Roosters emerge as shock contenders for Joseph Suaalii

[BOZO]

The exemption will benefit all the exceptional young players
There will always be exceptions
If you are good enough and strong enough you are old enough
Congratulations to the Roosters who have shrewd people running their club and getting their way .

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

Surely its not all just about how well he can play?
At 17 he's too young to legally have a drink but will suddenly be in a team environment where boozing, buns, and blow are all the go. Or do we think in rugby league teams there is no peer pressure to conform, never any sick rites of initiation?
People may say what's a few more months going to change? Well the same argument can be advanced in favour of not letting him play. The NRL and its media lackeys are always desperate to push this or that current player as the greatest ever, a short delay just means their ad campaigns have to focus on someone else for a bit longer. Let him wait, he'll appreciate it more and so will the fans.

 

[Tragic Eagle]

Rules are introduced for people and organizations to work within not to change when it suits their agenda. Why should this kid be treated any differently to other kids that have had to wait until they turned 18 years of age. But alas it is the NRL and IMO they are a organization with the constitution of plasticine when it comes to the financial heavy weights of the game. I don't see anything in this situation that I admire from either the Roosters or the NRL in fact I detest it.

 

[Shoe1]

My son recently turned 18, and the NRL isn't letting him play first grade. He doesn't even have an nrl contract.

It's one rule for Easts and one for the rest of us.

 

[Brisbane Tragic]

If you are good enough... you are old enough. Obviously being that young his mind and body need to be strong enough to handle the rough and tumble on and off the field of first grade. If he is mature enough and has the physique well go for it I say. Age shouldn't be a barrier. At 17/18 it is hard enough though to have the physique to handle first grade but the mental strength to not only cope with life on the field but more off it with the media attention etc is almost impossible to handle. Only special young men can handle both and succeed.

 

[globaleagle]

How strong are his hammies?

 

[Shoe1]

If you are good enough... you are old enough. Obviously being that young his mind and body need to be strong enough to handle the rough and tumble on and off the field of first grade. If he is mature enough and has the physique well go for it I say. Age shouldn't be a barrier. At 17/18 it is hard enough though to have the physique to handle first grade but the mental strength to not only cope with life on the field but more off it with the media attention etc is almost impossible to handle. Only special young men can handle both and succeed.

I'll let my son know, thanks Shane

 

[Brisbane Tragic]

I'll let my son know, thanks Shane

Sorry mate - wasn't trying to be smart or anything. I played A Grade in Brisbane in the old BRL comp against Miles Meninga Lewis Dowling and in those days you had to serve your apprenticeship and play through the grades and we had almost a team of Qld Players and 6 internationals in A Grade. So you really earned your stripes. Internationals regularly came back from injury in Third or Reserve Grade.I was 19 in my first A Grade game. I was a 78kg ringing wet lock playing against Les Cleal in my first game. Now while I was small - I was a tackling demon and body wise and fitness wise I was fine but the mental side... that was another thing. When you get media attention singing your praises it is hard to keep a level head. These days the media cycle is 24/7 and players are under so much more scrutiny off the field - way different to those days. But again if you can handle the onfield and off field pressure and requirements and you have the body and commitment then you have a chance. The people who are in your support circle of life though also play a huge role with the young guys. If they have a good family - good sensible non trouble, non dickh?e!d friends again that gives them a chance. So yes if they are good enough they are old enough... but gee there is something to be said for earning your stripes and not getting everything handed to you on a platter. Disappointment and time makes you hungrier and more focused.

 

[Shoe1]

Sorry mate - wasn't trying to be smart or anything. I played A Grade in Brisbane in the old BRL comp against Miles Meninga Lewis Dowling and in those days you had to serve your apprenticeship and play through the grades and we had almost a team of Qld Players and 6 internationals in A Grade. So you really earned your stripes. Internationals regularly came back from injury in Third or Reserve Grade.I was 19 in my first A Grade game. I was a 78kg ringing wet lock playing against Les Cleal in my first game. Now while I was small - I was a tackling demon and body wise and fitness wise I was fine but the mental side... that was another thing. When you get media attention singing your praises it is hard to keep a level head. These days the media cycle is 24/7 and players are under so much more scrutiny off the field - way different to those days. But again if you can handle the onfield and off field pressure and requirements and you have the body and commitment then you have a chance. The people who are in your support circle of life though also play a huge role with the young guys. If they have a good family - good sensible non trouble, non dickh?e!d friends again that gives them a chance. So yes if they are good enough they are old enough... but gee there is something to be said for earning your stripes and not getting everything handed to you on a platter. Disappointment and time makes you hungrier and more focused.

Agreed - and interesting to read about your experiences.

And sorry I was being smart, my son isn't playing (but he is just 18).

 

[Ned]

At 17 he's too young to legally have a drink but will suddenly be in a team environment where boozing, buns, and blow are all the go.

To be fair there's plenty of that in the Junior grades too, except they can only afford pingas not blow.

