Australian Rugby / RA

[rugboy]

Paywalled.

The signing of Joseph Sua'ali'i could be at once the best and worst outcome for Rugby Australia among the many controversial decisions they’ve made in recent years.​

“This is ridiculous,” one player said of the report that RA is offering Sua'ali'i $3 million over three years.​

“How are they offering a 16-year-old that much money when we’re all being forced to take pay cuts?”​

Fair question.​

 

[rugboy]

RA interim chief executive, Rob Clarke, shot back.​

“Financial offers being speculated in the media presently are totally fanciful, and is being propagated by the usual suspects whose sole interest it is to inflate and misrepresent contract values,” Clarke said.​

Nevertheless, RA is desperate to pull off the coup.​

“We have made it no secret that we would like to keep Joseph within the rugby pathway,” Clarke said.​

“At this stage there has been no agreement between Joseph, his family or his representation. Rugby Australia continues to have an open and exciting conversation about his potential future in our game.”​

RA deny their offer is close to $1 million a season. But what we can be sure of is that it’s much more than NRL club Souths Sydney’s offer of $570,000-a-year, a figure that would instantly make Sua'ali'i among the top 10 highest paid rugby players in Australia.​

So the angry reaction of numerous star Wallabies, who are all on pay cuts and have been given no guarantees of being reinstated to full salaries after September 31 when their agreement with RA expires, is understandable.​

But Sua'ali'i is the most hyped teenage footballer in the country’s history, said to be better than Israel Folau, Sonny Bill Williams and Greg Inglis at the same age.​

When he was just 14, Sua'ali'i had a training run with professional rugby players, grown men, and physically dominated them. One still gets teased about the touch up.​

Rugby was slammed last year for losing him to the Rabbitohs system when Sua'ali'i confirmed rugby league was his chosen sport, having played union at school and junior representative level.​

They tried to coax him back, then came the bombshell last month – Souths had offered Sua'ali'i $1.7 million over three years to secure his talented services.​

Well, rugby – without a broadcast deal, shedding numerous staff and forcing their top stars to take 65 per cent pay cuts to survive the COVID-19 pandemic – was dead in the water.​

Or so we thought.​

Many teens have been touted for greatness and, after receiving mega pay deals, have been overburdened by expectation and failed to reach their promise.​

Through no fault of his own, Sua'ali'i can expect a cold reception in rugby dressing rooms, filled with players who have sacrificed a great deal only to be greeted by a teenager earning far more.​

And the unforgiving social media landscape will be sure to critique each Sua'ali'i error with glee.​

The Wallabies are struggling to find two international worthy second rowers this year, while a teenage outside back with no professional experience could be given one of the best salaries in Australia.​

RA will have a dissenting playing group, but also a superstar face to represent the code until the 2023 World Cup.​

What Sua'ali'i has already delivered rugby is the cut-through news they’ve desperately craved for months.​

 

[Kenny Powers]

If true, Rugby Australia has officially gone full Kayne West!

 

[Up the Guts]

Sounds like RA approached Sua'ali'i with a better deal than Souths and his manager or someone else has leaked an exaggerated amount to the papers to try and drum up a counteroffer from League.

 

[I like to watch]

I wouldn’t mind being at the first contact session the kid participates in.

there'll be a couple wanting to welcome him into the Big boys league.....

 

[oztimmay]

And the fallout from the rest of the players has apparently begun

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/s...r/news-story/d6d842d60ecfb002b98343716731e663

Probably why Clarkie has come out tonight denying the signing.

https://www.rugby.com.au/news/2020/07/21/joseph-Sua'ali'i-contract-rugby

 

[cyclopath]

The signing of Joseph Sua'ali'i could be at once the best and worst outcome for Rugby Australia among the many controversial decisions they’ve made in recent years.​

“This is ridiculous,” one player said of the report that RA is offering Sua'ali'i $3 million over three years.​

“How are they offering a 16-year-old that much money when we’re all being forced to take pay cuts?”​

Fair question.​

Ok then.........

 

[Rugbynutter39]

In fairness league also has taken massive pay cuts so if RA sign the kid - well just saying -

 

[Up the Guts]

Ok then...

Mr Anonymous Sources gets around

 

[Adam84]

his manager is playing all parties.. how many leaks have their been about his contract negotiations now..

 

[Dan54]

Does RA not have an age kids have got to be at before signing them? If they truly are chasing a 16yo, and NRL can't until he 17, I am afraid NRL is making Rugby look not too good in my book!! FFS 16yo kids being signed up??

 

[KOB1987]

Does RA not have an age kids have got to be at before signing them? If they truly are chasing a 16yo, and NRL can't until he 17, I am afraid NRL is making Rugby look not too good in my book!! FFS 16yo kids being signed up??

It is 17 as well for rugby. He turns 17 on August 1st. When the bunnies made their announcement a couple of months there was always the chance Rugby would make a move as they couldn’t technically sign him till August. Similarly the NRL have a couple of weeks to move on him. Not all things about rugby in Australia are bad Dan.

 

[KOB1987]

Jessica has weighed in on the discussion but doesn’t add anything of value except that RA can’t afford him and all the players will be upset. Oh, and that there’s a third party involved, surprise, surprise.

 

[KOB1987]

The signing of Joseph Sua'ali'i could be at once the best and worst outcome for Rugby Australia among the many controversial decisions they’ve made in recent years.​

“This is ridiculous,” one player said of the report that RA is offering Sua'ali'i $3 million over three years.​

“How are they offering a 16-year-old that much money when we’re all being forced to take pay cuts?”​

Fair question.​

That actually reads like it’s straight out of the Beetoota Advocate.

 

[Dan54]

It is 17 as well for rugby. He turns 17 on August 1st. When the bunnies made their announcement a couple of months there was always the chance Rugby would make a move as they couldn’t technically sign him till August. Similarly the NRL have a couple of weeks to move on him. Not all things about rugby in Australia are bad Dan.

I did wonder, I know Warriors in NZ signed a kid at 16, he plays wing for Chiefs now, his name alludes me.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

^ Etene Nanai-Seturo. I think he was 18 by the time NZR signed him up for the 7's program.

 

[KOB1987]

I did wonder, I know Warriors in NZ signed a kid at 16, he plays wing for Chiefs now, his name alludes me.

It’s probably the same. They can negotiate and shake on a deal, but can’t sign a legally binding contract until they are 17. The press would report that he ‘signed when he was 16’, but didn’t really, and it will be the same with JS.

 

[Jets]

He'd be better off playing league for three years and then rugby swooping on him if he's any good. Can't justify the spend, even if it's not their money. Most players have an injury in their first few years and it wouldn't be a great look having an unproved $1M on the sidelines.

 

[Brumbieman]

If they're offering him anything more than blokes like Wilson, it's a disgrace. Keep the talent we have first, any kind of decent sized offer would go down really badly with the current playing group right now.

 

[KOB1987]

He'd be better off playing league for three years and then rugby swooping on him if he's any good. Can't justify the spend, even if it's not their money. Most players have an injury in their first few years and it wouldn't be a great look having an unproved $1M on the sidelines.

I would say both the RA and NRL contracts would cover this. If he was injured he wouldn’t get paid $0, but a large component would be contingent on him actually playing.