One of the leading experts on concussion in sport has called on the NRL to implement ‘stronger protocols’ after the horror incident which happened to Tonga forward Eli Katoa.
Katoa remains in hospital but is improving after suffering three sickening head knocks during Tonga’s clash with New Zealand earlier this month.
There is widespread acceptance that Katoa should not have been allowed to play in that game after suffering a horrendous and heavy contact to the head during the warm-ups.
However, he was allowed to participate and suffered two more head injuries in the game, before suffering a seizure on the sidelines and being rushed to hospital. He required surgery after suffering a bleed on the brain.
The NRL have promised a full and detailed inquest into the situation and now leading neuroscientist Professor Alan Pearce has insisted that Katoa’s situation should not have been allowed to play out in the first place.
“He shouldn’t have played,” Pearce told ABC News.
“It was really quite concerning about the intensity of that impact in the warm-up and the fact that he also went down and showed clear signs of concussion, which surprised me that he was then allowed to play.”
And Pearce has now stressed that there should be a simple rule change brought into proceedings: if a player is concussed during the warm-up for a game, they are immediately and automatically stood down for the match.
“I would like to see stronger protocols around not allowing the player to play the game, even if it’s during the warm-up,” Pearce added.
“We know that warm-ups and training accidents occur, but we still have to have the same level of rigour that they would have in a game. To let a player continue on and start the game should just not happen.
“I hope the learning experience for the NRL is to change their policy around that or strengthen it up even more so that any concussion in a warm-up means no play.”