 

[Brisbane Tragic]

Agreed - and interesting to read about your experiences.

And sorry I was being smart, my son isn't playing (but he is just 18).

Lol - all good but gee the pressure that this Suaalii is under - a lot of it his/his family/his agents doing will mean he will have to be one special level headed skilled young man to not only play like a champ like they say he is and not be a moron off the field. Look at Inglis - fabulous player - but has serious issues off the field.

 

[Bradza]

Here’s a novel idea. How about we give the kid a nice physical welcome to first grade and slow down the hype.

 

[Will on the hill]

Trent Robinson is no fool, they are only looking for an exemption to give him occasional game time to prime him to replace one of the Morris boys next year.

That said I think the nrl has erred by granting the exemption. Take the drinking age for example, some 17 year olds are capable of drinking responsibly and some 22 year olds aren't but the governing body has arrived at 18 as the drinking age because deciding who can drink and when, becomes messy and unfair on a case by case basis. Picking a number and stick to it is the only fair way.

 

[wombatgc]

I don’t usually pay much attention to what the red bandana says. But he has got this topic spot on.

Jo must not go on​

RELATED ARTICLE​

Opinion​

NRL 2021​

Suaalii playing before he is 18 years old would set a dangerous precedent​

TFF had a bit of a rant on Thursday about the insanity of how – in the face of Joseph Suaalii’s brilliance – the Roosters and the NRL are looking to waive the rule which requires all players to be 18 years old before taking the field in the top grade. One more time for the dummies at dummy-half, the rule was commendably brought in six years ago in the face of shocking statistics which showed how badly many younger men were struggling with the pressures of league. And it wasn’t just physical problems. Mental issues were also apparent and, as I wrote, what prompted the rule change in 2015 was the tragic early deaths of five young men from the National Youth Competition, who had seemingly not coped with all the pressure that early stardom had placed upon them.
“We did a detailed study of those kids and what happened to them,” the NRL’s head of game strategy and development Shane Richardson explained to The Australian when they brought the new rule in. “It didn’t have as big an impact on me in the beginning than it did in the end.”
Get it? It was a serious rule, brought in for an extremely serious purpose.
Ah, the smarties say, but Suaalii is different. You should see the way he plays, the command he has on the field!

This would be after one game in reserve grade, yes? Where at game’s end he had to be helped from the field after suffering cramp? Please.
The rule was brought in because the NRL realised it had a duty of care not to throw 17-year-olds into the toughest footballing cauldron on earth before they were ready, when data demonstrated the terrible damage it could do. It was a blanket rule, to make it the same for all clubs, on a level playing field. And it matters not a jot if Suaalii actually is ready, physically, emotionally and mentally to take his place on the field. For any move to waive the rule for him, inevitably weakens the rule for all, as other clubs will inevitably seek their own waivers in years to come, pointing to the Suaalii precedent. The fact that Suaalii also appears to be a remarkably level-headed young man, with a fine family around him and great support, has nothing to do with it. For ultimately the issue is not about him, it is about players of his whole age-group being protected.
It is a nonsense to change it, a dangerous nonsense at that. In the words of the very wise Roosters fullback, James Tedesco: “Let him be 17 and let him enjoy his youth”.
Is that really so much to ask, when the consequences of getting it wrong for him and other young men are so potentially devastating

 

[40 nil]

Suaalii approved to play before his 18th birthday

Free to play! Joseph Suaalii cleared to line up for Roosters before he turns 18

Free to play! Suaalii cleared to line up for Roosters before he turns 18

www.foxsports.com.au

 

[manlyfan76]

Suaalii approved to play before his 18th birthday

Free to play! Joseph Suaalii cleared to line up for Roosters before he turns 18

Free to play! Suaalii cleared to line up for Roosters before he turns 18

www.foxsports.com.au

He was average with a couple of highlights in the workers game, nothing to bend the rules over.

 

[Disco]

Cue the outrage

Personally I'm fine with it.

Dont see him getting in unless there is an injury atm anyway

 

[frank stokes]

Gee I thought he was super impressive for a kid straight out of HS...

whilst it seemed to me that he wasn't out there to have a massive amount of touches, he seemed to take the punishment he did get pretty darn well and he is OBVIOUSLY a weapon under a high ball...

didn't get to see him hit top speed but he certainly seemed to have more than his fair share of ability and a good deal of game sense too.... hope I'm wrong but I came out of that game thinking "yeah, I get it..."

 

[DUFFMAN]

The rule should be black and white, shouldn't be playing before 18.
Now every 17 year old will expect the same treatment then 16 year olds will be asking for permission to play.
If he lives up to the hype he will play for 10-15 years so a 6 month wait won't hold him back.
This rubbish about allowing him to play otherwise he could be lost to union, he is signed well past his 18th birthday.

I hope he doesn't get a serious injury otherwise the NRL could be liable.

 

[40 nil]

In this interview, Suaalii presents as a very impressive young man. He is Samoan-Cambodian & has 7 siblings, including 6 younger sisters.