‘I want to play for him’: Suaalii backs Wilson’s leadership following clutch Townsville performance

Sun, Sep 7, 2025, 2:00 AM
Nick Wasiliev
by Nick Wasiliev

Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii has achieved several big firsts in his time in a Wallaby jersey: including ending a decade long drought at Twickenham, a 60-year drought at Ellis Park, and tasting victory over the British & Irish Lions.

But the result against Argentina in Townsville distills what the Wallabies are trying to build.

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While the centre believes the side had further to go, the chance to be part of the rebuild is something that clearly sits among the most enjoyable parts of his sports career so far.

“It's all part of a process for us,” Suaalii said to reporters after the result in Townsville.

“We're growing and building. There's a lot of things we want to take from this game that we want to build on. We're not happy where we are at the moment, [but] we're getting a lot of support from the Australians.

“We're just hungry to get better each week.

“When you come to a different code, it's just not about [that] you're coming to play rugby. You're meeting different people, different families and different staff, really enjoying the bond that we're creating. 

“These are like all different memories of that. It's really special.”

The outside centre has felt the resurgence of the side on home soil, with 20,163 fans getting behind the side as they fought their way back into the second half.

“Yeah, 100 per cent,” Suaalii smiled when asked about feeling the love from the crowd.

“You can feel it from the media, people sending us letters, the crowd people just staying behind. For us as players, we feel all the support from all different angles of Australian rugby.”

For all the combinations Suaalii is building, particular attention has been directed towards Len Ikitau - who produced a player of the match performance in Townsville - and Max Jorgensen, with Suaalii even surprising the 21-year-old on his birthday earlier in the week.

“We work really hard, Len and I,” Suaalii said of his centre partner.

“I try to read his game as much as I can: just his body language. not just Len, just everyone in the back line with Jorgo and ‘Kels’ (fullback Andrew Kellaway) and, you know, Tom Wright when he was here before his injury. 

“There's a lot of different combinations that are building and different friendships going off the field as well.

“Just observing him [Jorgensen] outside of rugby, he's a good guy.

“He's a good family man. He gets a bit chirpy, but, we've got a good friendship. So I'm enjoying getting to know him a little bit more.

“He's really grown into his own over the last couple of months. He's really a superstar in this game. He works really hard on his craft and I love playing with him on and off the field.

“We're just enjoying our Waratah season now, just building more combos with him. Honestly just enjoying playing rugby with Jorgo.”

Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii has been enjoying linking up with Max Jorgensen in the Wallabies backline. Source: Getty

While the combinations in the centres and backs has been an experience Suaalii has loved, it has been the camaraderie and leadership driven by both Joe Schmidt and Harry Wilson that has him excited about the future of the team.

“It starts with Joe,” Suaalii affirmed.

“It's all about belief and trust within the group. We want to die on our feet. You don't want to go on our knees.

“Everything's about us, you know? Getting better each game and for us to go to the corner instead of going for the three. It just shows how much belief we have in our group.

“We come out there with the belief that we can win this game and credit to Harry Wilson for going to the corner and backing us as a team. 

“He's such a leader within our group. We all look to him to make the calls when the pressure is on the line.

“He made the right call. He backed his boys, that's what he does. He puts belief in his teammates, and for myself, it's someone that I look to… I want to play for him.

“He has a special ability to, you know, not say too much, but lead by his actions. Today was a special case of his leadership. 

“It was a special day for us.”

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