Rugby Australia to target top NRL talent

[kurt faulk]

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Once the nrl season starts again nobody will even remember his name or care what he does in that shit sport.

Nobody missed Wendell sailor or the other winger from the Broncos when they were actually superstars in league. Were they? I can't remember.

.

 

[Billythekid]

All these takes are ridiculously premature, he has played one game lol. Attempting to make him out to be a messiah or a failure for union after one game is just crazy stuff (though yeah it gets clicks).

Ultimately this was an expensive gamble to help turn around a sinking ship which is Australian rugby. This has managed to generate a few headlines and a small highlights package but that’s about it so far. Also a lot of the talk seems to be about the NRL anyway.

I just don’t see this having any lasting impact on the Australian sporting landscape and ultimately that’s what matters.

 

[Chimp]

Ponga moving over wouldn't surprise me

He wouldn’t play for the Wallabies though, he doesn’t even want to play for the Kangaroos because he’s an All Black at heart.

 

[taste2taste]

lol

Fitzys audience are 65 yr old white males, the same demographic that support union.

No one under 30 knows who he is, just like no one under 30 knows what union is.

 

[taste2taste]

Suaalii has put to bed any dispute about NRL players being far superior footballers to their rugby union rivals.
But it only adds to the debate that if there was ever to be a cross-code showdown we now know who’d win by the length of the Randwick straight.


In no way is this intended to be disrespectful of Suaalii’s stunning effort.


But the fact is that while Suaalii was an outstanding young player on the rise at the Roosters, at this point of his career he didn’t rank anywhere near the NRL’s top players.

If you think that’s being unfair just look at some of the names ahead of him.

From Nathan Cleary to Jahrome Hughes, Kalyn Ponga, Jarome Luai, Isaah Yeo, Cameron Munster, Harry Grant, Tom Trbojevic, Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, Stephen Crichton, Dylan Edwards, Tom Dearden, Mitchell Moses, James Tedesco, Matt Burton, Latrell Mitchell, Joseph Tapine, Payne Haas, Reece Walsh and Haumole Olakau’atu.


That’s 20 for starters, and I could go on and on.

In fact, “Buzz” Rothfield did go on and on this year when he didn’t even rank Suaalii in his top 50 NRL players list.

Of course, Suaalii was selected in Michael Maguire’s NSW team for the State of Origin series opener.

But that was in the absence of Turbo and Latrell who, let’s face it, would both start in the centres ahead of Suaalii if all three were fit and raring to go.

And don’t forget Stephen Crichton would be first centre picked on this year’s form.

Even on the wing Suaalii wouldn’t get a spot in the Blues ahead of either Brian To’o or Zac Lomax.

Yet Suaalii had the entire rugby world waxing lyrical.

While former Wallabies were blown away by Suaalii’s skills, power and athleticism, even the Poms were gushing with tributes including that the former Rooster “looks like a world star already”, along with suggestions it “rekindled memories of Jonah Lomu’s contribution at the 1995 World Cup”.


Fair dinkum, it just goes to show how starved of star power the poor buggers have been for so long.

Proof NRL will survive without Suaalii; why Rugby should be thanking league bosses: Crawls

Proof NRL will survive without Suaalii; why Rugby should be thanking league bosses: Crawls

www.foxsports.com.au

 

[Wb1234]

If all these union fans like watching average rugby league players there half an nrl comp they could watch each week

Or if they wanted to watch the good players watch the kangaroos or origin and forget about union entirely

 

[ALX25]

Well the Vunivalu experiment with the ARU has ended.

 

[ALX25]

6 or so rugby league players selected.

Australia U16 squad named for end of year fixture

www.rugby.com.au

 

[Wb1234]

6 or so rugby league players selected.

Australia U16 squad named for end of year fixture

www.rugby.com.au

Typical union flogs airbrush out the bit they are rugby league juniors

 

[titoelcolombiano]

So you're telling me that Sualii has never played a pro game of Union, steps out onto a field and is not only Australia's best player, but is better than all the English too? Sad considering he's a talented but nowhere near topline NRL player

 

[Wb1234]

With max jorgenson on 300k whilst league boy suaali is on 1.6 million it doesn’t make any sense for juniors to stay in the union system unless they get a huge payday

 

[JamesRustle]

Can't even enjoy the win without sperging about League. It's killing him inside.

His wife is at home all the time these days, so he's splooging on X to keep out of her way and simultaneously shitting himself that Swahili is a brain fart from a long suspension (knees, head highs), a dropped intercept from a sin bin and an ACL away from RU spending $1.6m while he is in rehab and spending more time with Foloau.

 

[bazza]

With max jorgenson on 300k whilst league boy suaali is on 1.6 million it doesn’t make any sense for juniors to stay in the union system unless they get a huge payday

seems that big money opportunities are pretty limited in RU in Australia, especially with 1 less pro team - so the other options are overseas RU in Japan, France or play in the NRL

It’s understood Lawson, who played alongside South Sydney and NSW star Cameron Murray at school, was floated to several Super Rugby franchises but couldn’t get someone to sign a contract to get him on their books.

https://www.theroar.com.au/2024/11/12/exclusive-aussie-sevens-star-signs-with-nrl-club-in-huge-blow-weeks-after-taking-out-games-top-award/

 

[taste2taste]

The Storm signed an All Black 7’s player a few weeks ago.

The top 7’s players get about 150k which is the minimum nrl wage.

if the nrl go ahead and introduce a 30% salary cap exemption to sign union players nrl clubs will pillage 7’s, its a low cost risk with the potential to find the next Radrada or Warbrick

 

[Wb1234]

 

[taste2taste]

Isn’t it a massive red flag for Rugbys finances that they tried to offload Suaalliis 2026 salary on to the roosters by offering him back to them for the 2026 season.

thankfully the roosters told them to bugger off.

 

[BlueandGold]

The Storm signed an All Black 7’s player a few weeks ago.

The top 7’s players get about 150k which is the minimum nrl wage.

if the nrl go ahead and introduce a 30% salary cap exemption to sign union players nrl clubs will pillage 7’s, its a low cost risk with the potential to find the next Radrada or Warbrick

You tried to slip than one by us. hahaha

Radradra is 3x the player.

 

[gerg]

His wife is at home all the time these days, so he's splooging on X to keep out of her way and simultaneously shitting himself that Swahili is a brain fart from a long suspension (knees, head highs), a dropped intercept from a sin bin and an ACL away from RU spending $1.6m while he is in rehab and spending more time with Foloau.

Meh... he will just type up some bullshit throwaway line like ... you can take the boy out of rugby league but you can't take rugby league out of the boy.

First tackle that goes wrong, he'll blame rugby league.

 

[Wb1234]

Look out panthers and eels

 

[JamesRustle]

Look out panthers and eels

Relocate the tahs.

As if they can afford a new franchise.. they still have an open lawsuit from the rebels (I think) and have to draw debt to pay Swahili.