‘He’s pretty special’: Crowe joins tug of war for $3m teen
Russell Crowe is expected to step in as South Sydney bid to stop 16-year-old Joseph Suaalii from accepting a $3m RA offer.
Hollywood actor Russell Crowe is expected to step in as South Sydney bid to stop 16-year-old sensation Joseph Suaalii from accepting an eye-watering three-year $3m offer from Australian rugby — the biggest ever offered to a teenager.
While Rugby Australia is suffering financially, facing $20m of debt, The Australian understands rich third-party benefactors are willing to help stump up the millions to attract the 196cm 96kg fullback who is in Year 11 at the exclusive King’s School in western Sydney. On an RA contract he could represent Australia in the Rugby Sevens at next year‘s Tokyo Olympics.
It is believed Souths owner Crowe, who led the negotiations that eventually attracted Rabbitoh heroes Sam Burgess and Greg Inglis, will do everything he can do to encourage Suaalii to stick with the Redfern club.
Contracted to Souths until the end of next season, Suaalii last month agreed to a three-year extension at Redfern worth $1.7m. But the Rabbitohs cannot register the contract with the NRL until Suaalii turns 17 on August 1, which has given RA time to swoop.
Under NRL rules, Suaalii could not play NRL until he turned 18.
The monster $3m deal offered to the teenager contrasts to the wretched pay circumstances thrust upon the majority of RA’s 192 professional players. They are currently on a 30 per cent pay cut due to the COVID-19 crisis.
The big-money offer is set to ruffle the playing group — including some Wallabies who have not been offered contracts for next year. The game is also without a broadcast deal beyond 2020 and the rights are estimated to be valued between $10-$20m a season.
Rugby Australia chief executive Rob Clarke said the proposed deal with Suaalii was “fanciful”.
“Joseph Suaalii is an upstanding young man and a talented rugby player who has proven himself to be an exciting rugby prospect for the future,” Clarke said.
“We have made it no secret that we would like to keep Joseph within the rugby pathway.
“At this stage there has been no agreement between Joseph, his family or his representation. Rugby Australia continues to have an open and exciting conversation about his potential future in the game.
“Financial offers being speculated in the media presently are totally fanciful, and is being propagated by the usual suspects whose sole interest it is to inflate and misrepresent contract values.”
Last month Fox Sports reported that the Rabbitohs had outlaid $1.7m to ensure Suaalii played in the NRL. Suaalii spent the summer training with the South Sydney NRL squad and won over the likes of coach Wayne Bennett, Burgess and Damien Cook.
Wallabies coach Dave Rennie attempted to sign him in February this year but with the cash-windfall from third-party benefactors RA could be in the box seat.
Burgess even described Suaalii as “unbelievable.”
“Look, I hate rapping young kids,” Burgess told Fox Sports. “I‘ve seen him first-hand, training with the first team, and forget his athletic ability — what I saw inside Joseph Suaalii that day, I saw (how) we took him to the edge of the cliff and he hung on for dear life and he had the courage of a 25 to 28-year-old man. And he was riding contact — this was six months ago — like any other first-grader. I‘ve never ever seen a kid do that and never mind an outside back.
“So I hate rapping a young kid because it‘s unwarranted, but I’ve seen him first-hand, he’s pretty special.”
At just 16, Suaalii has already represented NSW in rugby league, rugby union, AFL and basketball. He also represented the Australian Schoolboys and Australian under 18s rugby union sides.
Additional reporting: Dean Ritchie
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