‘I feel like I’m ready’: Joseph Suaalii declares himself good to go
Sydney Roosters teen sensation Joseph Suaalii has declared: “I feel like I’m ready for the NRL.”
“But I know there are a lot of steps I need to take to get to that point,” Suaalii told the Herald on Monday morning.
“I’m just taking it all in, I’m learning from the older boys, learning from Robbo, but I feel like I’m ready - physically and mentally - for the NRL.″
Suaalii, the most-hyped 17-year-old in Australian sport, was greeted by a giant media scrum at Roosters HQ. Rather than put him in front of up to a dozen TV cameras, Suaalii conducted a round of three-minute one-on-one interviews.
The King’s School Year 12 student lived up to the excitement with two tries for feeder club North Sydney on Saturday afternoon.
The Bondi club are awaiting an exemption from the ARL Commission to allow Suaalii to play before his 18th birthday in August.
Joseph Suaalii says he is ready for the NRL.Credit:Mark Evans/Getty Images
Roosters coach Trent Robinson never had plans to play Suaalii in the early rounds - but the kid himself is backing himself, especially after surviving the maiden hitout against men.
“I hadn’t played in a while and it was good to get out and play - I hadn’t played since 2019,” Suaalii said.
Suaalii, who is eyeing a spot in the outside backs, does not have social media, but was aware of the non-stop talk about his ability.
Rugby Australia and South Sydney were in a bidding war last year before the Roosters and chairman Nick Politis snuck under both their guards.
Suaalii was cheered on by up to 40 family and friends at Queanbeyan on the weekend with his proud uncle, Amani Suaalii, declaring: “The sky is the limit for him. Only he can tell you [how far he will go]. Since he could walk he was playing football.”
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Christian covers rugby league for The Sydney Morning Herald.