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Teen sensation Joseph Suaalii is set to commit to rugby.Credit:SPA Images

It is a $2.7 million deal for the next three years from 2021,which also garners him an additional $300,000 for the remainder of this year. Rugby Australia tabled the offer in the last 48 hours to ensure he becomes a Wallaby and represents the national rugby Sevens team at the Olympics. While he hasn’t yet signed the deal,he is expected to do so shortly.

Suaalii had indicated to Souths powerbrokers that he was going to stay put,but the money on offer from rugby is too good to refuse. The youngster has seven siblings and realises the move could set up his entire family for life.

The huge investment appears a massive gamble from Rugby Australia at a time when the code is reeling from the financial impacts of the coronavirus crisis. However,good judges rate Suaalii as a once-in-a-generation talent and RA believes he will help bring interest back to the code as a mainstay of the Wallabies side.

"Joseph Suaalii is an upstanding young man and a talented Rugby player,who has proven himself to be an exciting Rugby prospect for the future,"interim Rugby Australia CEO Rob Clarke said.

"We have made it no secret that we would like to keep Joseph within the Rugby pathway. At this stage there has been no agreement between Joseph,his family or his representation.

"Rugby Australia continues to have an open and exciting conversation about his potential future in our game. Financial offers being speculated in the media presently are totally fanciful,and is being propagated by the usual suspects whose sole interest it is to inflate and misrepresent contract values."

In one of the first acts upon becoming Wallabies coach,Dave Rennie met with Suaalii in a bid to land his signature.

“I met him[Suaalii] when I was here in January. Impressive athlete and a very mature kid for 16,” Rennie told reporters last month.

"As you get with guys like Joseph,they command a lot of attention and clearly Souths are very interested in him and have thrown some serious money in front him.

“So he's just an example of the type of kids that we want to keep in our game,but it's a competitive market and it's not easy.

“We're going to miss out on some of these kids coming out of school but I think it's important that we keep in contact with them and keep that relationship going,so that when they're making the next decision around a contract our game is still an option for them.”

Suaalii trained with the top NRL squad over the summer and impressed with his speed,agility and physicality. Legendary fullback Greg Inglis told other Souths staffers that he was well ahead of him in his development as a player at the same age.

The news has raised eyebrows in rugby circles already given Australia’s Super Rugby players have been forced to take a 30 per cent pay cut until the end of September and the code is plagued by uncertainty with no broadcast deal signed for next year.

Suaalii has also had offers from several leading shoe and apparel manufacturers to become their brand ambassador.

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