Joseph Suaalii, the highly touted winger for the New South Wales Waratahs, will be suspended for this week’s Super Rugby Pacific clash with the Canterbury Crusaders. He is unable to play after suffering a concussion in his last game. After their lead over the Queensland Reds on Friday eroded in a narrow 28-21 loss, the Waratahs now have only a 1-5 record. Given Suaalii’s predicament that saw him stretchered off the field, no one should be able to question his health and safety.
Next up, it is a home collision against the Ottawa Crusaders next week. Suaalii will miss it, as he is required to go through concussion protocols for a minimum of 12 days in Super Rugby. This conclusion underscores the importance of player safety, and that decision is in line with growing public pressure over head trauma in contact sports.
Incident During the Match
In his first match against the Queensland Reds, Suaalii had a high-impact collision that left him on the receiving end of a knee to the head. Timely intervention was critical from the paramedics and other medical personnel, who moved quickly to make sure he would be taken care of.
“We’ve got access to vision and the analyst told me pretty quickly that he’d got a knee to the head,” – Dan McKellar
After the scare, McKellar took to social media to ease fans about Suaalii’s health. He added that the player was being given the right kind of care and was now back home with his family and safe.
“The medical staff were on there quickly and gave him the support that he needed. He’s with his mum and dad now back home, so he’ll be OK. Obviously he just gave everyone a fright; you don’t want to see any player down on the ground, knocked out.” – Dan McKellar
Concussion Protocols in Super Rugby
Concussion protocols like this are an important step to protect player health and safety in Super Rugby. Under these guidelines, there must be a robust evaluation process for any athlete who demonstrates symptoms of head injury while playing in a game. After incidents like these, players need to be put through a minimum period of rest and assessment before being deemed ready to return to play.
As one of these protocols, Suaalii will have to go through various tests for the next few days. Either way, his absence from the squad will be felt. He’s been instrumental in the Waratahs’ success this year.
Impact on Waratahs’ Strategy
The Waratahs will have to adjust their strategy for the match against the formidable Crusaders without Suaalii’s skills on the field. This could put the onus on everyone else — defensemen, forwards and perhaps most importantly other goalies — to be able to pick up the slack without him. After every game, coaches and analysts will immediately review game footage. They’ll need to figure out a game plan that makes the most of the talents of the rest of the squad and covers for Suaalii’s absence.
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