- Hamish McLennan reveals Rugby Australia nearly signed Crichton
- Says Rugby Australia stuffed the cope with the Roosters star
- Believes Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii will captain the Wallabies
Former Rugby Australia boss Hamish McLennan has revealed how shut he got here to signing NRL star Angus Crichton – and he backs Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii to captain the Wallabies sometime.
Joseph Suaalii made a shocking debut for the Wallabies final week after signing a controversial megabucks contract to go away the NRL and defect to the struggling code in 2023.
McLennan – who was eliminated as RA chairman on November 19 final yr – has now revealed that the Roosters younger gun’s teammate Angus Crichton nearly made the code swap too.
‘Angus Crichton is one other one we must always have had,’ McLennan advised Information Corp.
‘The Crichtons are household mates and when he was going by means of his robust occasions on the Roosters, I used to be contacted.
‘Angus completely would have come again, however there have been issues he was broken items at RA.
Ex-Rugby Australia chairman Hamish McLennan (pictured) says Rugby Australia practically signed Angus Crichton
Crichton has been enjoying excellent footy all through 2024
‘He began in rugby, he was an Australian Schoolboy and I consider we might have gotten him for a superb worth, however rugby stuffed the deal and credit score to Angus for turning his life round on the Roosters.’
McLennan says Suaalii, who has solely performed one recreation for the Wallabies, may captain the group.
‘I believe Joseph may simply be a Wallabies captain,’ he stated.
‘He’s such a superb position mannequin for younger children.
‘In case you are a child who’s deciding between rugby union or rugby league, there can be a ton of children saying I need to be like Joseph Suaalii and that was all the time the plan to get him again to rugby.
‘I’ve little doubt he will not be a one-hit marvel. He’ll hold enjoying nicely. I do know he’ll.
‘You may’t underestimate what he did final weekend. The final recreation of rugby he performed was in yr 11 at highschool, and he went straight right into a Check match earlier than 80,000 followers at Twickenham, which we weren’t meant to win, and he modified the group.
‘Do not forget, we got here stone, bone-arsed final within the Rugby Championship and the one factor that has modified in that group is Joseph Suaalii.
McLennan says rugby would have gotten Crichton at a superb worth
‘He has this magic about him, he has electrified the group and lifted them.
‘He’s price tens of thousands and thousands now however he’ll hold children in our pathways enjoying rugby union.
‘Joseph is a famous person. He’ll turn into the face of Australian rugby and he’ll get the group profitable, which can improve the worth of each business asset, together with the media rights.
‘And to assume Phil Waugh (RA CEO) and Daniel Herbert (chairman) wished handy him again to the Roosters.’
Final week McLennan made the bombshell declare that he was contacted by a 3rd occasion who assured him that Nathan Cleary was concerned about switching codes.
‘Earlier this yr, I obtained advised Cleary and some different high NRL gamers have been eager to come back to rugby through a 3rd occasion,’ McLennan advised Information Corp.
‘It wasn’t directed at me, however I consider it was all actual.
‘Maybe they [Cleary and the other NRL players] have been wanting to check the waters with a couple of individuals, however by then I had left Rugby Australia.
‘I left it alone as I felt it had nothing to do with me.’
