The Sydney Roosters and Rugby Australia (RA) have engaged in discussions over a potential deal that could see Joseph Suaalii temporarily return to rugby league in 2026.
Senior officials from both the NRL and RA have been in talks over the past month, exploring the possibility of a unique arrangement.
Suaalii, who is contracted to Rugby Australia until 2027, has been in discussions about an extension that could see his deal extended until the end of 2029.
As reported by The Sydney Morning Herald, sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, revealed that Suaalii might be involved in an unprecedented cross-code arrangement.
While it is not uncommon for rugby players to take sabbaticals to play in competitions such as Japan's or France's, RA considered the bold idea of loaning Suaalii to the Roostersโa move that would allow him to play for the NRL club between major events, like the 2025 British and Irish Lions tour and the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
According to reports from the publication, the Roosters approached RA CEO Phil Waugh with the proposal, though no formal decisions have been made. The Roosters declined to comment, and Suaalii's manager, Isaac Moses, did not respond to inquiries.
Waugh confirmed he briefly considered the idea of loaning Suaalii to rugby league, acknowledging that his hefty five-year, $8.5 million deal could potentially be partly financed by a rival code.
However, the Roosters learned that RA was unwilling to contribute a significant amount to Suaalii's contract, which includes an additional two-year option worth nearly $2 million per season.
The Roosters had paid Suaalii close to $800,000 in 2024 but were not willing to offer much more for a return to rugby league.
Both parties decided to put the conversation on hold, with RA still open to the idea of Suaalii serving a sabbatical playing overseas rugby, although no official arrangements have been made.
RA currently owns the Waratahs, the Super Rugby team that Suaalii will play for next year, and an overseas loan deal could help alleviate the financial strain of his salary on the sport's bottom line, especially with an $80 million loan burden.
Roosters chairman Nick Politis, a billionaire businessman, had expressed his belief that Suaalii would eventually return to rugby league.
"Joseph is a good guy, a good kid," Politis said last year.
"It's sad that we've lost him to union, but he tells us he's coming back in 2028."
While Waugh was cautious about revealing the details of his conversations with the Roosters, he emphasised that rugby league is not an enemy of rugby union.
โWe need to co-exist with rugby league,โ Waugh said to The Sydney Morning Herald.ย
"You're not going to get me going head-to-head with Roosters and I think we can co-exist successfully and have done since rugby league was started.โ
