Rugby's most highly coveted contests are no longer enough to sway union players from defecting to league, says former Wallaby Morgan Turinui.
Mark Nawaqanitawase's decision to ditch Rugby Australia and the Waratahs for a contract with the Roosters has rocked the sport.
The up-and-coming winger quickly became a staple of the Wallabies squad between Dave Rennie and Eddie Jones.
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Come 2025, he'll look to ply his trade in rugby league in a return of sorts to his roots, having played the game as a teenager.
Nawaqanitawase re-signed with Rugby Australia on a one-year deal in May.
At just 23 years old, Nawaqanitawase was thought to be a lock to lead the Wallabies through a British and Irish Lions series in 2025.
It seems that's no longer enough to stop players from crossing codes.
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Nawaqanitawase could still be an option when the Rugby World Cup rolls around in 2027 on home soil assuming he's keen on a return and the Wallabies want him.
"That's the surprising thing. I think we've hung our hat and rugby on the Lions are coming, we're hosting a World Cup as a way of securing talent. Perhaps that's not enough," said Stan Sport commentator Turinui on Today.
"He sees a program at the Roosters that is a new challenge. I suppose the Wallabies and rugby in Australia will say we're getting Joseph Suaalii. How excited can we be about him coming across?"
Turinui labelled the move "a bit of a blow" for rugby union in Australia.
The Wallabies have no shortage of options for wingers, although Nawaqanitawase was the bona fide first pick throughout 2023.
"Mark Nawaqanitawase was one of the outstanding players of the last 18 months really, growing into a great Wallaby player," said Turinui.
"I'm really interested to see how he goes in the NRL. I think we're both fans of both codes so I can't wait to see what a guy with that profile can do in league as well. That could be good for rugby, a guy like that going over and being successful."
Nawaqanitawase is the first Wallabies player without prior NRL experience to swap codes in nearly three decades.
In 1994, Garrick Morgan signed with the South Queensland Crushers for 1995 after playing in the George Gregan tackle Test at the Sydney Football Stadium.
The last player at national level to switch code was New Zealand-born Australian Sam Harris, who played for the Waratahs in the then-known Super 14 across 2001 and 2002 before joining the Sea Eagles in the NRL in 2003.
In rugby's so-called code war, Turinui is eager to see how Nawaqanitawase and Suaalii fair in their respective moves.
"The first 100 years of league vs union it was one-way traffic from union to league since the first one really," Turinui added.
"Then we got (Mat) Rogers across, we got Del (Wendell Sailor) across, we got Lote (Tuqiri) across.
"Two of those guys went back (to league). This is the first time we've had swaps of young, up-and-coming, great looking footballers going to both codes.
"It'll be exciting to see who is successful and how they go."
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