Further pain for Wallabies with future star's sideline stint extended
Suliasi Vunivalu’s highly anticipated Wallabies debut has been delayed again by a recurring hamstring injury that has Australian rugby scratching its head.
The two-time NRL premiership winger with Melbourne has been impressive in his brief appearances so far, with Queensland Reds coach and dual international Brad Thorn claiming he’s done it better than anyone he’s seen.
But three separate hamstring injuries, the most recent coming last week as he prepared to enter Wallabies camp for the Rugby Championship, have restricted him to just eight Super Rugby games.
Vunivalu had surgery after a second hamstring tear towards the end of the Super Rugby Trans-Tasman season that ruled him out of three tests against France and the three-test Bledisloe Cup series.
While wing isn’t a particular area of concern on the Wallabies’ depth charts, Vunivalu’s aerial prowess and raw athleticism would have been a blessing ahead of four tough tests against South Africa and Argentina over the next month.
He will still join the Wallabies camp on the Gold Coast on Tuesday and have further scans to determine the severity of the injury, but given his treacherous recent history appears unlikely to feature in any of them.
“So disappointing for Suli. He’s a big game player and just itching to play and the switch, he’s just come across as easily as I’ve seen between the two codes,” Thorn said.
“It was getting exciting for him … pretty gutted for him. It’s massively frustrating and I imagine it’s something to look at further.”
Vunivalu had hamstring issues during his NRL career but was able to manage them, playing 111 games and scoring 86 tries, and last week expressed concern over the training workload expected of him.
“You go from league to union in that position you’re kicking the footy, there’s a lot of running around and supporting in defence,” Thorn said.
“It is a different game. Every time things change you’ve got to be careful. It’s not what we want.”
Expanding the Giteau Law, reducing the number of Super Rugby teams, a player draft… What is the way forward for Australian rugby? #Wallabies #AUSvNZL
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Meanwhile, Thorn endorsed the immediate return of James O’Connor if he is cleared to play after a groin injury kept him out this season’s six Tests.
Noah Lolesio is under pressure to hold his spot after the side’s comprehensive Bledisloe Cup whitewash, while Thorn also hopes to see prop Taniela Tupou deployed in a starting role rather than bench weapon.
The Reds won the domestic competition this year but, with likely starters Hunter Paisami and Lukhan Salakaia-Loto both unavailable due to their partners expecting babies, had just one player starting in Sunday’s third Test against New Zealand.
“As a Queenslander, yeah I’d like to see more in there. I thought Tatey (halfback Tate McDermott) was probably best on ground [in] the last two tests,” Thorn said.
“He’s (O’Connor) got experience as a 30-plus-year-old guy and did a great job for us this year and that experience you’d think would be a benefit to the Wallabies.
“And Nella [Tupou], there’s no-one like him probably on the planet. A small man trapped in a 140kg body.
“I’m sure they’ll be looking at all of that.”
– Murray Wenzel
Comments on RugbyPass
AI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
25 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
13 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
25 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
13 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
84 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
1 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
13 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
13 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
13 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
13 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
13 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
45 Go to commentsThanks, Nick. We (Seanny Maloney, Brett and I) just discussed Charlie as a potential Wallaby No 8, and wondered if he has truly realised how big he is in contact (and whether he can add 5 kg w/o slowing down). Your scouting report confirms our suspicions he has the materiel. No one knows if he has the mentality (as Johann van Graan said this week about CJ, Duane and Alfie B) to carry 10-15 times a game.
58 Go to commentsHe would be a great player for the Stormers, Dobbo should approach the guy.
3 Go to comments