‘Some of the obligation has to be on the defender’: Teammate questions legitimacy of Joseph Suaalii’s ban

Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii has accepted a three-game ban for lifting his knees in a tackle, but one of his Roosters teammates says it wasn’t entirely his fault.

Corey Allan is likely to play a new role in the backline following Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii’s three-game ban. Picture; Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

Roosters centre Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii has accepted a three-game ban for his grade 2 dangerous contact charge, but teammate Matt Lodge says some of the blame has to go on Bulldogs skipper Reed Mahoney for putting his head in the wrong place.

Suaalii will miss the next three matches after he took the early guilty plea on Tuesday, with the club opting against seeking a downgrade that would have resulted in a fine if it was successful at the judiciary.

Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii will miss the next three games after taking the early guilty plea for making dangerous contact on Reed Mahoney. Picture: Jason McCawley/Getty Images

It’s not the first time the 19-year-old has come under fire for lifting his knees while carrying the ball, with the NRL issuing a concerning act notice last year before he was also charged at the World Cup.

Suaalii wasn’t penalised for his actions on Sunday afternoon. Mahoney was forced to leave the field for a head injury assessment that he failed at half-time.

But Lodge doesn’t think Suaalii is entirely to blame, calling on defenders to alter their technique to avoid getting hurt.

“I think he’s just so athletic that he gets a high knee going. Some guys can’t lift their knees that high, but he’s got a running style like a sprinter,” Lodge said of Suaalii.

“Maybe some of the obligation has to be on the defender to put their head in the right spot.

“I play front-rowers all the time that lead with their shoulder or elbow. It’s my obligation not to put my head there otherwise I’ll get in trouble, so you’ve got to change your technique every single tackle.”

Daniel Tupou is expecting to play his first game since Anzac Day. Picture: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

The suspension is the latest hit to an already depleted backline, although the Roosters are expecting to get winger Daniel Tupou back from a hamstring injury.

Suaalii had spent Sunday on the right wing with Corey Allan at centre, and the former Rabbitoh is bracing for another potential positional switch if coach Trent Robinson wants to make more changes.

“I’m just playing wherever Trent wants me to,” he said.

“That’s all you can do here because it’s such a good club with so many good outside backs, so you just fill in where you can.

“I’m always going to prefer playing fullback because that’s what comes naturally to me, but I’m happy to play wherever.”

Originally published as ‘Some of the obligation has to be on the defender’: Teammate questions legitimacy of Joseph Suaalii’s ban