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James Tedesco has called for changes to the NRL’s 18th-man policy to allow concussion replacements to be made easier, after admitting he felt helpless in the sheds as the Sydney Roosters’ season ended without almost any reserves.
Tedesco suffered a match-ending concussion in Sunday afternoon’s brutal elimination loss to South Sydney, after copping a high shot from Rabbitohs prop George Burgess.
Burgess was put on report but not sin-binned for the act, however he has since pleaded guilty to a grade-two careless high tackle charge and will miss two matches over the hit.
Tedesco had initially passed an off-field test on his health, but began to feel dizzy when returning from the dressing room and was immediately ruled out of the game under concussion protocols.
The Roosters fullback was still experiencing headaches on Monday before he won the Brad Fittler Medal for NSW’s State of Origin player of the year.
Tedesco’s injury contributed to a horror afternoon for the Roosters, who also lost Angus Crichton to a separate concussion in the first half and then Daniel Tupou to a groin issue.
However under NRL rules the 18th-man replacement can only be activated when the injury is a result of a sin-bin or send-off offence, or when three HIAs have been failed.
It meant the Roosters could not use their replacement and add another man to their stretched backline, despite Burgess being sin-binned for another high shot a minute later and now banned.
Victor Radley is sent to the sin bin. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
Tedesco has called for the NRL to look at lowering the bar for a concussion substitute when the head knock comes as a result of reportable foul play.
“If it’s a reportable offence and the player misses is out for the rest of the game, then that could be an option for him to be activated,” Tedesco said.
“It would have been handy. We had two HIAs and another injury. It would have been nice to get him activated.”
Tedesco did not drink at the Roosters’ Mad Monday event on the day after the loss, reporting he was still feeling dusty.
It also put him in a fine state to accept all three major men’s awards at the NSW Origin dinner, including player of the year, coach’s choice and fans’ choice.
The Roosters captain admitted he struggled watching the team’s finals exit as he conceded they got too caught up in the emotion of a game that involved seven sin-bins.
“I was devastated I couldn’t get back in the game,” Tedesco said. “It was one of the craziest games I’ve been involved in … it felt like it went for three hours.
“It was not how we wanted to play. We got too emotionally involved and it was to our detriment in the end. We bought into the emotional stuff, which was what we didn’t want to do.”
Wests Tigers hooker Jacob Liddle has joined St George Illawarra but will have competition for the No.9 jersey as Andrew McCullough shuts down speculation he could retire before the start of next year.
With premiership-winning rake Api Koroisau joining the Tigers next season, Liddle was released from the final year of his contract to join the Dragons on a one-year deal.
But he is no guarantee to walk into the hooker role at his new club, with former State of Origin player McCullough rubbishing speculation he could consider retiring at the end of the season.
“I’m going to play on,” 32-year-old McCullough told AAP before Liddle’s signing was announced.
“I like competing, I like going to training.
“I might not be doing all the things I used to but I can contribute in other ways on the field. You learn that as you get older.”
McCullough is contracted through to the end of 2023 but said speculation about his future had been warranted.
“That comes into it when you get to my age,” he said.
“I wasn’t happy with my form (this season) so I’ve got a lot to work on.”
Liddle’s move to the Dragons also comes following calls for Ben Hunt to shift to hooker, with Moses Mbye and Jayden Sullivan spending time there this season as well.
“Hooker is a position we identified as needing further depth in and Jacob is a good prospect for the club given his age and experience,” Dragons general manager of football Ben Haran said.
Despite requesting an early release, 25-year-old Liddle leaves the Tigers on good terms after 75 first-grade games.
“He is a tremendous talent, a lovely young man, and an outstanding person,” CEO Justin Pascoe said.
“We wish Jacob the very best for his future.”
Ryan Sutton’s great finals exile is finally over after beating a finger problem to be called into Canberra’s side to face Parramatta in place of the injured Adam Elliott.
Now playing his last season at the Raiders, Sutton spent both the 2019 and 2020 finals on the sidelines due to injuries.
A similar fate appeared likely this year, when he suffered what was expected to be a season-ending finger injury last month ahead of his move to Canterbury.
Ryan Sutton of the Raiders.(AAP Image/Rohan Thomson)
But the 27-year-old has since recovered in time, and will now be a handy presence on the Raiders’ bench after Adam Elliott’s pelvic injury.
“He’ll want to take the opportunity too – he hasn’t played finals with us and he’s been here three or four years now,” fellow Englishman Elliott Whitehead told reporters.
“To play his first final, he’s definitely going to be excited, he’s a quality player and he showed that in the season.
“He’s going to come in for Adsy (Elliott), they’re a little bit similar in how they play, they go forward hard and tackle hard.
“It’s not nice to go out the way he was meant to go out with his injury. He’s got his opportunity now and I’m sure he’ll take it with both hands.”
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