The Suaalii signing casts a large shadow

Joseph Suaalii, the prodigal son, is coming to rugby union.

Or, at least, that is what the multiple news stories would have you believe. With the headline and column-inch-grabbing signing being held up as a triumph for rugby union over its league brethren.

Those headlines are frequently followed by some realism that the reported $1.6million per year may be a gamble that Rugby Australia can ill-afford to lose. Some argue the landscape may have shifted significantly enough to do more harm than good as the Governing Body negotiates new contracts with a plethora of players that would retain them on Australian shores for their peak rugby union years.

Christy Doran’s article earlier in the week showed two things:

1. A lot of players are at the negotiating tables

2. Contract terms are surprisingly short (three years tops, typically two)

The danger of the well publicised signing of a piece of hot property from league, could lead to those current union players to ask for more money aligned with that being given to a player who hasn’t played a single game of rugby union since he attended The King’s School in Paramatta.

Why wouldn’t Izack Rodda, Harry Wilson, Noah Lolesio, Izaia Perese, Hunter Paisami or Jordan Petaia being asking the purse-string holders for another $100k-$200k per year?

If not the players themselves then their agents certainly should. In isolation this may not be an issue, but the multiplying effect could see Rugby Australia in the same financial predicament that it was faced with when the last pandemic hit.

If that happens then how is the sport going to do what it has always espoused to want to do and retain the best schoolboy talent across the game? And how is it going to capitalise on the major events of the coming decade and grow participation across the board broadening the base of the pyramid?

I have written previously about the professional structure of rugby in Australia and how the narrow bottle may be prohibitive to growing the game, but nothing is going to change in the short, medium or (probably) long term; so we push on.

For years the likes of Jordan Petaia, Reesjan Pasitoa, Noah Lolesio, Mark Nawaqanitawase and a number of other young players have been championed as the future of the Wallabies, but do these players risk becoming a sideshow to the Suaalii circus?

It’s a fine balance to be played between backing those that have stuck with the code throughout the development and pushing others to the front to try and turn some heads that would rather watch a more civilised version of bulldog takedown (just a joke league fans).

Rugby Australia need to seriously sit down with Eddie Jones and the Super Rugby coaches, identify those players that they are going to hang their hats on for the next four to five years and tie them down to long term deals.

Ideally, this would involve choosing a position that a player will be considered for and play in consistently, have a incremental pay packet and, if sensible, allow some form of sojourn overseas to France, Ireland or England to develop as a player and increase the pension pot.

The further and more aspirational part would be an allocation type system where it can be agreed that Player X will move from the NSW Waratahs to the Western Force, for example, to provide said player with sufficient game time in the agreed position, avoiding the stockpiling of talent in certain positions such as fly halves at the Waratahs, hookers at the Brumbies or full backs at the Reds.

Like all rugby union fans, I hope that the coming decade will attract more players with union backgrounds to re-join/remain in the code increasing the player quality and depth across the country, ultimately enhancing that level of competition for a gold jersey.

A rising tide raises all ships after all. Rugby and Rugby Australia specifically needs to be careful not to isolate those players that chose union over league at a young age in favour of the shiny new toy; and rather use the league “converts” to compliment the existing talent within the sport.

Imagine a shootout between Jordan Petaia and Joseph Suaalii for a Gary Owen, with both soaring through the air; the symbolism of the codes clashing yet also complementing would be union’s to sell over its rivals.

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