Phil Gould SLAMS Joseph Suaalii for rugby union switch and urges the Roosters star to ‘go NOW’

Phil Gould has launched a scathing attack on Joseph Suaalii, urging the new Rugby Australia recruit to leave the NRL immediately.

On Saturday, the 19-year-old officially announced that he will leave the Sydney Roosters at the end of his current contract in 2024 after signing a three-year contract with Rugby Australia.

Suaalii will play for the New South Wales Waratahs and become one of the highest paid rugby players in Australia after signing a contract worth $1.6 million per season.

His departure is a major blow to the NRL and comes just months after Australia’s new boss Eddie Jones warned he would attack the code in an attempt to get some of its biggest stars to switch to rugby.

While Suaalii and Roosters boss Trent Robinson insisted the teenager remains fully committed to the Tricolores, Gould said the NRL should get rid of him immediately.

Phil Gould slammed the Roosters star, suggesting he should leave the NRL immediately

Every time he scores a try. Every time he does something in our game, people will refer to the fact that he’s going to rugby,” the Bulldogs supremo said on Nine’s 100% Footy on Monday night.

“Why do we need that? Go now. Don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out. Go. Go now. Missing. He has made his decision. You sign a rugby contract 18 months before his league contract ends.

Gould insisted that he had nothing against Suaalii, but argued that he would gain nothing by staying in rugby league for another 18 months when his future was already decided.

“You can’t sign with any other rugby league club at the moment,” he said.

You can only sign elsewhere. He has made his decision. I have nothing against the boy. I’ve loved having him in the NRL.

‘He’s a tremendous athlete and he’s great for the game. But he has decided to be a rugby player. Bye bye. Go away.

Suaalii’s move will be the biggest NRL rugby coup in two decades, after Mat Rogers, Wendell Sailor and Lote Tuqiri code-crossed in the early 2000s during Jones’ first spell in charge of the Wallabies.

However, the former England manager insisted he had no role to play in convincing Suaalii to switch from league to rugby.

“I have no idea mate,” he told reporters on Friday.

“I’m just worried about this World Cup.”

The Roosters’ young gun’s switch to rugby has reignited a bitter feud between the two codes, with Rugby Australia boss Hamish McLennan calling Peter V’landys and NRL powerbrokers ‘cry babies’.

It comes after V’landys, chairman of the ARL Commission, criticized the Roosters star for seeking “easy money”, before stating he would be “bored terribly” and return to rugby league.

Suaalii’s move will be NRL rugby union’s biggest coup in two decades

NRL supremo Peter V’landys (left) accused Suaalii of seeking “easy money” but was rebuked by Rugby Australia boss Hamish McLennan (right) who called him a “cry baby”.

McLellan (left) welcomed Suaalii’s return to rugby as a bonus that came just two months after the Wallabies appointed Eddie Jones (centre) as manager.

“It’s hard to blame Joseph for going to rugby and looking at it as his future when he’s going to get paid double for doing half the job,” V’landys told The Associated Press. Sydney Morning Herald on Sunday.

‘Also, I really think that after Joseph plays rugby for a while, he’ll get terribly bored and go back to rugby league. That’s what most code-switching players do.

McLennan delivered a quick rebuke, calling V’landys “childish” for his comments.

“What a bunch of cry babies,” McLennan said. the aussie.

They have completely thrown their toys out of the crib. They can say what they want, but we will not be intimidated.