The war of words after Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii’s defection to the Wallabies continued, with veteran rugby league journalist Paul Kent saying Rugby Australia (RA) boss Hamish McLennan needs to “grow up and be a man”.
Speaking on NRL 360, co-host Kent didn’t mince words after McLennan teased that more NRL players could follow Suaalii’s example.
The 19-year-old has signed a three-year, $4.8 million deal with Rugby Australia with the aim of playing against the British and Irish Lions in 2025 and the Rugby World Cup on home soil two years later.
Suaalii will remain under contract with the Roosters for the next two NRL seasons.
After Bulldogs supremo Phil Gould said earlier this week, “Go now. Don’t let the door knock you in the ass on the way out. Go. Come on now”, tensions are rising between the two rival football codes.
The war of words after Joseph-Akuso Suaalii’s defection to the Wallabies continued, with veteran rugby league journalist Paul Kent (pictured) saying Rugby Australia boss Hamish McLennan needs to ‘grow up and be a man “.
Speaking on NRL 360, Kent didn’t mince words after Hamish McLennan (pictured) teased that more NRL players could follow Akuso Suaalii’s lead.
McLennan called a series of other comments – including a cheeky jab by Roosters prostitute Brandon Smith – “thug”.
His comments got under the skin of Kent, who took aim at the RA boss on Wednesday.
“He’s the president, I never heard of him until last week, but I’ll tell you what, he has a little problem with this guy,” Kent said.
‘He is [McLennan] driven by ego and he keeps talking about rugby league like… all these bulls**t rugby people go on, ‘although you’re playing an east coast game – we travel the world’. Well good luck to you. The fact is that this [Australia] is where we live.
“This whole Suaalii situation is taking advantage of the popularity of rugby league, so don’t try to s**tpot rugby league and call it a small game. The fact is that the athletes are better.
Kent went on Roosters coach Trent Robinson’s benchmark comments: “As he said, of any code, league or rugby union, anywhere in the world, this is the premier competition – This is the fact.”
“That’s why they come here and that’s why they admire the way these guys play football.
“And he’s trying to do some rugby league publicity, I just think the sooner he can shut up the better for everyone.”
Suaalii, 19, defected to ARU on a bumper three-year deal from 2025 worth $4.8m
Kent added: “He called the people of rugby league thugs today because they weren’t happy with the way this deal was done.”
“He was the one who did the little underground market and didn’t want the rugby league people to know what was going on.
“Come on, grow up and be a man about it.”