Rugby Australia contemplated loan deal that could have sent Joseph Suaalii back to NRL and the Sydney Roosters in 2026

RA was equally reluctant to tip in a large amount of Suaalii’s contract for him to play another sport and the two parties agreed to end the conversation. RA remains open to the idea of Suaalii serving a sabbatical playing rugby overseas despite it having no contractual arrangements to do so.

RA currently owns the Waratahs, the team Suaalii will play for in the Super Rugby competition next year. A deal with an overseas rugby club could alleviate the financial toll Suaalii’s salary might have on the sport’s bottom line, especially with an $80 million loan hanging over its head.

Sydney Roosters billionaire chairman Nick Politis was last year quoted as saying that Suaalii was “always a Rooster”, despite him inking a deal with the Wallabies.

“Joseph is a good guy, a good kid,” Politis told Channel Nine last year. “It’s sad that we’ve lost him to union, but he tells us he’s coming back in 2028.”

The Roosters are now privately resigned to Suaalii not playing in the NRL until at least 2030, when he will be 26 years old coming into the season.

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While Waugh was coy on his conversations with the Roosters, he admitted rugby league wasn’t the enemy.

“We need to co-exist with rugby league,” he said. “I’m less concerned about girls or boys playing league and AFL – as long as they are experiencing rugby. You’re not going to get me going head-to-head with Roosters and I think we can co-exist successfully and have done since rugby league was started.”

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