South Sydney Rabbitohs star Jai Arrow has dobbed himself in for breaching the NRL’s concussion protocols during his side’s match against the Penrith Panthers on Thursday night.
The competition has recently ramped up its protocols with players now required to spend a mandatory 11 days on the sideline if they suffer a concussion amid rising concerns over head knocks.
The Rabbitohs star could find himself in trouble with the NRL after he openly admitted he ran out of a Head Injury Assessment (HIA) when his team scored the winning try.
Arrow’s admission came during an post match interview when NSW Blues coach and Channel 9 presenter Brad Fittler asked him how many minutes he played.
“70 odd (minutes) then copped a bit of a head knock (when we were) 18-10 down when they scored that last try,” Arrow replied.
“Come in and heard cheering and then two of our fellas were cheering.
“So I ran out midway through the HIA and come out and it was 20-18.”
Fittler then questioned whether that was allowed during a SCAT5 Test – a standardised tool for evaluating concussions – or under the NRL’s protocols.
“The doc was blowing up at me but I didn’t care at that stage,” Arrow said.
“I just wanted to run down the tunnel and celebrate with the boys.
“It was exciting and just lucky we grabbed the two points.”
Last month the Australian Rugby League Commission approved stricter concussion protocols after the AFL was hit by an unprecedented class action from past players still suffering from head knocks.
ARLC chairman Peter V’landys said there is “not a greater priority” than player safety, adding the new rules made the NRL’s head injury protocols “exceptionally strong”.
“Following a review of the data and the expert advice we have received, the Commission have enhanced these protocols even further by providing a mandatory 11-day stand down period following a diagnosed concussion,” he said.
Under the new head injury protocols, players will face a mandatory 11-day stand-down following a concussion during training or at games, meaning they may be sidelined for as many as two games.
In his second game since a hamstring injury sidelined him for five weeks the 101-kilogram-forward was happy to report he was feeling good after his 72 minutes on the paddock.
“I’m just trying to get back into a groove with playing week-in, week-out footy,” he said.
“I didn’t know I had hamstrings so it’s just good to see them hanging on by a thread and not going on me this time around.”
The Rabbitohs completed a stunning comeback win on Thursday night scoring a try to go ahead by two points with just seconds left on the clock.
News Source: www.skynews.com.au
