Broncos legend Gorden Tallis has ripped Rugby Australia’s coup of Roosters star Joseph Suaalii, believing the signing gained’t be well-received by our present crop of rugby union gamers.
Suaalii signed a report three-year contact with Rugby Australia reportedly price an eye-watering $1.6 million a 12 months from the top of the 2024 NRL season, making him one of many highest-paid gamers in Australian rugby historical past.
Tallis known as the signing a ‘band-aid’ resolution, recounting when former gamers Mat Rogers, Lote Tiquiri and Wendell Sailor defected to rugby union earlier than finally returning to rugby league.
Watch each sport of each spherical of the 2023 NRL Telstra Premiership Season LIVE on Kayo Sports. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >
“I remember when they (Rugby Australia) signed Mat Rogers, Lote and Wendell, there was one thing that it did do and that was that it annoyed a lot of the rugby union players,” Tallis mentioned Sunday on Triple M.
“Just imagine if you are an outside back or a young player coming through wanting to play rugby union and you’ve been loyal, you’ve gone through every system, you’ve trained really hard for this moment and then they go and sign a leaguey.
MORE NRL NEWS
CONFIRMED: Suaalii tells Roosters he’s going, signs one of rugby’s richest deals
BIG HITS: ‘Terrific’ Fifita’s ‘complete’ masterclass; Cowboys gun’s strength surfaces
‘NO WAY’: Manly ‘incensed’ after shock call leaves commentators stunned
“At the end of the day you are going to go play and you are always going to be seen as a leaguey. They aren’t going to look after you.
“It’s a band-aid solution from them (Rugby Australia). You’ve got to fix it from the ground up.”
Former Dragons and Bulldogs enforcer and fellow Triple M panel member James Graham disagreed, calling it was a transfer that Rugby Australia ‘needed’ to make.
“It can look desperate, but they needed something like this,” Graham mentioned.
Cheeky Cheese at his good greatest | 05:40
“You can have a two-pronged approach to it. Who knows if rugby are putting money into the pathways and whether (to sign Suaalii) was a one or the other decision.
“We are talking about whether he will be back in three years after his contract ends but who knows? He might get a taste of rugby, realise it’s not as demanding and he might enjoy the global exposure of rugby union.
Get all the latest NRL news, highlights and analysis delivered straight to your inbox with Fox Sports Sportmail. Sign up now!!
“I agree that the game of rugby league is so much more exciting, you hear Peter V’landys saying that Suaalii will get bored in rugby, but will he get bored with the global recognition of rugby?”
Suaalii is predicted to play within the Super Rugby competitors for the NSW Waratahs from the start of the 2025 season, however is on the market for choice for the Wallabies’ squad for his or her tour of Europe in late 2024.
Source web site: www.foxsports.com.au
