Latest news with #Suaalii
The 42
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The 42
The 21-year-old Wallabies star who people think can 'save rugby union'
EVEN THE MOST anti-rugby union Aussies like talking about Joey Suaalii. His old rugby league team, the Sydney Roosters, lost in the NRL last weekend and one sports radio host had a simple solution. 'They need to bring Joey back from rugby, maaaate,' he drawled. 'I don't watch rugby anymore, too much TMO.' Still only 21, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii is a superstar. Good-looking, athletic, and likeable, he became the poster boy for rugby union overnight when he switched codes last year. Wallabies centre Suaalii was the star of last week's edition of GQ Hype. 'Can Joseph Suaalii save rugby union?' read the headline. No pressure. He's part of a rap group called Dreamyourz along with fellow league convert Joey Manu. The verse Suaalii raps on their song We Rock the Party channels the Spice Girls. His dress sense is slick, with that GQ piece featuring photos of him kitted out in Louis Vuitton gear. But Suaalii doesn't come across as showy. He's just a young lad enjoying himself. Suaalii recently 'soft-launched' his relationship with netball player Audrey Little, the daughter of former Wallabies centre Jason Little. This was gold for the gossip columns in Australia. Perhaps most importantly, Suaalii is excellent at rugby. Both codes. He was also good enough at basketball and AFL to represent New South Wales in those sports as a teenager. Suaalii once broke a regional high jump record when he was a kid. This is a young man who clicks the turnstiles, as the Aussies say. Advertisement That's why Rugby Australia dished out the big bucks to bring Suaalii across from rugby league last year. It has been reported here that Suaalii signed a deal worth around $5.35 million [€3 million] to take him through to the 2027 World Cup. The Australian union was criticised for that outlay in some quarters but they suggest that Suaalii's presence will generate multiples of that figure in publicity. It certainly does seem as if his switch to union has brought curious eyes back onto the 15-man code. Suaalii stormed onto the rugby league scene as a teen sensation. He got an early taste of what it means to make a big switch. Initially, he was with the South Sydney Rabbitohs before their rivals, the Sydney Roosters, lured him across town in 2021. Suaalii was a star for the Sydney Roosters. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo The Roosters had to apply for an exemption so Suaalii could make his NRL debut before he turned 18. He stepped up with composure and class. Although he's a native of Penrith, west of Sydney, the young back decided to play international league for Samoa. That's his father's native land. Suaalii's mother has Cambodian ancestry. Like most Australians, he has a proud connection with those roots. One of eight siblings, Suaalii is very much a family man. He says he has never had even a sip of alcohol due to the influence of his parents. Now, many Wallabies fans are hoping Suaalii can be the key man as they aim to upset the Lions in their upcoming series. The Aussie fans can't take their eyes off him and it's not difficult to understand why. One of the reasons for visiting Newcastle last weekend was to see Suaalii play for the Wallabies against Fiji. There is a magnetism about Suaalii. He is a beautiful human specimen, 6ft 5ins tall and somewhere around 100kg of lean mass. He wears his socks low and his shorts high, showing off his long, explosive legs. Suaalii comes out for his pre-match routine barefoot and does 'grounding' work and breathing exercises, a beacon of calm amid the energy. He grabs three tennis balls and proceeds to juggle flawlessly. This is a big game for Suaalii as he makes his return from eight weeks out of action because of a jaw fracture. When the action kicks off, Suaalii makes a few errors. Twice, he carries the ball when he should pass to men in space outside him. The young centre is still honing those decision-making instincts. He played rugby union in school, so this code is not new, but the highest level of union is. One of his passes goes to ground but then bounces up to the intended recipient, while he is stripped of the ball in contact on another occasion. He makes some good tackles in defence, stretching to snag flying wing Jiuta Wainiqolo when it looks like the Fijian could launch a breakout from under his posts. Suaalii seems confident in making reads from the number 13 shirt, which is notoriously difficult. Suaalii can jump very high. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Overall, Suaalii doesn't have a major impact on the game. He has the fewest touches of any of the Australian backs, with the Wallabies' playmakers repeatedly passing out the back of his hard running lines, even when it appears to be on to hit him at the front door. The Wallabies don't send Suaalii into any aerial contests despite him being perhaps the best aerial player in rugby union. His leaping power is quite extraordinary, almost surreal to see at times. There is more than a passing resemblence to peak Isreal Folau in this area. Suaalii made a massive impact on his rugby union debut for the Wallabies against England last autumn, partly because of his jumping ability. They sent him after their restarts and Suaalii was able to get over Maro Itoje even when the English lock was being lifted. Ireland did a good job of managing Suaalii's restart threat when the Wallabies subsequently visited Dublin, but it took lots of planning and some clever work on the fly as the Aussies switched up their approach during the game. One can only conclude that the Wallabies didn't fully unleash Suaalii on the ball or in the air against Fiji because they're holding his best stuff back for the big show next weekend in Brisbane. Despite playing at fullback for the Waratahs in Super Rugby this season, Suaalii will almost certainly be in the Wallabies' number 13 shirt. Andy Farrell was asked the other day how much the Lions have been keeping back. 'The same amount as Australia,' he replied, 'probably quite a bit.' The Lions know Suaalii is coming. And the Australian public will be watching him closely.
