Suli Vunivalu – one of the most vexed players in Australian rugby – is on the cusp of re-signing with Rugby Australia and Queensland Rugby.
The Roar understands that the two-time NRL premiership-winner, who scored a try and won his second NRL title with the Melbourne Storm in 2020, is moving closer to signing a two-year extension that will see him stay in Australian rugby through to the British and Irish Lions series.
Signed on a huge two-year deal worth upwards of $700,000, Vunivalu took a significant pay reduction to sign a one-year $300,000 extension for this year’s World Cup season ahead of last year’s three-match series against England.
Vunivalu made his debut in the third Test off the bench but was given less than three minutes of action and was not given another jersey and, later, did not even make the Spring Tour squad. Nor did he feature in Dave Rennie’s 44-man Wallabies January training squad.
Suliasi Vunivalu. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
But Rennie’s departure has seemingly seen a change in the wind with new coach Eddie Jones having a strong history of favouring former NRL wingers.
While it’s believed he was not a part of a small six-person Queensland group that got together for a national logistics exercise on Monday, including Harry Wilson, Fraser McReight and Jock Campbell, it’s understood that Jones sees a wealth of potential in the Fijian-born winger.
“Oh, he’s got it, mate,” Jones told AAP last month.
“I’ve seen him play enough NRL at the highest level to know.
“It sometimes takes players a little longer to find their feet (in rugby), but I saw him (at a trial game) in Narrabri for 20 minutes and was really impressed with his defence and communication.
“That is the beauty of it; there’s opportunity there.
“Historical form counts, but if you’re playing well and at the top of your form it’s hard not to pick you so (he’s got to) … get back on the field and get the ball in his hands.”
The Reds, too, believe Vunivalu can thrive and just needs to rediscover his confidence to become a world-beater.
The 27-year-old missed the opening game of the season, but has hardly set the world alight since returning against the Force.
The giant winger, who scored 86 tries during a memorable 111-game NRL career, has often looked wooden since making the switch to rugby.
Nor has he necessarily impressed on the training paddock, which was one of Rennie’s gripes towards the dual-international.
Yet, against the Blues and Crusaders last year, as well as his brief cameo against England, he showed glimpses of what he is capable of as he powered past players and used his powerful frame to score tries.
Last year’s slide down the pecking order appears to have rocked him.
While hot temperatures and high humidity to start the season have clearly had an effect on a number of Reds players, including Vunivalu, and others like Tate McDermott, who suffered cramp in Melbourne earlier in the month.
Jones said that some players needed to be treated differently.
“You’ve got to find out what’s right for each player,” Jones told AAP.
“At the Storm, if he was allowed to train like (they knew) that, he’d front up and perform.
“When you’re new into a team, that’s harder because people don’t know you.
“But he’ll work it out.”
Meanwhile, the Reds are open to re-signing James O’Connor, but won’t break the bank to keep him.
The 32-year-old, who played the last of his 63 Tests against Argentina in August, is hoping to remain at the Reds.
The issue is that at this point Rugby Australia aren’t likely to offer the play maker a top-up following an injury-plagued few years since returning home.
Rennie brutally cut O’Connor following last year’s record loss to Argentina, which came amid an injury crisis.
Where Jones sees O’Connor remains to be seen, but his experience, which includes two World Cups, could prove invaluable throughout the year if Quade Cooper fails to make a successful return from injury and anything happens to Bernard Foley.
It’s likely there won’t be any movement on O’Connor’s future over the next few weeks, as he attempts to show Jones – and Rugby Australia – that there is more left in his extraordinary career.
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