High profile rugby convert Joseph Suaalii has declared himself a certain pick for the Wallabies Spring Tour – as his time with the Roosters reaches the final stages.

The Roosters ace spoke about his impending move to rugby union as his NRL team prepared for their qualifying final against Penrith on Friday, and said he had been discussing the switch with ex-Wallaby Mark Nawaqanitawase, who moved the other direction and debuted for the Roosters last week.

Suaalii was signed under the previous administration of Hamish McLennan and the size of his contract has been the source of major debate in rugby circles.

Suaalii, 21, signed a multi-million dollar three-year deal with the Wallabies, which will see him become Australian rugby’s highest paid player.

There will be plenty of fans who believe the young gun should have to prove himself in Super Rugby with the Waratahs before getting a Test jersey.

But with Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt showing his inclusiveness by naming 16 debutants in his first seven Tests in charge, Suaalii would fancy his chances – if selected to tour as he clearly expects. The Wallabies will play Tests against England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland.

“I am honestly not sure (when my first game will be), but I am going on that Spring Tour at the end of the year,” Suaalii told reporters.

“There is no Super Rugby. I know once I finish here I will be straight into it.

“Footy is footy. It’s a footy ball at the end of the day. It’s just about playing.

“You saw Mark and what he did when he come across. He looks natural. So hopefully I will be the same.”

Suaalii missed out on seeing the Wallabies thrashed 67-27 by Argentina last weekend.

“I know they went well in the first half,” he said. “But I think the second half wasn’t the best.”

He has been discussing his move with Nawaqanitawase.

“I have asked him a little bit of questions, he has asked me a few too,” Suaalii said.

“I feel like it’s a natural conversation, it’s going to come up. But it’s just been about what is the travel or training like. Nothing really in depth.

“It’s mostly just the travel, that is something I am looking forward to as a 21-year-old kid. Not kid – man. I call myself a kid still… I am going to go travel the world and experience different things.”

Former Wallabies coach Michael Cheika hailed Suaalii’s signing earlier this month on The Roar Rugby Podcast and said he thought the youngster would excel at fullback.

“Obviously Joe [Schmidt, his forte is the attacking side of the game. There is a certain amount of reintegration you’ve got to use when you bring someone from league back to rugby, even if they’ve played rugby before,” Cheika said.

“I’ve had to do it a few times with Israel [Folau], with Marika [Koroibete], with a couple of other players that we’ve brought over from league in different versions of at the Waratahs or at the Wallabies.

“What position? I think fullback’s his go. The more room to move, great under the high ball. You can orchestrate him coming to catch high ball and attacking plays as well.

“His room to move, his defence back there and the way he’d organise, he’d just need to learn a little bit about the movements in the backfield because that’d be very different to anything he would’ve experienced at league.”