George Gregan has hailed Australian rugby\u2019s five million dollar gamble on Joseph Suaalii as one of its greatest investments \u2013 and revealed why he never saw it as a roll of the dice.<\/p>\n
Suaalii is bound for Twickenham on Saturday with England shaping their team selection around the threat posed by the cross-code Wallaby superstar.<\/p>\n
A year ago, Steve Borthwick\u2019s team were 13-point favourites yet beaten by the brilliance of the league recruit playing his first senior game of union.<\/p>\n
Major impact<\/p>\n
Suaalii<\/a>, signed on an AUS$5.35 million deal through to the 2027 World Cup, stepped out at Allianz Stadium with critics questioning the wisdom of Rugby Australia<\/a> betting what little money it had on a 21-year old new to the code at professional level.<\/p>\n The Penrith-born centre responded by flummoxing England on the ground with offloads and no-look passes \u2013 and ruling the air. His leap to deny Maro Itoje the last-play restart led to Max Jorgensen\u2019s decisive try.<\/p>\n \u201cThere was a lot of negativity around Suaalii,\u201d recalls Wallaby legend Gregan<\/a>. \u201cPeople forget that now because he has proved himself to be one of Australian rugby\u2019s best investments.<\/p>\n \u201cThat day at Twickenham he had so much time, didn\u2019t he? He knew he was class. He skipped out on the oval and gave a no-look pass for a try. I was like, \u2018Okay, that\u2019s a pretty big statement in your first Test<\/a>, at Twickenham\u2019.<\/p>\n \u201cThere were a lot of other things he did that game, but that one captured my eye. Skips on, no look, boom. Knew the defender was biting. Those guys on the edge in league, they do that for supper.\u201d<\/p>\n Union ranked ninth in a list of the nation\u2019s most popular sports when the deal was struck to bring the Samoa international across from the Sydney Roosters. Australia was also ninth in the code\u2019s world rankings.<\/p>\n The hope was that he would not only improve the team but bring more eyeballs to union. The Wallabies have since played to capacity crowds and ended a 62-year wait to win at Ellis Park by beating world champions South Africa in their spiritual home.<\/p>\n \u201cHe has lifted the whole of the sport,\u201d says Gregan, before revealing why he always suspected Suaalii would. \u201cRugby league players, and I\u2019ve played with them at provincial and Wallaby level, compete and train at a level which makes everyone be better because league is super competitive.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s 13 on the field, a squad of only 17. Everyone wants to start and have a role to play. These boys come across confident and ready for the big occasion.<\/p>\n Wallabies team: Joe Schmidt responds to England\u2019s BOLD selections with intriguing calls of his own<\/a><\/p>\n