A week after he stood down as Rugby Australia chairman in late 2023, Hamish McLennan said he had no regrets about one of the apparent reasons behind his demise: signing Joseph Aukuso-Suaalii on an eye-watering $1.6 million-a-season, three-year deal.
“The criticism of him and the deal is crazy,” McLennan told colleague Danny Weidler. “Before he pulls on a jumper he has generated over $50 million worth of publicity for rugby … and the first time he plays for the Waratahs in front of a full house, he pays for himself. It’s a no-brainer.”
That was still 11 months away from Suaalii finishing in the NRL, and then swiftly making his debut for the Wallabies.
And as an ad man, McLennan has never seen an extra splash of mayo he didn’t like, so the $50 million in publicity figure is a hard one to stand up. Whatever the number, it would have doubled since Suaalii’s headline-grabbing debut at Twickenham.
But the star recruit’s first Waratahs game is now also upon us, and though the prospect of a salary-covering sell-out is unlikely, the “Suaalii effect″ has still become pretty clear for the Tahs.
Suaalii was, on Wednesday, named to make his debut for the Waratahs in their season opener against the Highlanders at Allianz Stadium on Friday night. Having recovered from a knee injury that kept him out of the trials, Suaalii was selected at fullback in a team that will also feature NSW debuts for Taniela Tupou, Rob Leota and Darby Lancaster, and the returns of Andrew Kellaway and Dave Porecki.
The strength of the new Rebels-bolstered Waratahs is reflected in the fact Wallaby prop Isaac Kailea, young gun Teddy Wilson and classy winger Triston Reilly all missed selection. Coach Dan McKellar said it was the hardest side he’d ever had to pick.
The Waratahs are expecting a “strong” crowd based on ticket sales, but whether it challenges the 25,000 that saw the Tahs play the Brumbies in the first game back in Allianz in 2023 won’t be known until the night.
Already, however, the impact of Suaalii on the Waratahs is evident, following a pre-season where the star recruit has been plastered on multiple back pages of Sydney newspapers, appeared on morning television and in ad campaigns, and been a steady presence in his new sky-blue kit on social media, too.
Joseph Aukuso-Suaalii has driven new levels of interest in the Waratahs.Credit: Wolter Peeters
Suaalii’s spectacular Wallabies debut at Twickenham was a major boost – RA monitoring found 10,000 mentions of the star back across all media since October – but the recruit has continued to be in high demand. Waratahs officials say interview requests for the 21-year-old are about five times those for everyone else combined, and from a wide variety of non-traditional outlets.
It has all helped generate a buzz about a Waratahs player – and a Super Rugby season – not seen since the early days of Israel Folau.
Online tracking by Waratahs officials has shown a 60 per cent increase in search traffic for the Tahs, and while Suaalii-boosted crowds may take a few weeks to gauge, the club says there has been a 15 per cent increase in membership sales compared to the start of 2023.
The Waratahs-Highlanders game will be broadcast on free-to-air TV on Nine Gem.
“It’s still a little bit early to know [the impact on crowds] with the season starting this Friday, but we will certainly know in a few weeks the effect he has had,” Waratahs acting general manager Andrew Cleverley said.
Beauden Barrett and Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii pose during the 2025 Super Rugby season launch on Wednesday.Credit: Getty Images
“He has, and will, create excitement about the game and where he plays and how he plays. I have kids of my own who are pretty excited about seeing him play.”
The motivation of McLennan in poaching Suaalii was to find rugby a genuine poster boy; a star athlete with the talent to help win games, but also the profile to drive interest in rugby in weak markets, sell tickets and win the hearts of kids.
Whether the price paid for that package is “no-brainer” value for money, or far too steep – one informed insider predicts RA will lose four Wallabies a year due to Suaalii’s contract – the early signs show, at least, it is working.
But one of the more interesting elements of the “Suaalii effect″ is the impact inside Waratahs HQ.
The youngster impressed coaches at the Wallabies and Waratahs with his fastidious dedication and professionalism: things like stretching, extra training, quizzing coaches and being disciplined with diet and sleep.
That standard has already begun to rub off on players throughout the Waratahs squad, from rookies to veterans. Angus Bell recently took Suaalii to his family farm for a break, and was told off by his father for not getting up at 5am to stretch, like his guest.
“He is a very professional guy; the way he acts in our building, the way he does extras, the way he sleeps and eats and looks after his body and the way he seeks knowledge from the coaching staff. And it’s fair to say there’s an effect on others, right?” Cleverley said.
“For guys like Jackson Ropata, James Hendren, around that age who are looking to break into Super Rugby, and even guys like Lalakai Foketi, who has been around Super Rugby for a while, you are seeing this person who is so professional. And it makes you rise to that.”
