Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii's Sydney Roosters teammates are resigned to the prospect of rugby union poaching more NRL stars but are tipping the Wallaby-in-waiting will return to league in the future.
Speculation Suaalii could hop codes has followed the former schoolboy rugby star since before he made his NRL debut as a 17-year-old in 2021.
On Saturday, Rugby Australia confirmed it had signed Suaalii to a three-year contract worth around $1.6 million a year that will have him available for the Waratahs at Super Rugby level, as well as the Wallabies in next year's British & Irish Lions series and at the 2027 World Cup.
The Roosters had resigned themselves to losing Suaalii prior to Saturday but his teammates only learned the move had been confirmed when it became public.
"He's one of the most dedicated to his training and the way he goes about things. It's a credit to him," halfback Sam Walker said.
"You don't ever want to see someone of his calibre leave the club but in the end, it's his decision."
Newly-minted Wallabies coach Eddie Jones has made no secret of wanting to entice ex-schoolboy players back to rugby since replacing Dave Rennie in January.
Now that Suaalii has signed, South Sydney skipper Cameron Murray sits atop his wishlist, while other ex-schoolboy rugby stars in the NRL include Angus Crichton, Taane Milne and Will Penisini.
Rugby Australia doesn't have the financial wherewithal to hand out $1.6 million contracts willy-nilly but the Roosters are resigned to Jones spruiking union to other NRL players.
"Any code would be silly not to target the best players," utility Drew Hutchison said.
"I don't know if I see it as a threat as such, I more just see it as normal competition.
"You'll probably see a bit more of it."
Hooker Brandon Smith believes his former Melbourne teammate Nelson Asofa-Solomona would be the perfect candidate for an All-Blacks raid; the towering Kiwi has previously expressed interest in returning to the game of his childhood and comes off contract at the end of this season.
"He's definitely thought about it, whether he does it or not I don't know, it'd be hard to leave the Storm for him," Smith said.
"He's been there since day dot but (union) suits his lifestyle as well. He loves to travel. That's where I think union really trumps rugby league is just the amount of countries that play."
"I think (Suaalii) is probably the first they've got that's a young, rising talent. So hopefully they don't take too many of those.
"(But) there's always the next kid coming up through the ranks."
Suaalii has already been likened to legendary code-hoppers Israel Folau and Sonny Bill Williams and Hutchison, who played with Williams at the Roosters in 2020, said the comparisons were justified.
"Just the way that they're professionals, they want to get the best out of themselves," Hutchison said.
"No matter what code they play, they're going to excel at it."
And just like Williams, Lote Tuqiri, Wendell Sailor and Mat Rogers before him, the Roosters are tipping Suaalii to circle back to the NRL after a spell in union.
"Once he's built $3 million worth of houses, he'll come back and hopefully he'll come back to the Roosters," Smith said.
Walker, who himself played rugby union for GPS school Ipswich Grammar, said Suaalii's skillset would make it easy to transition back and forth.
"He's an unbelievable athlete, he could do whatever he wanted to do," he said.
