Waratahs coach Rob Penney says age would be no barrier to picking teen sensation Joseph Suaalii immediately if he were to sign with rugby.
Suaalii, who is currently playing rugby for Kings College, has been chased by both rugby codes and is considered a once in a generation fullback.
He had committed to a deal with South Sydney to kick off in 2021 but that deal could not be officially registered with the NRL until he turned 17, on August 1.
That time frame kept rugby in the picture and officials remained in contact with Suaalii even after that news.
If Suaalii inked an NRL deal he couldn't play until at least next year but in rugby he could be playing within weeks, as long as he is granted a dispensation to play at 17.
Rugby Australia has made no secret of its desire to keep Suaalii in the code, with incoming Wallabies coach Dave Rennie meeting with the teen in January.
If he does sign with rugby, it would most likely be to play with the Waratahs and Penney said he would have no hesitation picking Suaalii if he was good enough.
Penney said he had not met Suaalii but had seen his tape and was excited by his talent.
"I think there is lots of levels of confidence that come with selecting someone of that age," he said.
"That wouldn’t be a decision we would make in isolation.
"The medical team would have input, Rugby Australia would be all over it and it’s very important to get all those people having input. It wouldn’t just be a Draconian decision based on the needs of the team.
"The needs are in the best interests of the athletes.
"As you’ve alluded, the younger they are the more important that is.
"You want to still see the individual playing when he’s 35.
"Hopefully he’s going to be a long-term project. It wouldn’t be a decision made in isolation. Very important to get that right but age isn’t a barrier."
If Suaalii does officially commit to play rugby, Penney said it would be a timely injection of positive news for the code.
"There has been so much turmoil around the organisation over the past few months but there seems to be a real energy and positivity around what is happening going forward around retention of the boys that we want to keep, so engaging them really early on and obviously interacting with those exceptionally talented school level players and younger age group players that are going to be the future of Australian rugby (is important).
"It’s challenging at the moment but the future looks really bright and hearing someone like Joseph, he’s intimated that he’s going to commit to rugby, the game could do a lot for someone like him.
"It’s a global game, there’s sevens and there’s the Olympics into next year.
"In the short to medium term for someone like him there’s a life development opportunity outside of rugby that rugby provides on the back of its global identity.
"If it’s deemed by him and his parents rugby is the way he wants to go. We have a history of nurturing and looking after young men and we would love to be part of that process."
Reports that Suaalii was offered a three-year, $3 million deal by Rugby Australia, something that sparked criticism from many corners in the wake of a turbulent year.
The option of private benefactors, which have been used to supplement high-profile players in the past and also make up the Rugby Australia 'fighting fund' established in recent season, could potentially give Rugby Australia the opportunity to offer Suaalii more than they otherwise would.
However, Rugby Australia CEO Rob Clarke has emphatically denied that any offer of that size was made to Suaalii and it is believed that the potential rugby deal is worth less than what NRL's Rabbitohs were offering.
With Rugby Australia sacking a third of its full-time staff earlier this year and staff and players across the country on significant pay cuts due to coronavirus cost-cutting, even the report of a deal being done ruffled feathers.
Penney said he had addressed that with his players, all of whom have been on reduced pay since April 1 and will remain on 30 per cent cuts until September 30.
"The reality is all of our staff are on only percentages of their contractual earnings as well," he said.
"People across the game have made sacrifice and the media reports could easily have undermined the environment and that was something that I was really conscious of that we got on the front foot and opened the door for conversations should people need them. It's something we're really, really conscious of.
"That media report coming out the way it did, the dollar values which are unsubstantiated and the pressures that may put internally on individuals given the nature of the current environment. We really care for our people and that sort of stuff can cause a level of anxiety that is really unfortunate and unwarranted.
"Realities around recruitment and the big picture stuff that Australian rugby needs to take care of...that's no different to any other organisation that are looking to improve and looking to keep good people but the reality is we're careful of people that are here as well.
"We need to be really mindful that anything that's floating around in the ether is not undermining what we're trying to put together here and how we're trying to operate."
The Waratahs take on the Rebels in their Super Rugby AU clash on Friday night and Penney has stuck with the starting XV that lost to the Brumbies last weekend.
Young no.8 Will Harris has been ruled out with an ankle sprain, likely to see him miss a number of weeks, while Robbie Abel has been granted some time off for personal reasons.
Joe Cotton, Chris Talakai, Jed Holloway and Jake Gordon come into the side for the match up against a winless Melbourne side.
The Waratahs take on the Rebels on Friday July 24 at the SCG, kicking off at 7:05pm AEST, LIVE on Foxtel, Foxtel Now and Kayo Sports. Buy tickets here. Buy a Kayo subscription here.
