This is the truth about how the Sydney Roosters orchestrated one of the biggest recruitment coups by poaching teenage superstar Joseph Suaalii away from arch-rivals South Sydney.
In terms of big signings, Suaalii’s game for the Roosters is right up there with all of Uncle Nick Politis’ best marks, including Cooper Cronk, Sonny Bill Williams, Brad Fittler and Phil Gould.
What made it even sweeter, Suaalii had been in the South Sydney system at Redfern since he was 14.
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The Roosters have called BS on former boss Shane Richardson’s Bunnies claim about the Tricolors paying the teenage gun more money.
The Fox League has confirmed South Sydney have offered Suaalii a four-year contract worth $2.55 million to start in 2021.
The Roosters snapped up the young gun-toting teenager on a four-year contract for $1.92 million.
The deal breaker for the Bunnies was that Suaalii’s management insisted on an exit clause in the deal every year, meaning the teenager was free to leave as long as he told South Sydney in the round 11.
Super coach Wayne Bennett was still in charge at Redfern at the time and told the teenager there was no way the clauses would be included.
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Bennett simply trotted out the old line about there not being an “I” in the team.
At this point, Suaalii’s management took the reins and Politis traveled to western Sydney to break bread with his family and begin the process of bringing him to Bondi Junction.
The Roosters quickly realized that the exit clauses were the deal breaker, agreed to them and eventually signed Suaali’i to a four-year deal worth $1.92 million.
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In his first NRL season with the Tricolors last year, Suaalii was handed a minimum wage contract of $120,000.
This season it rises to $350,000, which is clearly value for money given the way the 19-year-old has played.
For the record, Suaalii has already taken up the option to stay at the Roosters for next season and the club are working hard to try and lock him down for 2024 as well.
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The Bunnies are still furious that the Roosters are claiming credit for Suaalii’s rise to stardom given how Rabbitohs supporter Steve Nasteski is credited as the talent scout who first spotted the teenager Prodigy.
Nasteski is an art dealer by trade and remains adamant that art dealers always have the best eye.
The multi-millionaire businessman even went so far as to pay AFL star Adam Goodes to coach the ex-South nine how to best catch a Steeden.
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Suaalii and Nasteski’s son Luca Ace-Nasteski would meet Goodes at Erskineville Oval to practice catching.
Suaalii and Ace-Nasteski played together in South Sydney sides Harrold Matthews and SG Ball before the Roosters orchestrated one of their best strikes against arch-rivals the Rabbitohs.
The bunnies will have to add another chapter to the Book of Feuds.