The Guardian
04-07-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Returning Suaalii spells salvation for Wallabies as Lions challenge looms
Offloads and intercepts. Tap-backs and flying leaps. Try-saving tackles and miracle balls. Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii's Wallabies debut last November was a revelation. Six weeks before, the 21-year-old had been playing rugby league, waiting to light the fuse on the richest contract in Australian rugby history. Now he was at Twickenham, the game's spiritual home, putting England to the sword – and his name up in lights. Former Wallabies captain Michael Hooper hailed the man-of-the-match showing as 'sheer talent … X factor you can't train: the ability to create a try out of absolutely nothing'. Teammate Tom Wright, who scored that day from a Suaalii basketball pass, more recently marvelled at the kid's skills. 'His talent is probably second to none in the group,' he said. 'Pair that with his work ethic, it's impressive.' Best of all, said Wright, Suaalii unifies and inspires. 'Joseph gets the most out of all of us.' Suaalii's broad shoulders carry the hopes of a nation this winter as Australia and its home provinces take on the British & Irish Lions across three Tests and six tour games. The Wallabies are underdogs. Yes, they beat England and Wales but Scotland punished their youth and Ireland outlasted them to win 22-19. Yet with Suaalii, and a new wave of players by his side, locals are quietly optimistic. Two-time World Cup winning centre Tim Horan talks of Suaalii as 'athlete first, footy player second'. Australia's football landscape is famously fierce with four codes duelling for talent. 'He could play wing, fullback or centre in the Wallaby backline and always be outstanding,' Horan says. 'Joseph is so important to our chances. He's got size, height, speed, gifts in the air and incredible power across the park.' Yet those virtues make Suaalii a target for the Lions' monster-sized midfield. 'If Joseph plays 13 as expected, he'll have the hardest job on the field,' Horan says. 'That channel is the toughest to defend and he'll have beasts like Bundee Aki and Sione Tuipulotu charging at him. If the Lions take a page from Ireland's playbook and run three decoy runners out the back, he'll have a split second to go one of three ways: plant his heels, jam in or stay wide. If he gets it wrong, Australia's in trouble.' Sign up to The Breakdown The latest rugby union news and analysis, plus all the week's action reviewed after newsletter promotion Suaalii hasn't got much wrong so far. In four Tests he has become a Wallaby weapon. The poaching of the quiet colossus from the NRL in 2023 was hailed by rugby as the return of a prodigal son. But like most kids in the hybrid Sydney sports landscape, Penrith-born Suaalii played a bit of everything. Growing up the eldest son of Samoan immigrants and Cambodian refugees, Suaalii represented NSW in league, AFL and basketball as well as rugby, and broke a state high jump record, before he was 13. That diverse foundation of skills made his signature hot property. At 16, South Sydney signed Suaalii on a $2.5m four-year deal, reportedly the richest contract ever offered to a teenager in the history of either code. The Rabbitohs' plan was for Suaalii to debut in 2022 at 18, the NRL age cap at the time. Until then, they honed his skills, bringing in former AFL star Michael O'Loughlin to school him under the high ball, an aerial mastery he later put to good use against England in winning four kickoffs. Alas, before union poached Suaalii from league, the Rabbitohs' arch-rivals the Sydney Roosters poached him first, appealing against the age cap to allow an NRL debut at 17. From 2021-23, the teenager packed on muscle, piling 110kg on to a 196 cm frame, and honing the defence that will now be crucial against the Lions. 'He tackles like a leaguie, leaps like a basketballer and marks like an AFL player,' Horan says. Whether rugby got him for $5m over three seasons or $8m for five years, it looks to be a bargain. For a code looking for a hero to haul it out of debt and arrest 20 years of sickly crowds and TV ratings, Suaalii spells salvation. Here is a force that helped drive 500,000 ticket sales for this Lions tour, a face to promote a 2027 home World Cup, a star to restore lustre to the tarnished old gold of the Wallabies brand. The player known as 'The Ferrari' has been idle since mid-May after breaking his jaw in Super Rugby but will likely play Fiji on 6 July before facing off with the Lions in the first Test on 19 July. Apparently he spent his time on the sidelines living like a monk, journaling in the park and meditating daily, songwriting for a second album with his rap group DreamYourz, while being fed Samoan delicacies by his mum and six younger sisters. 'Joseph is only 21 yet that demeanour, the measured and calm way he approaches the game and deals with celebrity and the psychology of winning, is so mature,' Horan says. 'On paper Australia doesn't have the depth the Lions do and can't match their brute force. 'Crash ball' won't work this time. The Wallabies need pace, agility and deception with a 'no backward step' mentality. Joseph Suaalii embodies all that.'
