Rugby league superstar Joseph Suaalii will face Wales at the Principality Stadium this weekend.
The 21-year-old code convert is currently the hottest prospect in Australian rugby, and he put in a sensational debut performance against England last Saturday.
Sonny Bill Williams, Jason Robinson and Andy Farrell are among the most famous code converts, and Suaalii looks like he could follow in their footsteps and become a test match star in rugby union.
LEARN MORE: Graham Price: Gatland is running out of excuses – Wales must beat Australia
LEARN MORE: Today’s rugby news as Gatland set to release giant center in imminent announcement
Here’s everything you need to know about the man of the moment….
Background
Suaalii was born in Penrith, Sydney, in 2003 to Samoan and Australian parents. At the age of 12, he set the men’s high jump record – an athletic trait that would help him when he made his rugby debut nine years later.
During his childhood, Suaalii played for the Glenmore Park Brumbies and Coogee Wombats in rugby league, focusing fully on this specific egg-shaped code of the game.
He went on to represent the South Sydney Rabbitohs in the Harold Matthews Cup, the NSW Schoolboys and the Australian Schoolboys in rugby sevens. From that point on, Suaalii became a promising prospect on the league scene Down Under – such point that he agreed a two-year contract with the South Sydney Rabbitohs in 2019 at the age of 15. Having made the decision, the Rabbitohs boss was delighted to bring Suaalii on board. “We believe Joseph and Lachlan have long and successful NRL careers ahead of them,” Rabbitohs general manager of football Shane Richardson said.
“Joseph has fitness and skill levels that go well beyond his age, but more importantly he has the desire to achieve everything he can in rugby league through hard work and his perseverance.”
Signs for its main rivals
After being released by the Rabbitohs, Suaalii signed for arch rivals Sydney Roosters in 2020 for a transfer fee worth £25,000. In an article written by the NRL itself when announcing the decision, it described him as “the most fashionable schoolboy footballer of his generation”.
Just 17 years old at the time, the NRL granted Suaalii a special exemption so he could make his Roosters debut before his 18th birthday, aged 17 years and 294 days. A week after making his debut, he also scored his first try.
He was injured in his first season with the Roosters, but made a comeback in 2022. That year, he represented Samoa at the 2022 Rugby League World Cup, qualifying to play for the country thanks to his father. He played every match in this tournament.
A multi-million dollar contract
In March 2023, the big news broke: Suaalii had signed a huge three-year contract to leave rugby league and join the union with Rugby Australia.
In a deal that will see him earn more than £800,000 per season, Suaalii will represent Australian Super Rugby team NSW Waratahs as well as the national team. Rugby Australia made its big announcement with a simple statement: “Rugby Australia (RA) and the NSW Waratahs today announced that they have signed Joseph Suaalii from October 2024 until at least the end of 2027.”
This means he will be available in Australia for the British and Irish Lions tour next year, as well as the Rugby World Cup in 2027.
Speaking about his big move, Suaalii said: “The Sydney Roosters have been great to me and my family since I arrived here and the club will always be a big part of me.
“There is still a long way to go in my journey with the Roosters and my only goal is to work hard every day to continue to improve and play my role within the team.”
This is one of the biggest code changes ever made in Australia, with rugby league being by far the most popular code. There is reportedly a clause in Suaalii’s contract that he can extend his union stay until 2029 in a deal worth more than £6million.
Huge first performance as a union
There was a lot of anticipation ahead of his union debut, with the 21-year-old having last played a union game at school.
Would it be able to handle different code? Would it be a flop? Would this be a huge disappointment?
The answer was no.
He notched a player-of-the-match performance for Australia as they beat England 42-37 in their own backyard. As previously mentioned, setting the men’s high jump record at age 12 is certainly a nod to your future athletic abilities, and it certainly helped during his professional rugby union debut.
Let’s take this example. Early in the second half, Wallaby fly-half Noah Lolesio launched a shallow, hanging kick into English territory, leaving time for the chase. Having already won a few kickoffs in the first half, Suaalii timed his run well and leapt head and shoulders above his opponents to collect the ball with ease.
In a frustrated but admirable tone, TNT Sports co-commentator Ben Kay simply said, “He got it again,” which perfectly summed up Suaalii’s contribution to the match.
And not only that. He impressed the fans and commentary team with a fine assist for Tom Wright’s try just in the 26th minute. He simply used his height to unload the ball over George Furbank’s head.
Wales receives ‘abnormal’ warning
Speaking to the media ahead of Australia’s clash with Wales in Cardiff, center partner Len Ikitau warned of his teammate’s abilities.
“He’s a monster, man,” Ikitau said. “Just being able to play alongside him and see what he can do on the pitch is awesome. I just expect more from him now that he’s played his first game.
“I thought it was great to see him defend in the 13 channel – I know as a 13 player it’s quite difficult to defend and I thought he was great in that space – then he wanted just getting involved and getting the ball, so it was good.
“Honestly, we saw all of that in practice. He came in and learned exactly what he needed to learn, and he just demonstrated it on the field. It was awesome to see.”
Wales will face Australia on Sunday, November 17 at 4:10 p.m.