,” Suaalii said. “I’ve been training at wing, centre, fullback. But just like league, I did play centre, fullback, wing, so I’ve no clarity of what position I’ll be playing. I’m just trying all positions, just learning as much as I can.”

Folau and wife Maria during his case against Rugby Australia in 2019.Credit: Justin McManus

Suaalii believes his experience of playing State of Origin for NSW, where he was sent off for a high shot on Reece Walsh in the series opener at Accor Stadium, will stand him in good stead when it comes to the huge crowds and intense attention he will face from media and fans in the northern hemisphere. The first Test against England, on November 9, will be played in front of 82,000 fans at Twickenham.

“I feel I’ve learned a lot from that game, that Origin game, [even if] I only played seven minutes,” Suaalii said. “I feel like I’ve learned a lot about the preparation going into the game and how excited you can be, and it’s a balance between a lot of things ... I feel like I learned a lot, even though I only played seven minutes of the game.”

Along with recalibrating his body and mind to the intricacies of the rugby breakdown, Suaalii has also signed up for an intense tackling school, where he has worked on lowering his sights in defence – an essential part of the game given the strict officiating in the 15-man code.

“It is different, tackling, I feel like league is all about tackling high and getting [into the] wrestle, but things like the chop tackle are one of my strengths, too,” Suaalii said. “So yeah, it’s just about practising more, just practising every day. I feel like that’s the way I’ve got to do it.”

Wallabies breakaway Fraser McReight, a shortlisted finalist for the John Eales Medal to be announced on Wednesday night, spoke of how well Suaalii had adjusted to the international set-up and his excitement at seeing him play his first game.

“I mean, he’s a great athlete, he’s shown that,” McReight said. “So if he gets called upon he’ll be ready. [I’m] Super excited to see him play, personally.”

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