Perth Now
04-07-2025
- Sport
- Perth Now
Fiji have midfield missile aimed at Wallabies' Suaalii
Playing more than 160 VFL games before taking on roles with the Wallabies, All Blacks and now coach of Fiji, Mick Byrne has seen some talented athletes in his time. But the memory of Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii sticks in his mind as Byrne plots a way to shut down the Wallabies superstar in Sunday's Test in Newcastle. He recalled meeting Suaalii when he was an assistant to Wallabies coach Michael Cheika, with the schoolboy making an immediate impression on the pair. "I remember when 'Cheik' and I first met him when I was at the Wallabies and a young schoolboy came in, before he signed with rugby league, and we knew then that he was a tremendous athlete," Byrne said of the NRL recruit, who will line up for his fourth Test. "I think he offers a dimension to the game that not many athletes can .... it's a bit like Izzy (Israel Folau) in his day as well, that aerial skill set as well as being really well balanced across the ground. "Like a lot of international players we come up against, we've got to keep our eye on him, but I think as a player he just offers another sort of dimension, being that aerial skill set that we'll have to be aware of as well." Byrne named a strong line-up to try to contain Suaalii and the Wallabies, who are looking to make amends after losing their last clash against Fiji at the 2023 Rugby World Cup. Byrne has since replaced Simon Raiwalui as coach, but has been able to include 13 players who were part of that historic match in France, posting their first win over Australia in 69 years. That includes the entire forward pack apart from flanker Elia Canakaivata. Fiji have their own midfield weapon in Josua Tuisova, who was key to their success in Saint Etienne, with Byrne looking to get some punch from the inside centre. Weighing 113kg, Tuisova's nicknames are "Human Bulldozer" and "The Bus". "Josh shifts the ball well and he's got great feet and he's a big, strong player," Byrne said of Tuisova, who plays for Racing 92 in France's Top 14. "We've got the opportunity to use him to get across the gain line early ...so being able to have Josh there is awesome for us because he does give us pretty good go-forward." While the World Cup win has bolstered belief, Byrne said the changes to the Wallabies since then presented a different challenge as his team looked to notch a third win in Australia, with the last in 1954. "The last start was two years ago, so different coaching regime, different players on the field, and I like the way (Australia coach Joe Schmidt) has got the Wallabies playing and now they're playing great footy," Byrne said. "So they're a completely different proposition to previous and we've got to be ready for that as they've got threats across the field. "I think it'd be great to beat Australia in Australia, to get a victory on Australian soil."
