NRL chief govt Andrew Abdo has weighed in on the heated head damage evaluation debate, informing livid coaches and gamers “we have a policy”.
Abdo’s response comes within the wake of Kalyn Ponga’s shock HIA after a name by the unbiased physician which Knights coach Adam O’Brien “couldn’t believe”.
Meanwhile, Raiders coach Ricky Stuart claimed the NRL and RLPA “don’t trust coaches” and known as for the unbiased physician to be faraway from the sport.
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‘He was clearly positive!’ | 00:56
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Bulldogs centre Jacob Kiraz was additionally controversially taken off the sector within the first half after a seemingly innocuous collision with Manly second rower Kelma Tuilagi.
Abdo made it clear selections weren’t made primarily based on the potential results of the sport, merely pointing in the direction of participant wellbeing.
“These decisions on head injury assessments are going to be made on a players’ wellbeing regardless of the team, regardless of the score, regardless of the player,” Abdo mentioned to the SMH.
“We have a policy, and that policy is about making sure we provide the safest possible environment for the players to play our sport.
“Our policy says that we have a combination of a club doctor on the field and an independent doctor using technology – both looking for potential head injury events.
“Not concussion, head injury events. We make no apology for our policy.
“We make no apology for the fact players will get removed from the field when they’re detected by one of these doctors for suffering a potential head injury event. We have a good, strong policy, and we’re not going to take a backward step on it.”
Knights Press Conference | 06:21
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The Bulldogs are reportedly set to ask for an evidence relating to Kiraz’s elimination from the sector, whereas Stuart slammed the RLPA.
“Do you think I’d let a player play if they had a concussion or is concussed?” Stuart requested.
“I don’t just trust the players’ comments when they come to the sideline in regards to that.
“But the RLPA, they don’t trust coaches.
“All they want to do is come talk to me about how much more time off the players are going to get and how much more money.”
Newcastle coach O’Brien additionally mentioned his marquee star is aware of what a head damage is after struggling three nasty knocks inside six weeks final season, ruling him out for 2022.
But in opposition to the Warriors, with the sport hanging within the steadiness, Ponga was “unaware of any incident”.
“Like he said, he knows what they feel like,” O’Brien mentioned.
“And we’ve worked really hard, he has to get himself back in the game and now we are jumping at shadows to get him out of the game, I don’t get it.”
Source: www.foxsports.com.au