Suaalii’s monster deal set against RA’s fight to retain star talent
There could soon be a revolving door between Rugby Australia and the Sydney Roosters, with Joseph Suaalii about to begin a mammoth deal that could be worth as much as $9.3 million, but they could also still lose schoolboy star Rex Bassingthwaite to the NRL club.
Bassingthwaite is a talented fullback who was a key part of the Australian under-18 team’s defeat of New Zealand in Hamilton, scoring the first try in the 38-31 win last Sunday. Fellow Australian Under-18s star Heamasi Makasini signed a three-year deal with Wests Tigers on Monday.
An industry source, who wished to remain anonymous to speak freely, revealed Bassingthwaite is signed to the Roosters until the end of his schooling at Shore in 2025, when he will be faced with a significant decision on which code to opt for. Bassingthwaite is highly regarded by the Roosters, winning the club’s Harold Matthews Cup (under-17s) player-of-the-year award in May.
Rugby Australia last year announced that the code had secured the services of Roosters young gun Suaalii on a record three-year contract worth a reported $5.3 million.
If Suaalii decides to trigger another two years of his contract worth $4 million as revealed by this masthead, regardless of form, it will ultimately leave RA with less money to secure rising stars such as Bassingthwaite.
Bassingthwaite hails from Dubbo and helped Shore win their first outright GPS premiership in 55 years playing as a five-eighth in August. He is one of the best young talents in an Australian Under-18 side that beat New Zealand for the first time since 2019.
Bassingthwaite’s outstanding performance in New Zealand was complemented by No.8 Heinz Lemoto, who plays schoolboy rugby for Scots and league for the Penrith Panthers.
Lemoto is arguably the highest priority junior talent in Australian rugby, given his role as an outstanding forward. The player is understood to undecided about which code he will commit to permanently.
Roosters prospect Rex Bassingthwaighte celebrates with Heamasi Makasini in New Zealand.Credit: Getty Images for Rugby Australia
Suaalii’s player option clause is extremely rare in rugby, given the specific club or international union are unable to enforce its own performance metrics or KPIs when discussions on contract extensions take place.
When Suaalii joins the extended Wallabies squad on Monday before their spring tour of the UK and Ireland he will face scrutiny like few players before him.
The last marquee former NRL player to join rugby was Israel Folau in 2012, but the player had spent two seasons playing for Greater Western Sydney in the AFL and originally only joined rugby on a one-year deal.
In his first year in rugby in 2013, Folau won Australia’s Super Rugby Rookie of the Year playing at fullback for the Waratahs and scored three tries in his five Tests against the British and Irish Lions and the All Blacks.
This form ultimately helped Folau sign a new two-year extension to bring him to the 2015 World Cup without any of the external pressure Suaalii will face because of the length and size of his deal.
Suaalii’s deal ties him to rugby until at least 2027, with both the Wallabies and the Waratahs forced to try to make the deal work however possible given the money invested.
Suaalii was a key member of the last Australian Under-18 rugby team to beat New Zealand in 2019 before opting to join the NRL.
If Suaalii can adapt to the game he excelled in as a schoolboy for The King’s School, he is set for one of the best runways available in rugby, with the British and Irish Lions arriving in Australia next year and the final year of his contract taking in a home World Cup.
Equally, if Suaalii cannot fit seamlessly and quickly into the Wallabies squad and create significant impact, his contract will become one of the most expensive missteps ever for Australian rugby.
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