Courier-Mail
04-07-2025
- Sport
- Courier-Mail
Wallabies name Joseph Suaalii to face Fiji after broken jaw injury
Don't miss out on the headlines from Sport. Followed categories will be added to My News. Australian rugby's $5 million man Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii has been given the all-clear to play his first Test on home soil when the injury-hit Wallabies take on Fiji at Newcastle on Sunday in a warm-up for the British & Irish Lions series. Suaalii has been sidelined since mid-May when he broke his jaw playing for New South Wales against Queensland but the 21-year-old NRL convert has made a quick recovery and been named for the Wallabies at outside centre. His return will come as a massive boost to an Australian side, already weakened by the absence of several senior players, including two-time John Eales medallist Rob Valetini, halfback Jake Gordon and giant lock Will Skelton, who captained the Wallabies at the last World Cup. All three are carrying injuries and hopeful of being fit for the first Test against the Lions, kicking off July 19. Australia's centre Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii has been picked to face Fiji. Picture: AFP Queensland Reds backrower Harry Wilson retains the captaincy, at least for the match against Fiji, after head coach Joe Schmidt appointed him as skipper last year. Langi Gleeson replaced Valetini at blindside flanker with Carlo Tizzano named on the bench as the reserve loose forward. With Nick Frost and Jeremy Williams retained as the starting locks, Tom Hooper comes into the side as the backup second row in the absence of Skelton. Livewire Queensland halfback Tate McDermott will feed the scrum with Nic White on the bench. Elsewhere, electric winger Max Jorgensen returned from an ankle injury to earn a spot in the starting side in the left wing, with Harry Potter on the other side. Former skipper Dave Porecki was named as the starting hooker in his first match in the gold jersey since the World Cup. The biggest surprise was the selection of veteran prop James Slipper as the starting loose-head. Angus Bell has been the preferred starter because he's such a powerful ball runner but will come off the bench against Fiji. Despite the injuries, Schmidt said his reshuffled side had gelled well ahead of what is expected to be a highly physical clash with the Pacific Islanders. 'The whole squad has worked hard on and off the field and reconnected well with a short runway from our assembly through to the Test on Sunday against Fiji.' 'I think the players and the wider management are keen to get underway, especially in front of a big crowd here in Newcastle, as we kick off an exciting but incredibly demanding 2025 Test match schedule.' Originally published as Wallabies announced XV to face Fiji, with star Joseph Suaalii set to return from broken jaw
The Advertiser
02-07-2025
- Sport
- The Advertiser
Wallabies look to reignite star centre combination
While injury clouds hover over a number of Wallabies, Len Ikitau says his centre partnership with Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii is starting to shine. The Wallabies battled wet conditions at their training session in Newcastle ahead of Sunday's Test against Fiji with the mood in camp dampened by reports key forwards Will Skelton and Rob Valetini are battling calf injuries. While the Wallabies' staff are tight-lipped ahead of the team naming on Friday, it would be a huge blow for the Australians after giant lock Skelton also missed their last clash with Fiji at the 2023 Rugby World Cup, which resulted in a shock loss. Valetini, who started at No.8 in that France match, has since been the Wallabies' most consistent performer, winning successive John Eales Medals. Coach Joe Schmidt won't take any chances with the star duo with the countdown on to the first British and Irish Test in Brisbane on July 19. First-choice halfback Jake Gordon is also expected to miss due to his troubling hamstring issue while Reds playmaker Tom Lynagh is still recovering from his hand injury. With the likes of Mark Nawaqanitawase, Carter Gordon and Jordan Petaia not even playing rugby any more and veterans Marika Koroibete and Samu Kerevi overlooked for selection, the Wallabies will field an entirely different starting backline to that which fronted in Saint Etienne. Ikitau missed the World Cup after fracturing his shoulder while Suaalii only crossed from the NRL late last year, with the pair first linking in the centres with a win over England in November. Brumbies gun Ikitau said they were starting to put some polish on their budding combination as Suaalii returned to action following his broken jaw. Other backs in line for a start on Sunday could include fullback Tom Wright, halves Noah Lolesio and Nic White and wingers Max Jorgensen and Harry Potter. "Just playing with any centre in the squad - I've played a lot with Hunter (Paisami) when I played 13 and am starting to get a good combination with Joseph," Ikitau said on Wednesday. "In terms of that, just making sure that we're getting some reps in at training and then just taking it out on the field. "He's a natural footballer and he knows how to play whatever position he gets put in, but for us it's just trying to get combinations in at training and trying to defend together. "It's knowing when he wants the ball ... just making sure that whenever I'm in a position to set the outside guys up, just taking those opportunities when they come." With the Lions showing their ability to play with width as well as their traditional forward-based game in their 54-7 win over the Western Force, Ikitau said facing an unpredicatable Fiji would be an ideal preparation. "Yeah, I think so because you don't know what to expect from Fiji when you play them - anything can happen," Ikitau said. "The Lions, they've got four different countries coming together and playing for the one team so it's just making sure that you're ready for whatever. "And it's no different with the Fiji team this week so just preparing for whatever and just making sure that we're on our game." While injury clouds hover over a number of Wallabies, Len Ikitau says his centre partnership with Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii is starting to shine. The Wallabies battled wet conditions at their training session in Newcastle ahead of Sunday's Test against Fiji with the mood in camp dampened by reports key forwards Will Skelton and Rob Valetini are battling calf injuries. While the Wallabies' staff are tight-lipped ahead of the team naming on Friday, it would be a huge blow for the Australians after giant lock Skelton also missed their last clash with Fiji at the 2023 Rugby World Cup, which resulted in a shock loss. Valetini, who started at No.8 in that France match, has since been the Wallabies' most consistent performer, winning successive John Eales Medals. Coach Joe Schmidt won't take any chances with the star duo with the countdown on to the first British and Irish Test in Brisbane on July 19. First-choice halfback Jake Gordon is also expected to miss due to his troubling hamstring issue while Reds playmaker Tom Lynagh is still recovering from his hand injury. With the likes of Mark Nawaqanitawase, Carter Gordon and Jordan Petaia not even playing rugby any more and veterans Marika Koroibete and Samu Kerevi overlooked for selection, the Wallabies will field an entirely different starting backline to that which fronted in Saint Etienne. Ikitau missed the World Cup after fracturing his shoulder while Suaalii only crossed from the NRL late last year, with the pair first linking in the centres with a win over England in November. Brumbies gun Ikitau said they were starting to put some polish on their budding combination as Suaalii returned to action following his broken jaw. Other backs in line for a start on Sunday could include fullback Tom Wright, halves Noah Lolesio and Nic White and wingers Max Jorgensen and Harry Potter. "Just playing with any centre in the squad - I've played a lot with Hunter (Paisami) when I played 13 and am starting to get a good combination with Joseph," Ikitau said on Wednesday. "In terms of that, just making sure that we're getting some reps in at training and then just taking it out on the field. "He's a natural footballer and he knows how to play whatever position he gets put in, but for us it's just trying to get combinations in at training and trying to defend together. "It's knowing when he wants the ball ... just making sure that whenever I'm in a position to set the outside guys up, just taking those opportunities when they come." With the Lions showing their ability to play with width as well as their traditional forward-based game in their 54-7 win over the Western Force, Ikitau said facing an unpredicatable Fiji would be an ideal preparation. "Yeah, I think so because you don't know what to expect from Fiji when you play them - anything can happen," Ikitau said. "The Lions, they've got four different countries coming together and playing for the one team so it's just making sure that you're ready for whatever. "And it's no different with the Fiji team this week so just preparing for whatever and just making sure that we're on our game." While injury clouds hover over a number of Wallabies, Len Ikitau says his centre partnership with Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii is starting to shine. The Wallabies battled wet conditions at their training session in Newcastle ahead of Sunday's Test against Fiji with the mood in camp dampened by reports key forwards Will Skelton and Rob Valetini are battling calf injuries. While the Wallabies' staff are tight-lipped ahead of the team naming on Friday, it would be a huge blow for the Australians after giant lock Skelton also missed their last clash with Fiji at the 2023 Rugby World Cup, which resulted in a shock loss. Valetini, who started at No.8 in that France match, has since been the Wallabies' most consistent performer, winning successive John Eales Medals. Coach Joe Schmidt won't take any chances with the star duo with the countdown on to the first British and Irish Test in Brisbane on July 19. First-choice halfback Jake Gordon is also expected to miss due to his troubling hamstring issue while Reds playmaker Tom Lynagh is still recovering from his hand injury. With the likes of Mark Nawaqanitawase, Carter Gordon and Jordan Petaia not even playing rugby any more and veterans Marika Koroibete and Samu Kerevi overlooked for selection, the Wallabies will field an entirely different starting backline to that which fronted in Saint Etienne. Ikitau missed the World Cup after fracturing his shoulder while Suaalii only crossed from the NRL late last year, with the pair first linking in the centres with a win over England in November. Brumbies gun Ikitau said they were starting to put some polish on their budding combination as Suaalii returned to action following his broken jaw. Other backs in line for a start on Sunday could include fullback Tom Wright, halves Noah Lolesio and Nic White and wingers Max Jorgensen and Harry Potter. "Just playing with any centre in the squad - I've played a lot with Hunter (Paisami) when I played 13 and am starting to get a good combination with Joseph," Ikitau said on Wednesday. "In terms of that, just making sure that we're getting some reps in at training and then just taking it out on the field. "He's a natural footballer and he knows how to play whatever position he gets put in, but for us it's just trying to get combinations in at training and trying to defend together. "It's knowing when he wants the ball ... just making sure that whenever I'm in a position to set the outside guys up, just taking those opportunities when they come." With the Lions showing their ability to play with width as well as their traditional forward-based game in their 54-7 win over the Western Force, Ikitau said facing an unpredicatable Fiji would be an ideal preparation. "Yeah, I think so because you don't know what to expect from Fiji when you play them - anything can happen," Ikitau said. "The Lions, they've got four different countries coming together and playing for the one team so it's just making sure that you're ready for whatever. "And it's no different with the Fiji team this week so just preparing for whatever and just making sure that we're on our game."
