“I prefer him to be playing league because I think rugby is not the sport that league is. I remember when he was going to go to rugby as a youngster sitting at his home with [then Rabbitohs football manager] Mark Ellison and doing a deal for him as a 17-year-old for three years for $1.5 million with the Rabbitohs.
“Before he could sign it, the agent Isaac Moses, who I referred to as ‘The Mess Moses’, made a mess of what we were trying to do and instead put together a five-year deal with all these [get-out] clauses in it [in Suaalii’s favour] that [then Souths coach] Wayne Bennett didn’t want a bar of.
Rugby convert Joseph Suaalii battles the Eels’ defence for the Roosters.Credit: Getty Images
“The Roosters ended up doing a deal with [Suaalii in 2020]. I reckon even [Roosters chairman] Nick Politis would now agree with my view …