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Opinion
More concussion ignorance, dreams become reality and let’s not forget the ‘other’ Queensland derby. Here come your Round 4 midweek talking points.
After three weeks (some would say an entire career) of decking blokes who’ve turned their body and passed the ball, Dolphins forward Felise Kaufusi finally finds himself on the pine, sat for a month by the judiciary as punishment for his latest late shot, this time on Newcastle’s Jackson Hastings.
Felise Kaufusi will sit in the stands for the next four rounds. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
Reaction to the four week suspension seems to be that it’s pretty harsh for the act, but remember, he could have taken three weeks for pleading guilty and got four because he failed to downgrade a Grade 2 Dangerous Contact charge, then his bad record was considered.
Andrew Johns put it perfectly on the Sunday Footy Show when he said “Going in like that, smashing people in the back with your shoulder – that’s just the cheapest of cheap.”
Plenty of backyard neuroscientists came from the woodwork in the aftermath of the NRL announcing an eleven day stand-down for concussed players, but it’ll take something special to beat Channel Nine’s Wide World of Sports for the worst take of them all.
For five minutes on Sunday, their eager sports panel of experts discussed ‘being proactive on concussion’ by making headgear mandatory, investigating new types of head protection based on boxing headgear, improving headgear by moulding it to a player’s head like you do with a mouthguard, and plenty more.
Only problem is, decades of widely reported research has proved headgear is good for protection against grazes and cuts, but cannot and does not prevent or minimise concussion.
In fact, headgear can actually contribute to players putting themselves into more dangerous positions because they have a false sense of security.
Don’t believe me? Here’s a direct quote from Canterbury, one of the biggest sellers of headgear in the market.
“Many people believe that concussions are caused by a blow to the head. It would then be assumed that headgear would absorb any blows to the head and eliminate instances of concussion.
However, headgear can’t prevent concussions because concussions aren’t caused by a blow to the head. Rather, concussions are a result of neural whiplash that causes the entire head to accelerate and either bruises or damages the brain.”
Stay in your lanes, folks. Or at the very least, read up on the basics if you don’t know what you’re talking about. Trusted outlets selling such garbage is not good.
It’s a big week for South Sydney, who have lost their last two by a combined eight points but really didn’t look like winning either game at any stage. The Bunnies tackle the flying Sea Eagles on Saturday night in a match that’ll speak plenty about both sides.
The Dolphins and the Broncos on Friday night will probably be the best atmosphere of the season and hopefully the game can live up to it. But there’s an under the radar yet crucial Queensland derby going on in Townsville on Saturday arvo when the Cowboys welcome the Titans. The highly fancied North Queensland have just one win and are already in the hole with a -25 points differential.
Ryan Matterson returns for Parramatta on Thursday night, and they desperately need his abilities. Problem is, the Eels are 0-3 and rank outsiders as they play a rested Penrith for the first time since the grand final. Parramatta match up OK with the Panthers, but another loss puts the top four almost out of sight.
Beaten for the ninth consecutive time by Canberra, the Sharks seek to get themselves back on track against St George Illawarra, who were involved in a belter against Brisbane for 70 minutes before inexplicably collapsing and copping 22 points in the final eight minutes. Still a bit to prove for both sides as they try to find their stride.
It has been a tough period for Nicho Hynes, yet he returns for the Sharks this Sunday. (Photo by Jason McCawley/Getty Images)
New Zealand and the Gold Coast? The perennial battlers and sworn enemies of NRL tippers everywhere have show some fight and real class to share a two win, two loss record.
Andrew Webster’s Warriors went to Townsville and knocked over a very sniffy Cowboys side 26-12, keeping the home side scoreless for over an hour. The Titans faced a 24-12 deficit against the Melbourne Storm before unleashing 18 points in nine minutes on the way to a slashing 38-34 win. It’s not the Storm we’re all used to of course, but any other year and Gold Coast rolls over and surrenders in that position.
Are these teams good? It looks like it, but we’ve been seduced by this sort of early form before and particularly by the Titans. New Zealand return to Mount Smart stadium for the first time this season on Sunday afternoon against the equally resurgent Canterbury.
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– With his team ravaged by injury, Newcastle coach Adam O’Brien wasn’t afraid to make a big call by dropping star winger Dom Young for Sunday’s game against the Raiders. But with Young on a boat to Bondi anyway, is O’Brien making the point he thinks he is?
– Nicho Hynes’ value to Cronulla goes up by the week, with his absence now over and a big part of the Sharks being unable to win a game Canberra were practically begging them to. A big week for Cronulla against the Dragons.
– You’d expect the Storm to put a number on the Tigers in Friday’s early game, but it’s worth keeping one eye on Melbourne’s performance after last week’s fadeout on the Gold Coast and halfback Jahrome Hughes now rubbed out for a fortnight.
– Rest in peace John Sattler, a true rugby league icon.
What’s got you talking ahead of Round 4, Roarers?