Joseph Suaalii won’t switch codes until October next year but the NRL star is already having an impact on the Wallabies.
In his first Wallabies camp under Eddie Jones, Reds young gun Josh Flook credited Suaalii for improving his defence in particular as he pushes for a Test debut in 2023.
Flook, 21, played both with and against Suaalii as a schoolboy and the experience sharpened him for Super Rugby Pacific.
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One turning point was in facing Sydney Roosters superstar Joseph Suaalii.
“He was probably the first player when I went into some really big detail, on things like what foot he liked to step off and stuff like that,” Flook told Nine’s Michael Atkinson.
“He was still a big boy back then, playing against him wasn’t so fun but having him on your side was definitely a lot better.”
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Flook, a centre/winger, played with Suaalii in a crack Australian under-18s team on 2021 which went unbeaten on a tour to New Zealand.
“That under-18s team we had a pretty stacked side, so we were able to learn off each other and that was our first real professional setup,” Flook said.
“These days players can do so much, so you have got to have it in the back of your mind, any little tip you can pick up from their game.”
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Flook, often smaller than his midfield opponents, has been a standout defensively for Queensland and has also scored six tries in the opening eight rounds.
Like the player he’s often compared to – All Blacks legend Conrad Smith – Flook has a happy knack of popping up at the right place at the right time.
“It was very cool to be able to put my name next to his, in a similar player,” Flook told Wide World of Sports.
“I’ve definitely tried to devote, develop my game around him because he’s one of the best in the world to do it.”
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