Roosters star Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii banned as raised knee claims another victim

Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii’s forgettable season has just gotten worse after the Roosters star was whacked by the NRL match review committee for raising his knee in a tackle.

Roger Tuivasa-Sheck. Picture: NRL Photos

Sydney Roosters star Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii is set to miss up to a month of football after being charged with dangerous contact over an incident that sidelined Reed Mahoney at the weekend.

Suaalii will miss three matches with an early guilty plea and four if he fights the charge and loses after the match review committee ruled that he raised his knee into Mahoney while running the ball late in the first half at Central Coast Stadium.

Suaalii’s running style has been an issue for the NRL in the past. He was given a concerning act notice by the NRL last year after a match against the Wests Tigers in which he raised his knee as a defender came in to make the tackle.

He was also charged at the World Cup while playing with Samoa after he was found to have collected Felise Kaufusi with his knee. His potential absence will be another blow to the Roosters as they look to strengthen their top eight hopes while dealing with the State of Origin period.

A suspension would also end any slim hopes Suaaalii had of playing Origin football himself this season.

Sua’ali’i’s raised knees.

MONDAY BUZZ: FANS’ LEFT-FIELD DUO TO REPLACE FREDDY

Rugby league fans not only want the feuding Johns brothers to kiss and make up – but also coach the NSW Blues next year.

In a Daily Telegraph online poll – asking who should replace Brad Fittler if the Blues lose this year’s series - Matty and Joey on top from Canberra Raiders coach Ricky Stuart.

Not that the Johns brothers are a realistic hope of taking on the job.

Matty says he is far too busy in his media roles.

He does the Matty Johns show on two nights, NRL 360 on Monday night, three podcasts, a Friday morning radio show on SEN and a column in this newspaper on Thursdays.

“With my schedule it would be impossible,” Johns said.

“I made a decision a number of years ago that my future was in the media.

“Origin is way too big a commitment.”

HIGHLIGHT

The Broncos interaction with their Sydney-based fans at Shark Park on Saturday night after the win over Cronulla; giving away their jerseys, shorts, socks, boots and doing selfies and autographs long after the full-time siren. This club is in great shape on and off the field.

LOWLIGHT

The state government is spending $15 million to host A-League soccer grand finals for the next three years. Saturday night’s decider attracted a crowd of 26,523. It did nothing for the NSW economy. Meanwhile taxpayers who attend suburban NRL grounds have to put up shocking facilities every weekend. Former Premier Dominic Perrottet stuffed this up and Chris Minns should now fix it.

Several suburban NRL grounds are in desperate need of a facelift. Picture: Matt King/Getty

SUNCORP SELLOUT

State of Origin II has officially sold out for June 21 at Suncorp Stadium. All remaining tickets were snapped up within hours of the Maroons victory in Adelaide.

SPOTTED

Raiders hooker Zac Woolford was charged by the match review committee for a lifting tackle and fined $2500. He was so relieved to be cleared for Jarrod Croker’s 300th game, jumping onto Twitter to post: “Best $2500 I’ll ever spend #croker300”

Best $2500 I’ll ever spend #croker300https://t.co/MLQ7ULzKWv

— Zac woolford (@zacwoolford9) June 3, 2023

SPOTTED

The days of old NRL bosses John Grant and Dave Smith travelling in chauffeur driven hire cars are long gone. In Adelaide for the Origin opener last week, CEO Andrew Abdo and several members of his management team, were seen taking the 20-minute walk from their city hotel to the Adelaide Oval among the throng of fans doing likewise. At the end of the night after wrapping up duties at the venue, they were also observed hoofing it back across the river into the city.

SPOTTED

Former Dally M champion Roger Tuivasa-Sheck watching the Dolphins captain’s run in New Zealand before their match against the Warriors.

Roger Tuivasa-Sheck was gathering some intel on Wayne Bennett’s Dolphins. Picture: NRL Photos

SPOTTED

A dish-licker called Talakai broke the track record at Wagga greyhounds on Friday night. The owner-trainer of the dog, Wayne Wilmott, lives in Temora but is a Cronulla Sharks tragic.

360 VIEW

Catch you on NRL 360 at 6.30pm on Monday night on Fox League with Braith Anasta, Gorden Tallis, Matty Johns and Cooper Cronk to dissect all the major issues from the weekend round.

TITAN ON CHOPPING BLOCK

The Gold Coast Titans are having another season of going nowhere, performing far worse than their roster suggests they should be.

Last year after winning only six games, the club sacked highly regarded assistant coach Jim Dymock and their head of high performance Klint Hoare.

Head coach Justin Holbrook survived – but only just.

Any roster that includes the likes of Tino Fa’asuamaleaui, David Fifita, A.J Brimson, Jayden Campbell, Kieran Foran and two of the best wingers in the comp – Alofiana Khan-Pereira and Sosefo Fifita – needs to be doing better.

Compare this club to what the Dolphins, 100 kilometres up the road, have achieved this year.

You start by looking at the Titans’ defence.

In the last three weeks they have conceded 112 points (37 points a game) to the Knights, Bulldogs and Souths – hardly the most treacherous of draws.

They have conceded more points this year than any other club.

In eight games they have led at half-time but lost five of them.

It would suggest fitness is a concern and the sacking of Hoare was the wrong move.

So surely the pressure is building on Holbrook.

Unless he can somehow turn their season around – and do so quickly – the Titans will need to be looking elsewhere for a new head coach.