Rugby Australia announced Saturday the signing of Sydney Roosters superstar Joseph Sua'alii has agreed to switch codes at the end of the 2024 season. 

19-year-old Suaalli is regarded as one of the brightest prospects in the 13-man code, so his switch to Rugby Union is a significant coup for Rugby Australia. Remaining in Sydney, Suaalli will link up with the Super Rugby side, the New South Wales Waratahs. 

Despite currently plying his trade in the NRL, Sua'alli initially broke through as a highly touted Rugby Union player at King's School in Paramatta. 

Following months of speculation about the youngsters' future, the move clearly didn't come as a shock to anyone involved in either code. 

Speaking yesterday, Sua'alli's Roosters teammate, Kiwi international Brandon Smith, joked about the move: "Super stoked for him, he's an amazing talent, and rugby really got a gem there." 

Going further, Smith poked fun at the state of Union in Australia by saying: "A $1.6m winger from the Roosters isn't going to help you beat the All Blacks. 

‘Like [ARL Commission chair] Peter V'landys said, "go over, get that easy money and then come back to the real sport'. That $1.6m could've been spent better on the grassroots of RugbyRugby." 

For the new Wallabies coach Eddie Jones, Sua'alli’s signing is the first move in a much bigger plan to poach several league stars ahead of the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia. 

Speaking to Australian broadcasters channel nine, Jones said: “There's a definite priority in there; the first thing we want to do is retain all the talent in rugby, then secondly we want to recruit back the guys who were in rugby and went to league.” 

No stranger to stepping on a few toes, Jones has recently caught the ire of South Sydney Rabbitohs CEO Blake Solly for his interest in their current Captain, Cameron Murray. 

In an interview with legendary Rugby League figure Gus Gould, Jones said: "We had him done. He was going to come. He would have made a hell of a difference. Slater would have been handy, that Cameron Murray would be pretty handy at 12 (inside centre)... if you're a State of Origin player in rugby league and you're an outside back, you can definitely make it in RugbyRugby. And I think you know, Matty Rogers, Wendell (Sailor), Lote Tuqiri have all shown that, Andrew Walker." 

Firing back, Solly launched a tirade on Rugby Australia as a whole, saying: “I'm not surprised Rugby Australia are interested in Cameron,” Solly told the Daily Telegraph. 

“He is a skilful and courageous player, and his leadership is growing all the time. We hope he plays the rest of his career here - ideally captaining premiership-winning teams and playing 300 games.” 

“However, soon Rugby Australia are going to have to move on from talking about NRL players they can't sign; and address the real challenges in their game,” 

“They're $25m in debt, have a dysfunctional talent pathway, and are completely detached from the grassroots of the sport. The talk about NRL players is just a distraction from the serious issues they have.” Solly concluded.

For his part, Murray said he would be open to discussing a switch back to Union with Jones when his contract with the Rabbitohs was near an end: “I'm contracted for three years, that's where my focus is, and beyond that, the time will come to think about my future,” Murray told The Sydney Morning Herald. 

“If the time comes and I'm off contract, and I'm negotiating my future, I'll think about it then. I loved school rugby. I'll still watch the big internationals, but I don't want much sport at all.” 

Set on replicating the success he enjoyed with several league stars during his first spell as Wallabies coach. It would appear that Jones risks alienating several current Union stars with his incessant pursuit of their replacements. 

Speaking to the Herald Sun, agent David Rawlings had said several of his clients had made their frustration known: “The players, in general, are sick of hearing about it.” He said. 

“A lot of the boys are thinking, ‘if they want NRL players, we’ll have to look elsewhere’. It’s become a debacle. 

“They’ve just lost Pete Samu to Bordeaux, who’s been in the rugby system for a long time.” 

Whilst several current Wallabies have already signed for overseas clubs, Rawlings said more could join them, including his client Tom Wright who has become a regular for the Wallabies. 

“We’re sitting here waiting to get a deal done after the World Cup. This is the current Wallaby full-back, yet they’re talking about all the NRL players and million-dollar offers. 

“What about looking after your own? Loyalty works both ways. Look at the sacrifices the players have made in rugby.” Rawlings concluded. 

Clearly, there is a balance to be struck between Jones’s ambition to recruit the best talent available whilst nurturing what is already there, despite his spell with England coming to a rather abrupt conclusion. Jones has a track record of success, and with a clear vision for the immediate and long term, it would be brave to bet against him.

Written by Philip Bendon