Joseph Suaalii appears poised to make a rapid-fire debut for Australia during their upcoming tour of Europe after being included in Joe Schmidt’s 34-man Wallabies squad.
The former Sydney Roosters star only finished up in the NRL last month before making the lucrative switch across to the 15-man code.
The 21-year-old, who has signed with the NSW Waratahs, featured primarily in the centres or on the wing during his stint in rugby league, while also occasionally filling in at fullback for the Chooks and Samoa.
This versatility across the backline has now led to plenty of questions surrounding where he can best be utilised by Schmidt.
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Israel Folau weighs in on ideal position for Joseph Suaalii
The Wallabies are gearing up for a home series against the British and Irish Lions next July.
Therefore, upcoming Test matches against England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland loom as a crucial audition for the new recruit to prove his worth.
Yet fellow former rugby league convert Israel Folau has claimed Suaalii should be thrown straight into the deep end when it comes to playing for the national side.
"I probably see him as a fullback," Folau told The Australian.
"He’s such a big body I think he could, long term, play (in the centres), but for now I just think fullback, for me personally, is his position."
Unlike Folau, when he made the move to the 15-man code via stops in the NRL and AFL, Suaalii has an established grounding in the game.
And the former Wallaby, who went on to make 73 Test appearances for his country, noted how this would help Suaalii acclimatise quickly and make him a major success story in the years to come.
"He went to a rugby school," the 35-year-old stated.
"I think he’s got no dramas in the sense of understanding the game and making the transition over."
