Hamish McLennan believes Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii will be Australia’s next David Campese and says his instant stardom on the world stage was the NRL’s “worst nightmare”.
The former Rugby Australia chairman, who single-handedly orchestrated Suaalii’s high-profile switch to the Wallabies, added that the governing body should consider putting a fifth Super Rugby franchise into Western Sydney and making the cross-code star the side’s poster boy.
“There’s no shortage of talent out in Western Sydney and perhaps a lateral thought is to put a privatised franchise out in Western Sydney with private money brought in – and you could even make Joseph the face of the club,” McLennan told The Roar.
Suaalii, who attended Regentville Public School in Sydney’s west and sold raffle tickets at his sister’s netball carnivals to help facilitate his goal, shocked the world over the weekend as he was awarded player of the match on Test debut.
In his first rugby match in five years since switching from the Sydney Roosters in the NRL, the Wallabies’ new poster boy inspired the side to their first win at Twickenham in nine years and just their second victory over England in their past 12 Tests.
Although the run metres and tackle count didn’t necessarily reflect Suaalii’s influence on the game, the 21-year-old’s ability to win possession for the Wallabies in the air and his deft touches, including for the Wallabies’ opening try, were game-changing moments in a whirlwind game that saw the national team reemerge on the world stage.
Joseph Suaalii (R) celebrates with Wallabies midfield partner Len Ikitau as Allan Alaalatoa (C) raises his arms following their stunning win over England at Twickenham on November 09, 2024. (Photo: Ryan Pierse, via Getty Images)
Perhaps just as importantly, it seemed that Suaalii’s presence on the field lifted those around him in a way not seen since Israel Folau graced the field in the gold jersey.
Midfield partner Len Ikitau described Suaalii as a “freak” while former Wallaby turned pundit and coach Stephen Hoiles said the NRL convert, whose previous game in rugby was in the Australian Schoolboys victory over New Zealand Schools in 2019, could prove more influential than Folau – the three-time John eales Medallist.
“I think he’s going to be a better player than Folau,” said Hoiles, who started alongside the former fullback in the Waratahs’ first and only Super Rugby gong in 2014.
“I think he’s got more in him, he’s higher, he’s got a bigger leap. I think we’re in for the next superstar of Australian rugby and it couldn’t come at a better time.”
Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii puts Tom Wright away for the Wallabies’ first try against England on November 09, 2024 in London. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)
One of the reasons McLennan was ousted as RA chairman last November was because he so strongly pursued Suaalii.
Although it was the decision to parachute Eddie Jones that ultimately undid McLennan after the coach’s disastrous comeback, the former chair’s decision to open the cheque book and sign Suaalii on a deal worth around $1.5 million a season rocked the public – and placed more scrutiny on his decision-making.
That extended to the RA board, who used both decisions, as well as the decision to abandon a private equity proposal, to throw McLennan under the bus and take one for the team following the Wallabies’ worst World Cup result.
All along, however, McLennan, who headhunted Suaalii nine months before the deal got across the line, remained adamant the youngster would prove a hit.
“No one in rugby really even considered him, so I went to Joseph first and we had a great chat,” McLennan revealed.
“He then he connected me with Isaac Moses, who really cares for his players.
“Our recruitment [staff] and some in management were snoozing and I’m still wondering what they do all day.
“[Former RA CEO Andy Marinos] wasn’t a fan of the idea and neither was RA Chairman Daniel Herbert, and so I wanted it all to be a positive experience when meeting the Suaaliis.”
Over a secret dinner at McLennan’s former home in Lavender Bay, the former chairman sold the rugby dream to Suaalii along with soon-to-be RA chief executive Phil Waugh and Jones – a noted rugby league enthusiast.
“The Suaaliis obviously needed to be comfortable with the decision, and Joseph’s family wanted to meet and I’m glad we did,” McLennan said.
“It was never all about the money at all. I think the family wanted to get a feel for who they were dealing with at Rugby Australia. And it was one of the most enjoyable nights of my life because we all got on and there was a great group of people including Joseph and his parents (Christopher and Salina).”
McLennan said also in attendance were Jones and Waugh “who now says he wasn’t there but he was.”
