Following the signing of youthful sensation Joseph Suaalii, former Rugby Australia chairman Hamish McLennan feels that NRL star Nathan Cleary ought to be the next target of the rival code.
Suaalii, who signed a contentious megabucks contract with the faltering code in 2023, just completed his first week as a professional rugby player.
The deal has already paid for itself, according to McLennan, who was ousted as chairman on November 19 of last year.
“Joseph has already generated a lot of interest in rugby union and repeatedly paid for himself,” McLennan told SMH.
Before he has even put on a Wallaby shirt, he is already a world-renowned rugby player, and he will serve as an excellent example for young players who aspire to be like him.
The Wallabies require top-tier investment to boost value in sponsorship, media rights, and crowds because of their decades-long poor performance. You don’t need further proof that the system has to be redesigned and centralized because we haven’t won a World Cup since 1999 and a Bledisloe Cup in twenty-three years.
“Joseph has already generated a lot of interest in rugby union and repeatedly paid for himself,” McLennan told SMH.
Before he has even put on a Wallaby shirt, he is already a world-renowned rugby player, and he will serve as an excellent example for young players who aspire to be like him.
McLennan encourages rugby to open the checkbook for Panthers playmaker Nathan Cleary and wants the NRL recruitment effort to continue.
He declared, “I’d be trying my hand at people like Nathan Cleary and a few others.”
With the World Cup for ’27 [to be held in Australia] rapidly approaching and time running out, the game needs five more Josephs. That’s all people are talking about, so thank God for Joseph.
“Australia, which is ranked 10th in the world, needs to hire more talent or there won’t be anything left to sell.”
The 26-year-old Cleary and his girlfriend, football player Mary Fowler, are presently on vacation overseas.
Cleary is rumored to be looking for a new sporting challenge, and Fowler plays her club football for Manchester City.
‘I won’t be moving over here any time soon,’ the halfback said, squelching rumors at the UK grand final.
Like his father and coach Ivan, Cleary’s current contract with Penrith expires at the end of 2027.
The seventh-place champion stated, “I’ve seen all the rumors, but it’s nice to come over here and watch Mary play. It’s [also] nice to just have a break.”
Cleary will have shoulder surgery when he gets back to Australia.
In September, he informed his mother, Rebecca, that he would need to nurse the injury through the NRL finals.
After defeating the Melbourne Storm 14-6 in the grand final at Accor Stadium on October 6, Cleary told his mother, “I told her that I have to play three games and that’s it.”
“I knew that I could recover [from injury] for those games and be sweet if I worked hard.”
“It was successful.”