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Canterbury general manager Phil Gould has come out swinging at the NRL over the independent doctor in the bunker ruling on concussions by making the extraordinary claim that it’s “the greatest abomination perpetrated on our game in history”.
The outspoken commentator blasted the NRL on 100% Footy on Monday night by likening what he called the “concussion hysteria” to “arguing with people on climate change”.
“I’ve talked to you about this concussion hysteria and where the game is headed and why it’s headed that way and who they’ve given way to – media and doctors and lawyers. All this misinformation, etc.” Gould said.
“I think the doctor in the bunker is the greatest abomination perpetrated on our game in history. It’s confusing for players. Not every bump to the head is a concussion, not every concussion is life-threatening. It’s just total overkill.
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“I don’t know how the players and the coaches are going to contend with this. I understand player welfare. So do clubs, so do coaches, so does everybody, so do doctors.
(Photo by Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)
“Unfortunately the club doctors are put in a position where they want the independent doctor because they don’t want to have to make the decision themselves. And it’s just too difficult.
“It’s not going to change, the game will not back away from this, they will keep doing it and it’s going to create more and more problems.
“Not every slap to the face or bump in the head requires a HIA review. It just would appear that old mate up in the bunker has decided whenever someone gets a bump to the head they’ve got to go off and get checked for 15 minutes, which I find totally ludicrous.
“It’s like arguing with people on climate change. It’s the same thing. They keep throwing up the same rubbish. How far down this rabbit hole do you want to go? Honestly, as they say, don’t argue with idiots.”
NRL head of football Graham Annesley had earlier turned the blowtorch back on clubs after a chorus of coaches – led by Canberra’s Ricky Stuart – criticised the independent doctor for being overly conservative in ordering players off for concussion checks.
Stuart, along with Dolphins coach Wayne Bennett, Canterbury’s Cameron Ciraldo and Newcastle boss Adam O’Brien voiced concerns during round one that the independent doctor was overly sensitive in ordering players off for head injury assessments.
Independent doctors monitor a multitude of TV angles for signs of concussion and can inform the on-field referee to halt play and send a player off for a HIA.
The system, which was introduced last year, allows club doctors to tend to injured players while ensuring that no potential concussions go unsighted.
Annesley was quick to remind the game’s coaches that it was because of them crying foul that the system was brought in.
Sebastian Kris. (Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)
“The clubs were screaming for us to introduce independent doctors (partly) because the clubs don’t trust each other,” Annesley said. “There were all sorts of claims that they (clubs) are rorting the (HIA) system.”
Annesley made no apologies for the independent doctor being overly cautious.
“Do they maybe today err on the side of being conservative? Maybe,” he said. “Wouldn’t we all rather err on the side of being conservative when it comes to the health of a player than being too liberal?
“(If a player) stays on the field and gets another knock, a more serious one which could compound it. That can have long-term implications for the player, we’ve seen too many players retire early due to head injuries.”
Annesley said only five of the 19 HIAs over round one were initiated by the independent doctor. Among those was an incident involving Canterbury winger Jacob Kiraz, who was rocked back in a tackle in the 29th minute of his side’s 31-6 loss to Manly on Saturday.
While he was off the field, the Bulldogs backline was out of whack and their woes were compounded when Manly hit the lead after Kyle Flanagan was sin-binned. “I may have got whiplash, but I was fine after it,” said Kiraz, who was later cleared and returned to the field.
“I got confused when the physio told me I had to get off. Obviously I know their intentions aren’t bad and they don’t want me to get out of the game, but at the time it was a crucial moment.
“After their careers, a lot of players are suffering from that so I understand the intentions.”
Thrilled teammates are tipping Joseph Suaalii to become a Sydney Roosters great after the teenage sensation’s bargain-basement retention lifted spirits at Bondi Junction.
Suaalii has resisted big-money overtures from South Sydney and Wallabies coach Eddie Jones to recommit to the Roosters until the end of the 2024 NRL season.
