Private jet and country estate: how Russell Crowe may have sealed Joseph Suaalii deal

Joseph Suaalii looks set to sign on with South Sydney after being flown via private jet for a secret meeting at Russell Crowe’s multimillion-dollar property.

South Sydney owner Russell Crowe could have sealed the signature of promising teen Joseph Suaalii. Picture: Getty Images/Supplied

It was a secret meeting at Russell Crowe’s multimillion-dollar property in Nana Glen that may have sealed the deal with teen football star Joseph Suaalii.

The Australian has learnt the Hollywood star used a private plane to jet Suaalii, his family and South Sydney bosses to his house near Coffs Harbour last week in an attempt to keep the talented player at the Rabbitohs.

Crowe entertained the Suaaliis at his 400-hectare property as the chase for the rising star hotted up with the meeting coinciding with the “$3 million offer” from rugby, an amount that has been hotly disputed by the governing body.

Rugby Australia’s interim chief executive Rob Clarke has repeatedly called the $3m figure “fanciful” and wrong.

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The Australian understands that RA’s offer was $350,000 over 18 months with the deal to start immediately, with the contract to be funded from the Emerging Wallabies fund which is part of the Australian Rugby Foundation.

Last week Rugby Australia seemed to have had the inside running, the lure of playing for Olympic gold in rugby Sevens in Tokyo is understood to be a drawcard for Suaalii. Now the NRL club may have nudged back in front in the race for his signature. South Sydney’s original deal was $1.7m over three years and it not certain if they have revised it since RA’s audacious bid was made public.

While Suaalii is yet to make a final decision there is now a growing sense that the pendulum has swung back towards the Rabbitohs.

The Rabbitohs are due to have a board meeting on Tuesday where the Suaalii deal is set to be discussed.

South Sydney chairman Nick Pappas told The Australian he naturally has a great hope Suaalii stays with the Rabbitohs.

“We would love Joseph to stay,” Pappas said.

“We are unashamed in our desire to keep him. But we are also aware that Joseph is 16 and that this decision is entirely up to him and his family. Blake Solly and other Rabbitohs staff members have really left the family alone to make their decision. I know there may be a desire to play in the rugby sevens at the Olympics in Tokyo next year. Whatever Joseph and his family choose to do we will respect his decision.”

Joseph Suaalii has already represented South Sydney in the SG Ball junior competition

While South Sydney had been growing confident by the week that they would retain the freakish footballer they have already been paying $60,000 a season to under a rookie contract,

RA has been quietly hatching a plan over the past nine months to transition Suaalii from GPS schoolboys prodigy to Test player and Olympian.

Wallabies director Scott Johnson has led the fight for the teenager’s signature. Johnson has formed a strong relationship with the family and made a number of trips along the M4 to the Suaalii family home near Penrith to meet with the prodigious teen and his parents. Wallabies coach Dave Rennie has also been a leading figure in negotiations.

A source close to the family said “the kid” was not motivated by money. “He is not a dollar man … the family are not money hungry people,” the source said.

The Suaalii family is known within their community for being “very charitable” and “humble”.

The news of Crowe’s meeting came as ARL Commission chair Peter V’landys says the game will consider changing their rules to allow South Sydney youngster Joseph Suaalii to play in the premiership as a 17-year-old should he decide to reject the advances of rugby union.

Should Suaalii stay, V’landys said the game may revisit the rules that prevent anyone making their first grade debut before they have turned 18.

“One thing I have noticed with rugby league is that the rules are too prescriptive,” V’landys said.

Rabbitohs owner Russell Crowe talks with Souths coach Wayne Bennett and former player Luke Burgess. Picture: Brett Costello

“In any corporate governance model you have to have discretion because you are going to face challenges like COVID. And if you don’t have discretion, and you don’t have the agility, you will fail.

“So we will look at all the rules to give the commission the power to make decisions on their merits. That is one rule we will look at.”

The change would need the support of the Rugby League Players Association because it is part of the collective bargaining agreement.

“But all rules have to be flexible and they have to meet all challenges before the commission and the management of the NRL,” V’landys said.

“Some of the rules don’t allow us to do that. That is one thing about the commission — we will make change when it is necessary.

“We will look at anything that is for the benefit of the game. So we should look at all cases on their merits. We should not have blanket rules that stop you from doing things that are for the benefit of the game.”