Two weeks ago, thousands tuned in, and rugby league held its breath, as 17-year-old footy wunderkind Joseph Suaalii played out a stint for the Bears in an NRL trial. All this hype, as well as the quiet rulebreaking, is a little bit nuts though, isn’t it?
It’s not every day the competition sets up a national broadcast for a second-string game. But, on Saturday, the Bears’ preseason clash against a young Raiders squad was televised to the nation.
It was scooped up by Foxtel, Kayo Sports, and even was available live on NRL.com to boot.
All so the rugby league world could get a peep at one 17-year-old: Suaalii.
This writer feels very wary — it’s a very worrying trend.
In fact, just last week, The Sporting Base wrote about another young star who walked a similar path.
Latrell Mitchell burst onto the scene in 2016, as “18-year-old Latrell Mitchell.” Whenever he did something special, the NRL commentators were all the same: “He’s only 18!” they’d yell. “What a bright future this kid must have.” Or even, “the future Greg Inglis? Could he be an Immortal?”
Expectation, and a hell of a lot of it at that, was laid at the Taree youngster’s feet. Now, to be fair to Latrell, he’s also managed to deliver on that hype in a big way for the past five years. Heading into his sixth season, he’s even looking better than ever; a demo-job against the Dragons in Mudgee just last weekend reminded everyone of that.
But at the same time, he’s still held to that same “wunderkind” standard.
It’s not feasible. It’s honestly just not fair either. If Latrell had failed or fallen short, the love of the NRL fandom would have quickly soured. The media and commentators had set him on a pedestal, but played no part in actually getting him to the top.
Now the NRL is doing it all over again with Joseph Suaalii.
The Penrith-born starlet was all anyone could talk about as the red-and-black marched out on Saturday afternoon. The headlines didn’t exactly simmer the hype either. The headline from NRL.com? “Suaalii scores twice in senior debut as Bears beat Canberra.” They even followed it up with “Suaalii stars in first senior match” soon after too, and a smattering of highlights.
Nine ran an interview as soon as they could: “Suaalii declares himself good to go.”
The young kid dominated headlines, on a weekend where nearly every NRL team had been in action.
EYES ON YOU: Suaalii struck twice early for the Bears as the NRL watched on.
Now, as The Sporting Base understands it, Suaalii will be handed an exemption to play in the NRL. The order — passed down from on high, apparently — will override a law blocking under 18s from playing in the national rugby league comp.
Similarly, it’s been reported as “highly likely” by The Daily Telegraph as well.
Why are we bending the rules like this?
There’s plenty of top stars in the game that have been hyped coming through the junior ranks. They all had to sit on the sideline, playing reserves and Jersey Flegg, until they ticked up their 18th year on the calendar. Now ARL chairman Peter V’Landys calls a 17-year-old “potentially one of the best players ever,” and we’re fine with bending the rules?
Luckily, most of the NRL club bosses seem to agree.
In fact, 74% voted to bar him from playing until he’s 18 (the rules). Only one in four were actually eager to see him play, and even less than that assuming the Roosters automatically ticked the “yes” box.
Peter V’Landys has had a heavy hand in building the ever-growing hype around Suaalii.
Finally, however, there’s every chance this poor kid falls a bit short of the mark. The hype is so big the Roosters have flown in Sonny Bill Williams to show him the ropes. The competition’s rules are being bent just for him.
He’s being set up to fall flat on his face.
The Sporting Base can rattle off a number of similar players.
Latrell, of course. See above on that. Jamal Idris, Ash Taylor, Tim Smith. All Dally M rookies of the year. Newcastle’s Sione Mata’utia, who played for Australia at 18. Now he’s given up the NRL to play for St Helens in the Super League. He couldn’t handle the voracious Aussie sporting media.
Now, there’s nothing we can do to stop the NRL powerbrokers putting their heads together with the Roosters, and setting up a debut for Joseph Suaalii this weekend. He may well run out in the tricolours against Manly on Saturday.
But really, it would be wrong, and just a bit unfair on the kid.
Give him time to grow. Let him find his feet with the Bears, and when the time comes — it always does — slot him into the starting side for Sydney and let him rip. The Sporting Base has no doubt he’ll be a great player. Maybe even “one of the best players ever,” as V’Landys tips.
Just give him a bit of time. Let him get there himself, before we crack him under the pressure.
For FREE!