It’s believed he turned down multi-million dollar offers to return to rugby or to the Rabbitohs to remain at the Roosters for $750,000 next year.
“Such great news to hear,” Roosters and Queensland State of Origin back-rower Nat Butcher said on Tuesday.
“He’s such a great kid and great footballer and it’s great that he’s going to be staying at this club.
“I envision his future like a lot of other greats at our club, like Teddy (James Tedesco) and Joey Manu and I know he’s on a similar path to them.
“So the ceiling for him is very high and I look forward to seeing him achieve what he’s going to achieve.”
The prodigious utility back’s re-signing comes in the bitter aftermath to Sunday’s shock season-opening loss to the Dolphins. “That was a tough one,” said playmaker Luke Keary. “Wasn’t ideal. It was obviously a big game for both clubs and to perform the way we did was disappointing. We were just beaten everywhere.”
(Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
With the Roosters being many pundits’ predicted premiers, Keary said the absence of key players including Manu was no excuse for the defeat to the NRL’s debutants and his side deserved any flak flying their way.
“Obviously commentators around the game, that’s their job to analyse what went wrong. That’s fair and we’ll do it inside here too,” he said.
“We know we’ve got to be better and we’ve got to be better straight away this week.”
While traditionally slow starters each season, veteran winger Daniel Tupou admitted the Roosters were largely at a loss to explain another sloppy round-one performance.
“Just, individually, cost us at crucial moments and there’s a lot of lessons that we’ve got to take out of that game,” Tupou said.
“We trained really well pre-season. We’re slow starters but it’s a long season and I feel like we’ll get better as the season gets going, and one game at a time.”
The Roosters host the Warriors at Allianz Stadium on Saturday and will have Manu back from his pre-season facial fracture.
Victor Radley is also a chance of playing after Sunday’s concussion, but Matt Lodge is sidelined with his own facial fracture while Jared Waerea-Hargreaves’ return from his back injury has also been put on ice for another week.
“Obviously you’re going to miss them – Joey, Jared,” Keary said. “But every team’s got people out. We’ve got to deal with it better.”
Penrith have rejected Latrell Mitchell’s claims of worries in the Panthers’ camp, adamant one loss is no cause for concern and that heated on-field talks between players are a positive.
Thursday night’s showdown with Mitchell’s South Sydney looms as crucial for the Panthers, as they fight to avoid going 0-2 for the first time since 2016.
Mitchell stoked the fire when he cheekily claimed this week cracks were emerging in the Panthers’ windscreen, after their 13-12 loss to Brisbane in the opening round.
Penrith have now lost two games in a row by that scoreline, after also being beaten by St Helens in last month’s World Club Challenge.
But after losing the likes of Viliame Kikau and Apisai Koroisau in the off-season, the two-time defending premiers care little for the suggestion rivals can sense blood in the water.
“I didn’t care, didn’t mind. That’s just Latrell. He loves that cheek,” backrower Liam Martin said.
“I’m sure he’s just stirring. We don’t really buy into it or mind. We don’t listen to too much external noise, we just review it ourselves internally.”
(Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
One thing the Panthers are adamant about is there is no issue between Jarome Luai and Jaeman Salmon.
Friday night’s loss was overshadowed by a heated on-field debrief between the pair, where Luai questioned why Salmon hadn’t pushed up hard enough in a play late in the match.
Salmon could be heard telling the five-eighth in response that he was too tired.
Martin was also adamant the argument was testament to Penrith’s culture, rather than a question of it.
“That’s what we’ve built here with our culture. Ivan (Cleary) always speaks about it – the hardest thing is pulling people up,” Martin said.
“They’ve built a culture here when someone’s not doing what is right for the club, they can pull them up and hold them accountable.
“I’m on the receiving end every training session from Jarome. I always hear him yelling across.
“There is nothing wrong with it. It would probably be worse if they glazed over it and didn’t speak about it.”
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