Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii has shown glimpses of what he can still achieve in rugby league, piloting Sydney Roosters to a 28-20 win over Parramatta while playing fullback for a concussed James Tedesco.
Tedesco was ruled out of the match in the first half following a high hit from Bailey Simonsson, and Suaalii rose to the challenge to be among the Roosters’ best.
The 19-year-old had a hand in the three tries for the Roosters, a week after signing a three-year deal with rugby union for close to $5 million from 2025.
It came in one of his first games at fullback at NRL level, after filling in there once during last year’s finals and starring as a No.1 for Samoa in the World Cup.
Canterbury supremo Phil Gould claimed this week that every time Suaalii did anything from now on, it was producing free advertising for rugby.
If that was the case, the 15-man game had plenty to gain out of Allianz Stadium on Thursday night.
Playing at centre to start the game, Suaalii was instrumental in the Roosters’ first try when he put them on the attack by stepping past Mitch Moses to break into space before Drew Hutchison scored later in the set.
With the Eels down to 12 men and with Simonsson sin-binned, Suaalii and Luke Keary helped Corey Allan put Daniel Tupou over.
Suaalii’s third big involvement came when he swept around to the right and produced a flick pass for Jaxson Paulo to score, after seven straight sets on the Eels’ line.
“He did outstandingly well,” coach Trent Robinson said.
“Moving position, there are two parts to it.
“How you are going to move in attack with the halves and the forwards? And how are you going to organise the defensive line?
“Some guys look stunned in that position. But he played a lot. On the left, the right and through the middle.”
Robinson now faces a call on whether to keep Suaalii at fullback next week against Melbourne with Tedesco sidelined, or put Joey Manu there on his return from suspension.
Simonsson was sin-binned but not sent off for his shot on Tedesco after passing, while the Roosters are without their best player for 11 days through concussion protocols.
“I was expecting a send off. I was ropeable at the time that it wasn’t a send off,” Robinson said.
“But I looked at it after the game, and I was a bit 50-50 about what I thought when I took some time to have a look at it.”
Keary also bagged a double for the Roosters, as their attack flowed nicely through the middle with good ball movement and signs Brandon Smith is starting to settle in.
Parramatta were gutsy after being reduced to 12 men twice in the first half, but they still have just one win from their opening five games.
Clint Gutherson and Moses both pulled off brilliant try-savers in the first half, but they missed Junior Paulo in the middle.
Gutherson briefly put Parramatta back in the game at 16-8 early in the second half off the back of a Will Penisini flick pass, before their last two tries came in the final four minutes.
“Very happy with the effort and fight from the team,” Eels coach Brad Arthur said.
“I know it doesn’t look like it, one win from five games. But our effort and attitude has been really good.”
© AAP 2023
