Rugby bosses 'fuming' as Suaalii clone poached

The Roosters have signed a Joseph Suaalii clone from New Zealand - and Kiwi rugby union officials are fuming. Tavita Henare-Schuster, a towering 20-year-old outside back from the Hurricanes, was being groomed for Super Rugby and the All Blacks across the ditch. But the Roosters have swooped on the youngster this week and put him on a development contract that could see him playing in the NRL within the next 12 months. "The rugby union people had developed Tavita over the past few years and knew they had something very special on their hands," Henare-Schuster's manager Pierre Tannous told. "But at the end of the day, he wanted to try his hand at league and when the Roosters came calling, it was an easy decision. "They played him in a trial before Christmas and after 15 minutes they took him off the field. "When I asked them why, they said, 'We've seen enough - we want him'."Like Suaalii, Henare-Schuster is a strong ball carrier who plays both fullback and wing, with good footwork and plenty of pace.

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