Concerns Over Playacting Rise as Suaalii Incident Comes to a Close: ‘I Can’t Imagine a World Where This Happens’

Two former Wallabies have expressed their astonishment after Gideon Wrampling faced no additional penalties for his high tackle on Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii during Friday night’s clash.

The Chiefs centre received a yellow card for his challenge on Waratahs fullback Suaalii at Allianz Stadium in Sydney. However, TMO James Leckie ruled that the incident did not warrant a red card upgrade.

The Super Rugby Pacific judiciary matched this sentiment, as no players were cited following the round nine matches.

“I believed a direct hit to the head should have led to an immediate upgrade to a red card,” Waratahs president Matt Burke stated on Stan Sport’s Between Two Posts.

“The initial contact was with the jaw, which also stunned Joseph. I see this as a significant oversight. It warranted a full 10 minutes in the sin bin and an upgrade to red.”

Remarkably, Suaalii—who was controversially sent off for a high tackle during the opening of last year’s State of Origin—managed to remain on the field.

“If that was an 80kg halfback who went down and required a head injury assessment, that player would definitely be cited,” former NSW star Morgan Turinui opined.

“We need to avoid being swayed by the aftermath of the contact… Should Joseph go down? We don’t want to live in a world where players feel they have to go down.

“He stays on his feet, shows resilience, and performs admirably. That’s what we appreciate. We’re relieved he’s okay. Yet, I can guarantee that if he had hit the ground and stayed there, the outcome would be entirely different.”

NEW PODCAST! Sean, Morgs, and Burkey dive into fervent debates regarding the controversial decisions made at the SFS last Friday night.

Sean Maloney, who was “flabbergasted” by the lack of disciplinary action, remarked that he “could not fathom” the decision, pointing out that Reds centre Hunter Paisami had been suspended for three weeks earlier this season for what he deemed a significantly less perilous tackle.

“He (Paisami) was practically on the ground, attempting to make a stop… he wasn’t standing upright, hitting a bloke who stands six (foot) four (inches),” the Stan Sport commentator noted.

“I just don’t see any consistency between these two instances.”