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South Sydney coach Wayne Bennett has hit out at the media storm surrounding 16-year-old Joseph Suaalii.<\/p>\n
Ahead of his 17th birthday, the teenager from The Kings School last month agreed to a Rabbitohs extension<\/a> believed to be worth $1.7 million, but this week it emerged he is set to sign an even more lucrative Rugby Australia deal<\/a> worth a reported $3 million in the coming days.<\/p>\n That prompted a strong response<\/a> from both codes with RA’s offer expected to make him the richest teenager in the history of the Australian footy at a time when union players are taking paycuts<\/a> and the organisation has made redundancies amid financial pressures from the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n Bennett said the battle to secure Suaalii is ‘unhealthy’ and puts a ‘huge burden’ on the youngster.<\/p>\n “The publicity he has got in the last three or four days is not what I want for my 16-year-old,” Bennett said on Friday.<\/p>\n “We still don’t know how good he is going to be and all of a sudden he has this huge burden of expectation placed upon him.<\/p>\n “It’s just not healthy for anyone that’s in that situation.”<\/p>\n RA have described the reports of a $3 million contract for Suaalii as “fanciful”,<\/a> however the hype around the teenager appears to be warranted, leading to comparisons to Greg Inglis and Israel Folau.<\/p>\n Bennett appeared all smiles in a photo with Suaalii last month, presenting him with a Rabbitohs jersey, but told media on Friday he has not been able to speak to the cross-code prospect recently.<\/p>\n “He has had enough pressure. He doesn’t need me in his ear,” Bennett said.<\/p>\n “My big issue with Joe and any kid at his age is that it is totally unfair the amount of scrutiny that is put on them.<\/p>\n “It is life changing for them and they are not old enough to handle it, that is the part that disappoints me.<\/p>\n “The rest of it makes his football career more difficult than most other guys who are 16 and playing and may go on to be wonderful players in the future.”<\/p>\n South Sydney hooker Damien Cook had experience training alongside Suaalii and expressed similar concern for the pressure placed on the high-schooler.<\/p>\n “To be honest I feel a bit sorry for the kid. He deserves everything he gets whether it is a long career in rugby union or rugby league,” Cook told The Big Sports Breakfast<\/a> earlier this week.<\/p>\n “But at such a young age it must be a lot of pressure on the kid’s shoulders and what is going through his head at the moment.<\/p>\n “As long as whatever decision he makes he is happy with that and just sticks to it and backs himself.<\/p>\n “We have had him here at training and I have spoken to him a couple of times when he was training here and he is a great athlete.<\/p>\n “I know he is going to have a big career in whatever sport he chooses.<\/p>\n “Hopefully he does the old double backflip and comes back to us if that’s the case.”<\/p>\n Tags:<\/b> WWOS staff<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\nSuaalii’s stunning rugby and junior league highlights<\/h2>\n
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South Sydney coach Wayne Bennett has hit out at the media storm surrounding 16-year-old Joseph Suaalii. Ahead of his 17th birthday, the teenager from The Kings School last month agreed to a Rabbitohs extension believed to be worth $1.7 million, but this week it emerged he is set to sign an even more lucrative Rugby Australia deal worth a … Continue reading Rabbitohs coach Wayne Bennett rips into ‘unhealthy’ attention on teen phenom Joseph Suaalii<\/span><\/a> Continue Reading