Sports doctor Peter Larkins slams lack of reaction to Sia Soliola tackle on Billy Slater

ONE of the country’s leading sports doctors has condemned the decision not to send Soliola from the field for his shot on Billy Slater.

Billy Slater of the Storm is carried off after being knocked out during the Round 20 NRL match between the Canberra Raiders and the Melbourne Storm at GIO Stadium in Canberra, Saturday, July 22, 2017. (AAP Image/Mick Tsikas) NO ARCHIVING, EDITORIAL USE ONLY

ONE of the country’s leading sports doctors said Billy Slater was lucky he did not end up in a coma after being knocked out by rugby league’s most sickening hits in years.

Doctor Peter Larkins was stunned when he watched replays of Sia Soliola belting the Melbourne Storm No. 1 across the jaw on Saturday night — and even more amazed match officials refused to send Soliola from the field.

Soliola will front the NRL judiciary on Tuesday night where he is expected to be rubbed out the remainder of the season.

Larkins, the Melbourne-based physician who works closely with the AFL, said Slater was lucky to escape with only a concussion.

LISTEN! Controversy and confusion reigns after Sia Soliola’s high shot on Billy Slater and on this week’s Monday Bunker the panel debate the latest refereeing crisis including what the future is for Tony Archer.

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“That’s the sort of thing that not only breaks a jaw and gives concussion, it kills people,’’ Larkins told The Daily Telegraph.

“In terms of player safety and duty of care to the head, which is such a focus, if that tackle is not a send-off, then what is? That would be my question to the NRL.

“Without getting too emotional, I’m part of the ambassador program for Danny Green’s One Punch campaign.

“It’s such a bad look for the NRL.

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“From a medical point of view, it can be anything from a sore jaw to death.

“If that had happened at the MCG with a Collingwood player, there would be a minimum of six to eight weeks out of the game for the offending player.’’

“It’s a criminal offence if I did that to you in a pub tonight. I’d be in handcuffs five minutes later. But do that on a rugby league field and you don’t get sent off.’’

Larkins has been leading a push for the AFL to introduce send-offs.

David Shillington was the last NRL player to be sent off after a dubious headbutt on Wests Tigers prop Aaron Woods in round 22, 2015.

Slater was concussed by the thunderous hit.

The NRL said the bunker had the power to advise the lead referee as to the ‘’appropriate course of action for instances of reportable foul play or greater’’, which begs the question why Bernard Sutton did not tell Matt Cecchin to give Soliola his marching orders on Saturday.

Respected former referee Bill Harrigan said he would have wasted no time sending off Soliola, and could not believe Sutton failed to come down hard.

“Everyone in rugby league would have sent him off, bar Bernard Sutton,’’ Harrigan said.

“When a referee sends someone off, some people will say, ‘he shouldn’t have been sent off’, or ‘he wrecked the game’, and you’d find yourself justifying why you sent them off.

“But Saturday night had to be one of the best send-offs you’d seen. You wouldn’t have had to justify that. Everyone would have said he had to go.

“When I was watching it, looking at Matt Cecchin’s demeanour, I thought he’d made up his mind he was sending him.’’

Originally published as Sports doctor Peter Larkins slams lack of reaction to Sia Soliola tackle on Billy Slater