Joseph Aukuso-Suaalii is set to wait for his redemption shot against Queensland after Waratahs coach Dan McKellar confirmed he is likely to be without the injured Wallabies star for several weeks.
Suaalii’s State of Origin debut for NSW lasted just seven minutes last year after the former Roosters star was sent off for a high shot on Queensland fullback Reece Walsh, and he now looks set to miss a second crack at NSW’s oldest rival on March 15 in Brisbane due to a toe injury.
Coach Dan McKellar confirmed the injury is not serious and said the club was assessing Suaalii’s progress carefully before any decision is made on his playing comeback. The Waratahs take on the Force and the Reds in the next two rounds.
“It’s not long-term. It’s a toe injury, something you don’t deal with every day, it’s not like a medial ligament or an AC [acromioclavicular joint], so we’re hopeful it’ll only be a couple of weeks,” McKellar said.
“I’ll manage him like any other player: there’s being fit to play, and there’s being fit to perform and those are two very different things. When he’s ready, he’ll be considered and only then.”
Suaalii’s injury, which was sustained in the first round of Super Rugby against the Highlanders, is related to his plantar plate. The plantar plate is a ligament under the ball of the foot that helps to keep the toes stable and typically, if injured, it can affect a player’s acceleration, agility and stability.
Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii watching Penrith RSL junior rugby union club training last Wednesday evening.Credit: Wolter Peeters
Rugby’s multimillion-dollar man is walking with a slight limp, but has been able to do rehabilitation training with the Waratahs and was in the coaching box to watch his side defeat the Fijian Drua by five points on Friday.
Although disappointed with Suaalii’s injury, the Wallaby’s absence has allowed McKellar to test the Waratahs’ backline depth including handing a debut to young centre Henry O’Donnell against the Drua.
“He did well, he’s a physical kid and defensively he was strong; for a first game he can be pleased with that performance,” McKellar said of O’Donnell.
“We’ve lost two guys who can play in the centres in Joey Walton and Suaalii, and it gives us a challenge in the midfield, but we’re dealing with it.”
The Drua’s general manager Baden Stephenson has confirmed his club will seek to raise a neck-roll incident from Waratahs second-rower Miles Amatosero that wasn’t penalised in the game.
After 24 minutes, Drua captain Tevita Ikanivere was held around the neck by Amatosero during a maul. Ikanivere asked referee Angus Mabey to review the incident, but no penalty or card was awarded.
On Sunday, the Drua posted an image of a man in a neck brace on their social media channels in a possible reference to the incident between Amatosero and Ikanivere.
“We are very aware of the neck roll on our hooker which was somehow missed by four officials. I am sure it will be raised through the correct channels,” Stephenson said.
“There has been a raft of things that our club has worked through with SANZAAR and Super Rugby Pacific over the opening three weeks.”
Next Saturday, the Waratahs will take on a vastly improved Western Force side that has beaten Moana Pasifika and the Brumbies, before narrowly losing to the Reds on Saturday after Wallabies winger Filipo Daugunu scored a try in the 80th minute to seal the win.
McKellar has been impressed by the Force but is confident Suaalii’s continued absence will not change the Waratahs’ attacking plans significantly, with Wallabies Max Jorgensen and Andrew Kellaway able to step in at fullback.
“Not a lot changes [in attack], to be honest, we saw it in the first game [against the Highlanders] in how we used Joseph and his aerial ability on contestable kicks … but I’ve said it a number of times the number on the back of your jersey doesn’t impact us a whole lot.”
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