David Riccio: Rugby Australia‘s decision to fast-track Joseph Suaalii into the Wallabies squad is a disgrace
In the space of 25-years, Rugby Australia has torched everything that champions of the sport like John Eales fought to uphold, writes David Riccio.
John Eales, one of the greatest Australians to ever pull on the Wallabies jersey, who played 86 Test matches and won two World Cups, one of which was as captain, was asked a few years ago about the foundation and culture that was laid within the team in the years prior to winning the 1999 World Cup under Rod McQueen.
The 1990s was period of transition for rugby union in Australia, when players still worked while playing representative rugby, to then being paid to represent their country in the professional era.
“It started with our purpose,” Eales said.
“We wanted it to mean exactly the same for someone who pulled on a Wallaby jersey in the professional era as it meant for someone who pulled it on in the amateur era, because wearing the jersey should have nothing to do with money, and everything to do with what it means to play for this team and what it means to play for your country.”
Nothing to do with money.
In the space of 25-years, Rugby Australia has torched everything that champions of the sport like Eales fought to uphold.
The Wallabies jersey belongs out the front of Peter Wynn’s Score on the discount rack so badly has it been cheapened by the ridiculous $5 million splurge on former Roosters centre Joseph Suaalii.
Alongside 33 Wallaby squad members, Suaalii has a seat on a plane bound for the United Kingdom on Thursday.
He hasn’t played a game of rugby union in five years, since an Australian under-18’s game against New Zealand in 2019.
Suaalii is part of the Wallabies Spring Tour squad that will play in Tests against England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland over four consecutive weekends in November.
Instead of easing Suaalii back through the Australia A squad, Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt has already hinted that the athletic outside back could make his Wallabies debut as soon as the second Test against Wales.
Boom. He just walks straight in. Of course he does.
As loose as Israel Folau can be at times with his comments in the media, it’s any wonder why he told The Australian that he reckons he could walk back into the Wallabies line-up at the age of 35, when he’s watching RA toss the famous gold jersey to Suaalii, who managed five tries in 21-games for the Roosters last season, the least of any player in the Roosters backline.
The fast-tracking of Suaalii is both expected and embarrassing for Australian Rugby, who have pushed more than $5 million into one player instead of investing in a strategic plan to inject life into grassroots rugby and at least some type of defence against the stream of schoolboy rugby players at a GPS school level walking with their school bag into NRL systems.
Such is the pressure on RA to justify every cent of the monster contract that it comes as a greater shock that Schmidt hasn’t winked to reporters that Suaalii could run out in the opening Test against England.
Of course, this is neither Schmidt or Suaalii’s fault.
The coach didn’t wave a fat payday under the nose of Suaalii and the 21-year-old simply accepted an offer that not one NRL club could afford.
Yet the issue for the young star is, it won’t be RA executives that will cop the boos if he drops a ball, or shanks a kick.
They should, but they won’t.
Where Suaalii will play in the Wallabies backline is crucial.
Of his 66 NRL appearances for the Roosters, Suaalii played 30 on the wing and 36 at centre.
Obviously, both positions are vastly different in rugby union compared to NRL.
Wingers play like a second fullback in union, helping communicate and organise the men inside him, while as an outside centre, Suaalii’s big frame will only be useful if his five-eighth and inside centre are providing enough quality ball distribution.
Folau is a believer that Suaalii will be better suited to fullback, where he can ease into his cross-code transition with the freedom to roam and play what he sees.
Even coach Schmidt is yet to declare which of the three positions he feels Suaalii is best suited.
Yet this is where RA finds itself.
Handing a $5 million contract out for a Wallabies jersey, that as Eales once stated, should never be about money.
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