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3 months ago
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Joseph-Aukuso Sua'ali'i has declared he 'let my brothers down' in the wake of a four-game suspension which could end his State of Origin career after just seven minutes.
The NSW centre was given the hefty ban for his sickening shot that knocked Queensland star Reece Walsh out of the contest.
The Blues centre became just the sixth player to be sent off in Origin history - as well as the earliest to be marched from the field - when he launched out of the line and whacked the fullback high and late.
Sua'ali'i dug his Blues teammates into a hole a mile deep with his hit on Walsh (pictured)
He will now miss four games if he takes the early guilty plea for the tackle - but the Roosters star is more worried about who he's let down, and whether Walsh is OK
The Roosters star revealed his regret over doing the wrong thing by his teammates, family and NSW fans with the awful shot that left Walsh out cold
Even the most one-eyed NSW supporter knew a send off was coming, with Sua'ali'i's Origin future now up in the air given he's off to rugby union in 2025.
The young gun can fight the grade two reckless charge at the judiciary, but he would miss five games if found guilty by the panel, which would end his Origin career unless he returns to the NRL after his stint with the rival code.
Taking to Instagram, Sua'ali'i expressed his disappointment with his action.
'Mixed emotions,' he wrote. 'Disappointed let my brothers, fam n state down. Blessed and honoured to put the blue jersey on. #311.
'Onto the next.'
When he fronted the media on Wednesday morning, Sua'ali'i detailed how remorseful he is.
'Let my fam, my state and especially my teammates down. I feel like that's the toughest thing about it,' he said.
Walsh is pictured in the immediate aftermath of the shocking tackle, which he later said 'got me flush on the chin'
'I didn't mean it at all. I just went in there to go tackle him and I accidentally clipped his head.
'I hope he's doing all right. I hope his family is doing well. I didn't mean to hit him in the head.
'I haven't reached out yet, but it's something that I'll do
On Wednesday morning, Walsh opened up about how heavy the hit was.
After saying he was feeling good, the fullback said, 'He got me flush on the chin, eh.
'It's all part of the game, so it was a good hit and I've just got to keep rolling with the punches.
'I don't really want to comment too much on that side of it [whether Sua'ali'i should have been sent off] ... I've just got to go out there and keep playing footy.
'We Queensland just keep adapting and when adversity comes, we take it in our stride.'
The superstar fullback appeared to recover quickly and was seen comforting his daughter Leila after finding her in the stands (pictured)
The Roosters have the bye this weekend and only play four matches before the teams are picked for game three, with Blues coach Michael Maguire unlikely to pick him if he hasn't played for more than a month.
Maguire said it was a 'big call' to send the rookie centre off so early in the game, pointing to an incident earlier in the year when Walsh suffered a facial fracture following a collision with Penrith's Taylan May.
'Earlier in the year, he ended up with a broken jaw and there was no send off, so it's a big call at this level,' he said.
'He was falling, but I'll have to have another look at it.
'I think it's a massive call for a game like this.'
The brain snap by Sua'a'li'i (pictured being sent off) could mean he never plays Origin again as a suspension could ruin his chances of returning this series - and he's off to rugby next year
The Blues never recovered, with the Maroons taking advantage of the extra man to run riot down their left edge as they cruised to a 38-10 win in enemy territory.
Walsh will miss Brisbane's next two matches under the NRL's mandatory 11-day concussion policy but would be free to return for game two in Melbourne if Billy Slater wants to pick him.
Slater was tight-lipped when asked about the tackle, with the Blues making it clear in the opening few minutes that they were going after the electrifying fullback.
'I'll keep my feelings about that to myself,' the Maroons coach said.
'He seems to be OK now, but he didn't look too good on the field.
'He seems to be OK in the sheds.'
Blues forward Isaah Yeo was the only other player charged, with the Panthers skipper set to pay 7 per cent of his match fee if he takes the early guilty plea for a high tackle on Murray Taulagi.
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