‘Don’t ban it’: Injured Suli weighs into great kick-off debate

1 week ago 8

He’s been held up arsenic the poster lad of those wanting to prohibition the kick-off, but St George Illawarra prima Moses Suli wants it to remain, declaring “that’s 1 of the pinnacles of the game.”

Suli was heavy concussed successful the opening play of the Anzac Day clash against the Roosters, getting his caput successful the incorrect presumption trying to tackle Jared Waerea-Hargreaves. The Dragons centre took nary further portion successful that crippled and was unavailable for enactment for Sunday’s section derby against Cronulla owed to the mandatory 11-day stand-down play for category-one concussions.

The incidental has reignited the debate astir the merits of the agelong kick-off, with immoderate pundits calling for it to beryllium scrapped implicit concerns that players whitethorn beryllium much prone to caput injuries during the spectacular collisions.

Despite efficaciously being knocked retired of 2 games of football, Suli does not judge the kick-off should beryllium banned.

“No, I don’t reckon they should,” Suli told this masthead.

“You’re trying to get yourself successful the game, trying to enactment a changeable on. That’s 1 of the pinnacles of the game, the kick-off, trying to marque an interaction connected the game.

Moses Suli was concussed successful the archetypal tackle of the Anzac Day clash.

“I was conscionable unlucky and helium got maine a beauty. I anticipation they don’t get escaped of it.”

Suli said determination were nary hard feelings towards Waerea-Hargreaves.

“I tried to brace myself due to the fact that I cognize Jared is simply a large fella and runs truly hard,” helium said.

“I went up to him aft the game, I told him I was saccharine and that helium did thing wrong. My caput was conscionable successful the incorrect spot. It was unlucky.

Moses Suli was nudged retired of presumption conscionable earlier the tackle connected Jared Waerea-Hargreaves.

“It’s a interaction sport, it’s astir apt the hardest crippled successful the world. It could’ve happened to anyone. What tin you do?

“I came retired 2nd best. That’s footy, it’s tough. I’ve conscionable got to bull it connected the chin. It is what it is.”

The NRL presently has nary plans to eradicate the kick-off, though the contented volition beryllium 1 of the galore areas that caput bureau scrutinises arsenic portion of their end-of-season review.

Suli said helium is feeling nary sick effects from his concussion.

“I’m each bully now,” helium said. “Just the archetypal mates of days, I was a spot rattled, but I’m each saccharine now.

“Straight afterwards I didn’t retrieve much. As the days went by, I dilatory started to retrieve a fewer things. If I could play I would play, but it is what it is.”

Suli has been 1 of the Dragons’ astir accordant players this season, averaging 130 moving metres per match. Speaking earlier Sunday’s match, the Tongan planetary – who volition instrumentality for Saturday’s clash with South Sydney – said helium feels the Red V are connected the emergence nether manager Shane Flanagan.

“I’m enjoying my footy again and can’t hold to get backmost retired there,” helium said.

“I deliberation we’re going beauteous good astatine the commencement of the season, particularly aft the erstwhile years I’ve been here.

“There’s inactive plentifulness of country for improvement. Flanno has got each the boys and we’re trying to marque a connection successful this competition. Everyone is penning america disconnected but we’ll enactment arsenic the underdogs and hopefully it pays off.”

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