Rugby Australia chairman Hamish McLennan has slammed what he described as the “thuggish behaviour” of NRL figures towards Joseph Suaalii since the teenager signed with rugby, and said the 15-man code would take the Roosters star straight away if league doesn’t want him.
As a future Waratahs teammate said he supported Suaalii’s recruitment despite potentially losing his spot to the 19-year-old, McLennan fired up about the commentary of NRL identities around the youngster’s decision to sign with Rugby Australia from 2025 onwards.
Suaalii has almost two seasons left at the Roosters before switching to rugby on a three-year deal, but Bulldogs general manager Phil Gould bluntly called for the teenager to walk away from the NRL immediately.
“Every time he scores a try. Every time he does something in our game, people are going to refer to the fact that he’s going to rugby,” Gould said on 100% Footy on Monday.
“Why do we need that? Go now. Don’t let the door hit you on the arse on the way out. Go. Go now. Gone. He’s made his decision. You sign a contract for rugby 18 months before his league contract ends.
“You can’t sign with any other rugby league club in that time. He can only sign somewhere else. He’s made his decision. I have nothing against the kid. I’ve loved having him in the NRL. He’s a tremendous athlete and is great for the game. But he’s decided to be a rugby player. Bye bye. Off you go.”
Phil Gould has implored Joseph Suaalii to leave the NRL immediately after signing a multimillion-dollar contract to switch codes at the end of next year.Credit:Getty Images
McLennan suggested the Gould comments were part of a “hysterical” broader reaction from NRL figures about Suaalii’s decision to return to rugby.
“Here is a young man who is bettering himself, who has freakish talent and came from rugby originally and the leaders of that code are turning on him and Isaac Moses [Suaalii’s agent]. It is quite thuggish behaviour in my opinion,” McLennan told the Herald.
Asked if rugby was prepared to bring forward Suaalii’s switch, McLennan said: “I would take him in a heartbeat.”
McLennan also said he had been contacted by the agent of another “major NRL player” since the Suaalii signing, inquiring about a potential switch. The Rugby Australia chairman declined to reveal the name.
Joseph Suaalii came to the NRL, and initially South Sydney, from rugby union.Credit:NRL Photos
“The genie is out of the bottle,” McLennan said. “He wants the international exposure, the big stadiums and the international events.
“At rugby we are more pro-player. Longer careers, greater life experience, more focused on player welfare and more fun.”
Questions have been raised about the impact of Suaalii’s big-money signing on players already in Australia’s Super Rugby sides, regarding the size of the reported $1.6 million-per-season pay cheque and opportunities for selection.
But Waratahs and Australia A winger Dylan Pietsch, who recently re-signed to the end of 2025 and could be the man left out in a potential back three of Suaalii, Max Jorgensen and Mark Nawaqanitawase, said he had no problems with it.
“There is no fear. He is such a good player and such a good kid. He went to King’s [School] so I know him relatively well and it is good that rugby will have him back,” Pietsch said.
“He is a really talented athlete and to have him in the back three, if that means I am in or out, I don’t really mind because he is such a good athlete and if he is going to win the Tahs games, then beautiful.
“Everyone has their opinion. I don’t mind, to be honest. You have to throw him a bit of money to get him over here – it is a fair bit of money, too – but it doesn’t really faze me as an outside back.”
With just one win from five games, the Waratahs are major outsiders to beat the Brumbies in Canberra on Saturday night but Pietsch said underdog status was a comfortable – and welcome – setting. The Tahs fell to the Chiefs at home last week but took confidence from the performance.
“You could definitely see at the weekend how well we defended. That was something we missed in the first couple of games, how well we defended as a team,” Pietsch said.
“We scrapped along. The other games we probably weren’t scrapping as much as we should. Hopefully the boys will flick the switch and that’s what we have for the rest of the season.
“That’s our DNA, all last year that’s what we did. We built our wins on and built our teams on, was scrapping for the ball and being underdogs. We get that again this week and that’s really cool for us to be there again.”
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