Monday Buzz: Phil Rothfield’s highlights, lowlights | Manly’s new concussion technology, Wests Tigers whingeing about Stefano Utoikamanu
An NRL club is trialling a groundbreaking new technology that could be a glimpse into the future of concussion prevention in rugby league. PHIL ROTHFIELD’s highlights and lowlights from the week in sport.
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The Manly Sea Eagles are trialling a groundbreaking new technology to deal with concussion.
The club’s medical staff is using silicone-based head gear that is attached to a cooling unit which they have been experimenting with for 18 months.
It aims to reduce immediate concussion symptoms and the danger of prolonged symptoms via the portable cooling system that supplies circulating cold fluid through a headcap to lower the exercise-induced elevated brain temperature of a concussed athlete.
Clinical studies in the United States confirm the device’s significant positive effects.
Manly’s highly experienced chief medico, Dr Paul Bloomfield, has spoken of the benefits.
“I’ve been trialling PolarCap with my players for the past 18 months and one of the key benefits is the players are happy to use it because they feel the difference immediately after treatment,” he said.
“It doesn’t mean we can bring players back before their mandatory 11-day stand-down, or before they have fully medically recovered, but we see the benefit of it reducing a prolonged stand-down that players can suffer because they continue to be symptomatic due to a delayed recovery or post-concussive syndrome.”
Manly is so passionate about being leaders in the field of player welfare.
It was in 2020 one of their players, Keith Titmuss, died at training from heat exhaustion.
While not concussion related, his death forced Manly to look at all their high-performance practices and techniques.
Manly CEO Tony Mestrov said: “We’re on board with anything that’s going to further protect our players. Player welfare is everything.”
Trials have been carried out in the United States with 29 concussed ice hockey players.
Concussion has become such a major issue in rugby league and other contact sports.
The NRL has long been a leader in introducing tough new medical policies to protect the welfare of players.
A number of superstars have been forced into premature retirement including the Sharks’ Dale Finucane and Roosters pair Boyd Cordner and Jake Friend.
HIGHLIGHT
Penrith’s miracle comeback with three tries in three minutes to steal the two points against the Parramatta Eels. This was as stunning as their grand final revival last year although with not nearly as much at stake. This championship side is never, ever beaten.
LOWLIGHT
Wests Tigers whingeing to the NRL about Stefano Utoikamanu walking out to join Melbourne Storm.
The Tigers want answers because Utoikamanu rejected their five-year, $4 million offer, which was the richest of the three deals the giant prop had on the table.
The Tigers weren’t even in the final — it was a race between the Storm and Bulldogs, where the motivation wasn’t money.
For goodness sake, he left because he was sick of collecting wooden spoons.
SPOTTED
I have a confession to make. Your columnist attended the Swans-Collingwood game at the SCG on Friday night, staying in touch with the NRL on via the Foxtel Go app on my mobile phone. The Swans did a Penrith, coming back from 27 points down to win a thriller. My verdict is this. The Swans and the AFL put on a great show. The atmosphere was sensational, the footy exciting … but give me rugby league any day of the week.
SPOTTED
Channel 9 shunted the poor old Wallabies off their main channel for the Test match against the Springboks at a sold-out Suncorp Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Not surprisingly, it didn’t make the top 30 most watched shows on Saturday.
SPOTTED
Canterbury’s deputy chairman John Khoury with NSW Premier and Bulldogs tragic Chris Minns in the dressing sheds at Kogarah on Saturday night after the win over the Dragons.
SPOTTED
Dare to dream … the excitement and anticipation is building at the Canterbury Bulldogs as illustrated in this photo of a passionate fan wearing a ‘2024 premiers’ T-shirt at Kogarah Oval.
SPOTTED
Former NRL boss Todd Greenberg at the Swans on Friday night, looking 10 years younger without the stress of rugby league, as speculation mounts that he will soon become the new boss of Cricket Australia, replacing Nick Hockley.
SHOOSH
The best three centres in the NRL are non-Kangaroos – Stephen Crichton (Samoa), Joey Manu (Kiwis) and Herbie Farnworth (England). This surely opens the door for Broncos centre Kotoni Staggs to play for the Kangaroos at the end of the season for the second year in a row.
360 VIEW
Catch you tonight on NRL 360 on Fox League at 6.30pm with Braith Anasta, Gorden Tallis and James Hooper to dissect all the major issues out of another action-packed round of footy.
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Originally published as Monday Buzz: Phil Rothfield’s highlights, lowlights | Manly’s new concussion technology, Wests Tigers whingeing about Stefano Utoikamanu
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