An All Blacks rival thinks Suaalii’s best is yet to come in rugby. And that excites him

All Blacks star Jordie Barrett insists Australian rugby hasn’t yet seen the best of Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, and maintains the progression of his Wallabies rival in the 15-man game will be accelerated by him playing multiple positions in the back line.

Barrett and Suaalii will go head-to-head at Allianz Stadium on Friday night when the unbeaten Waratahs take on the Hurricanes, and the Bledisloe Cup rivals met up at Moore Park on Thursday to promote the clash.

There was a distinct absence of frostiness between the trans-Tasman foes, however, as they posed for photos and spoke glowingly of each other to media.

Suaalii said he’d grown up admiring Barrett playing for the All Blacks and Hurricanes, while the 75-cap Kiwi star said his young rival had “been outstanding” since coming across from the NRL in late 2024.

“I love it when you get such high calibre players playing in rugby union and his move from rugby league. It’s great for our game,” Barrett said.

“People underestimate probably how hard that shift can be, and I think he’s getting better and better. Australian rugby probably hasn’t seen the best of Joseph yet and that’s exciting. Look, we’ve got a massive challenge trying to contain him tomorrow night and, yeah, hopefully he’s got a big future with Australian rugby.”

Suaalii’s best position in rugby has been the subject of a long-running debate. After playing fullback last year for NSW and centre for the Wallabies, the big-moneyrecruit has been shifted to No.13 for the Waratahs as well. But the 22-year-old has not made a major impact in attack so far.

“I almost had a similar trajectory early on. I played full-back, played both wings, midfield and back to full-back. I think it’s probably a good thing for Joseph’s progression,” Barrett said.

“If you chucked him in one spot he probably wouldn’t learn as much and the fact that he’s playing fullback and and 13, occasionally wing, it’ll fast-track his development and particularly the defensive side of the game.

“He’s already a very good defender. So I think it’s a great thing being thrust into different situations that he might be a little bit uncomfortable as well, so he’ll grow massively.”

Suaalii said he was chuffed to be compared to Barrett and said he enjoyed playing in multiple spots. The pair are also physically similar, both standing at 195cm.

“I’ve always watched him as a young kid and I’ve always admired his game. For him to say that, it’s pretty special words. I love playing in all different positions,” Suaalii said.

“I feel like you grow as a player and as a human, trying to find out different ways to impact the game and become a better player. If it’s playing wing, 13, 15, it’s just what the team needs. I’ve always said to Dan [McKellar] and Joe [Schmidt] and the coaches that anywhere they need me to play, I’m willing to put my hand up and play there.”

The Waratahs are searching for ways to get Suaalii more involved in attack, however, after he struggled to find space in the opening two wins for the Tahs. With a role of running hard into traffic or being used as a decoy, Suaalii tallied just 32 metres and zero line-breaks in two games.

“I need to put myself in the right position. I’ve always said the game of rugby is just not about having ball in hand. You’ve got to be able to defend, you’ve got to be able to hit rucks, you’ve got to be able to communicate to different players.

“I am trying to base my game around how do I impact the game, and not just with hands on the ball. I am trying to do different things as well.

“The game of rugby is won by a lot of the things the fans don’t see – it’s the breakdown, it’s the double efforts, it’s a lot of things that the fans don’t see.”

Barrett said he was pleased to see the All Blacks coaching situation resolved with Dave Rennie’s appointment. Though he doesn’t know him well, Barrett said he’d heard great things from players who’d played under the former Wallabies coach.

Asked if he was confident a year under Rennie would be enough time for the All Blacks to prepare for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, Barrett said: “We went through a similar situation two years out from the 2023 World Cup with Ian Foster [being re-appointed].

“We were a couple of moments away from winning that World Cup, so I think we’ve got enough time.

“Time will tell, but it’s a bit of a sprint, so my job is just to play well for the Hurricanes and hopefully, I’m part of those equations and conversations with Dave going forward.”