“What I remember most was Joseph’s politeness. He was cleaning the plates up himself and being extremely courteous and thankful, which is what he’s like. It really struck me how lovely he was with his parents and how grateful they were for us to be looking at him for rugby. So they’re pretty special people.”
Hamish McLennan (third right) spearheaded Rugby Australia’s successful World Cup bid alongside Anthony French (R) and Phil Kearns (2nd left). (Photo: Oisin Keniry – World Rugby, via Getty Images)
Given Suaalii’s stunning start, you can forgive McLennan for thinking ‘I told you so’.
“There is a little bit but I hope everyone remembers that rugby has been calcified in Australia for so long and the whole game needs to be centralised and restructured,” McLennan said.
“What was clear when the Wallabies had a 36 per cent win rate (under Dave Rennie) with no hope that it was going to improve, that we needed to do things differently. And when you’re in crisis mode, you’ve got to make calls.
“It’s clear there were a lot of people who didn’t like it. And I’ve been really disappointed that so many have distanced themselves from the whole signing because they were across the whole deal and they’re weak characters. But deep down I knew this guy was a freak talent and that we had to get him and we had to make a statement and it’s worked a treat.
“It was a massive but calculated bet. RA’s been moribund for years and everything we were trying to do involved risk to keep the game alive. But what you’ve witnessed is, I believe, the next Campo. He’ll be as big, if not bigger, than him. And a global rugby superstar was born over the weekend. The UK press has gone bonkers over Joseph.”
Since joining the Wallabies, Suaalii’s teammates have welcomed the NSW State of Origin centre with open arms and been at pains to express the back’s willingness to integrate and re-learn the game.
Angus Bell, who played alongside Suaalii for the Australian Schoolboys, slammed critics for claiming his immediate selection “cheapened the jersey”.
Whether it was a coincidence or not, his arrival sparked the Wallabies into a stunning, upset win over England in a Test victory described by many as one of the nation’s greatest in recent decades.
“He’s electrified our team,” McLennan said.
“I think Joe Schmidt’s done a great job, the whole team played really well, but Joseph’s presence in a short period of time has lifted the bar and revved the whole team up on and off the field. He’s very close with Angus Bell.
“What’s also interesting is that all of his rugby league mates are wanting to know how it’s going. And for a debut, you couldn’t have got better than what happened. As well-run an organisation as the NRL is, that was their worst nightmare, what happened on Saturday night.
“Because if you’re an aspiring rugby league or rugby union player, you’re going to think twice about going over to league, and you can’t beat the international positioning of rugby union. It’s pretty hard to beat what you saw there at Twickenham with 82,000 people singing their heads off. By comparison, the Kangaroos played to 25,000 people against Tonga at Parramatta on Sunday.”
The added benefit of Suaalii’s timely injection is that Rugby Australia is in the middle of their next broadcast negotiations.
“The value of rugby’s media rights, sponsorship and every commercial asset just went up,” McLennan said.
The barrage of rugby content in the mainstream media is believed to have even forced NRL chairman Peter V’landys to enquire about the sudden attention with Nine officials.
McLennan said Suaalii had already gone a long way in justifying his $1.5m per year deal.
“I think Joseph’s probably double that on the open market now after his performance, so it’s a good deal for RA,” he said.
“But again, don’t forget our top players playing in France and Japan are earning big money over there. I’d be curious to see who RA put up to renegotiate his contract when it comes up but I seriously can’t think of anyone currently in there.”
After RA decided not to bail the Melbourne Rebels out of debt, McLennan added that the governing body should strongly consider making Suaalii the face of a new Western Sydney Super Rugby franchise that would see the game return to five sides.
“Imagine having local derbies against the Waratahs and then tapping that Western Suburbs base where there are a lot of communities that just love rugby but we’re not able to service them at a professional level,” McLennan said.
“You could keep your five Australian teams intact for the current broadcast deal. It’s not as hard to do as some may think. I even have the name for it.
“One of the benefits of Joseph is that he’s an amazing role model. If I’m the parents of a kid who’s tossing up between wanting to play rugby union or rugby league, they’ll think twice about going to league, and we know that we’ve been raided by the NRL for so long.
“There’s absolutely no doubt that as a benefit of Joseph being in the Wallabies, more kids will play union and it won’t cost you that much.”
