Wallabies enraged by $3m offer for teenager Joseph Suaalii

Top Wallabies are furious they have had a “contract freeze” while a possible $3m mega deal has been tabled to teenage prodigy.

Rugby Australia’s offer to Joseph Suaalii would make the 16-year-old one of the top 10 paid Wallabies. Picture: Paul Seiser/SPA Images

Top Wallabies players are furious they have had to endure a “contract freeze” while a possible $3m mega deal has been tabled to teenage prodigy Joseph Suaalii.

While interim CEO Rob Clarke and coaching director Scott Johnson have repeatedly told those in the game there is a “contracting freeze”, that rule didn’t apply during RA’s negotiations with the young gun who plays for South Sydney.

When contacted by The Weekend Australian on Friday, Rugby Australia said the “freeze” would be formally relaxed and an email had already been sent to Super Rugby executives stating that player contracting could start up again. Player agents are yet to be informed the freeze will be lifted.

The Weekend Australian can reveal the offer to Suaalii – even if RA only matched South Sydney’s offer of $1.7m over three years – would make the 16-year-old one of the top 10 paid Wallabies.

If Suaalii was paid the full $1m a season, in a deal that would include third-party arrangements and cash from a fighting fund, the teen would sit behind only Wallabies captain Michael Hooper.

Hooper is the best-paid player in Australian rugby, earning $1.25m a season while Melbourne Storm winger Suliasi Vunivalu will cross codes next season on an $800,000 salary.

Tevita Kuridrani and Dane Haylett-Petty ($700,000) and John Eales medallist Marika Koroibete ($550,000) are the code’s other top earners.

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A document reveals most other experienced Wallabies are earning from $500,000 to $600,000.

Wallabies candidates Jack Maddocks, Tom Banks and Tom Wright are understood to be on wages just below $400,000.

The move to sign Suaalii has affected many players who have been unsure about their future and aware of the reality the new broadcast deal may only be worth between $10-$20m a year.

The Weekend Australian has learnt Rugby Australia emailed Wallabies this week about Suaalii’s potential deal, disputing reports of a $3m offer.

 

Clarke has called it “fanciful” and moved to allay any concerns that a record contract was being thrown at the teenager.

It did little to temper the unrest within the playing group. One Wallaby, who did not want to be named, said the email didn’t do much to placate the players.

“Players are not happy but no one will speak up, now the email has left the group angry. Players are exhausted by RA’s games, they haven’t been upfront since COVID day one,” he told The Weekend Australian.

On Friday, however, Wallabies captain Hooper maintained Suaalii’s arrival could be “exciting” for the code.

“I’m not across the numbers or any of that but it is great that we’re in the conservation for someone who is clearly a real talent, just from the amount of buzz,” Hooper told The Daily Telegraph.

“It wouldn’t just be pulled out of thin air and where there’s smoke there’s fire and this kid seems to have a lot about him.

“It’s exciting for rugby to be in this conversation and it’s also exciting that hopefully as a business we’re able to start looking at the future and contracting and stuff like that.”

Clarke declined to comment on the players’ anger.

There’s concern about the plethora of backs on the Wallabies’ books, with the wage bill well over $3m on nine players. It is especially concerning considering the shortage of lineout specialists in Australian rugby ranks.

It is common knowledge within the Super Rugby scene that Test lock Izack Rodda, who quit the Reds, was keen to stay in Australia and, despite the Brumbies, Rebels and Force being willing to sign him, the Rugby Australia board refused to offer him a contract. The world-class second-rower is currently in France to play for Lyon on a year-long deal.

Rebels Matt Philip – another lock – is also set to depart to France at the end of this season.

One player agent was aghast at the money willing to be spent on a back when the Wallabies needed locks.

“Why are we spending money on a back when we need to win this year’s Bledisloe?” the agent said. “Our biggest issue is locks; why didn’t we spend a million on Will Skelton?

“This is where the players have issues. All the players are saying we need locks and 10s – why aren’t we getting back Skelton?”

Skelton, 28, has spent the past three seasons with English club Saracens.

The Weekend Australian can also reveal Rugby Australia could have been saved some financial pain had the hierarchy signed the teen superstar four years ago when they had the chance.

In 2018 Rugby Australia officials were in conversation with Suaalii’s family. At the same time, the Melbourne Storm were also courting him and he attended a pre-grand final game of indoor cricket with the team.

While contemplating his immediate future a representative of Suaalii proposed that the teen would likely sign with Rugby Australia on a three-year “development deal”. That deal would have seen him paid a base wage from the age of 15 to 17 years of $100,000 per year and gifted the code a chance to indoctrinate him further into the game, given he was still playing rugby league with South Sydney at the time.

This was more money than what had been offered in rugby league at the time, but far from the monster offer now on the table. RA chose not to put that offer forward. It now appears that decision will cost them heavily.

If Suaalii makes the switch to the Wallabies, he will be in direct competition with the next generation of superstars of the game, including the likes of Maddocks, Banks and Wright. Maddocks and Wright both remain off-contract beyond this season. RA had initiated a contract-freeze during the COVID-19 shutdown.

“It appears the freeze applied to all players apart from Suaalii,” said an agent. “Another point of contention for players who have sat patiently and respectfully for the good of the game and their fellow players.”

With the game’s finances in dire straits, no broadcast deal and uncertainty around the code honouring or renewing their contracts beyond 2020, more Wallabies are considering walking from the code, including young gun Jordan Petaia who is being pursued by at least two NRL clubs.

As one rugby official said, some players are “pissed off” at RA’’s move to sign “the kid” when the code was suffering financially.

“Rugby Australia have champagne taste and beer money,” the official said. “We have a top-heavy roster, we pay too much for top talent and then we bitch and moan that the junior talent isn’t there because we have not invested in growing the talent.”

The same rugby official observed that Clarke and Johnson had “repeatedly told” the game there “there is a contracting freeze and you can’t contract anyone”.

“So every single team has been sitting on their hands, not being able to sign players.”