Inspired by idol Israel Folau, rugby recruit Suaalii ready for the pressure of playing with Wallabies

Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii has described Israel Folau as an idol and inspiration while pledging to tackle head-on the pressure and expectation of being Australian rugby’s most prized signing in more than a decade.

In a wideranging interview, a candid Suaalii opened up on Tuesday about the flak that flew his way after deciding to defect from the NRL, the pride of wearing the Wallabies gold, while also declaring a desire to one day represent Australia at an Olympic Games.

But the 21-year-old’s immediate focus is on living up to his multi-million-dollar price tag and proving he deserved a call-up for national service on the Wallabies’ upcoming grand slam tour of the UK and Ireland before even playing a single game of Super Rugby.

“I don’t see it as an expectation. I see it as kind of a privilege,” Suaalii said at the unveiling of the Wallabies’ jumper for next year’s much-anticipated hosting of the British and Irish Lions.

The one-time NSW State of Origin representative left the Sydney Roosters, who made this year’s NRL preliminary finals, to link up with 2024 Super Rugby wooden spooners the NSW Waratahs.

But Suaalii insists he has no regrets and never for a second contemplated trying to renege on his three-year-old RA deal, even when seemingly all of the NRL was trying to persuade him to stay in rugby league.

“I feel like everyone has an opinion, which is respected,” he said.

“But, yeah, I’m on my own path. I feel I’m dreaming how I want to dream.

“I didn’t have one doubt in my mind I was coming over. I knew what I was doing straight away.

“I’ve always wanted to play union one day and it’s always been a dream of mine.

“So no matter what anyone said, it was always stuck in my mind. Nothing was going to change.”

Equally at home at fullback, the wing or in the centres, and without a preference or favourite position, Suaalii is inevitably already drawing comparisons with Folau.

Suaalii vividly recalls being a wide-eyed 10-year-old and watching Folau make his Wallabies debut during the 2013 Lions series in Australia to become a dual international, before helping the Waratahs win the Super Rugby crown the following year and becoming a three-time John Eales medallist.

Now the prodigious talent has the chance to follow in Folau’s footsteps.

“I actually met Israel when I was 14,” Suaalii said.

“I really looked up to him when I was younger. For a young kid, I feel like I really wanted to ask a lot of questions.

“I feel like it’s been one of my strengths, just learning, and Israel was someone I could look up to and ask questions, and every now and then I do catch up with him and he’s a great mentor.”

Suaalii will be off contract after the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia, but admits the prospect of competing in rugby sevens at the LA Olympics could keep him in the code.

“I did watch the final of the sevens [in Paris this year],” he said.

“Yeah, look, I think it’s every young kid’s dream to go to the Olympics.

“If you’re in school and everything stops with the 100-metre race or any Aussie that’s going well, my teacher in primary school would always stop.

“I remember Jessica Fox coming to school after she won a gold medal and presented some sports awards, so even the memories kind of sparked something in myself to potentially one day be a dream of mine.”

AAP