North Queensland Cowboys to fight $20,000 fine for alleged breach of NRL concussion rules

THE North Queensland Cowboys will fight a $20,000 fine for breaching the NRL’s concussion rules against the Canterbury Bulldogs.

Screenshot from FoxSports website. North Queensland Cowboys player Tariq Sims takes a knock from Sam Kasiano, from the Canterbury Bulldogs. The Cowboys have been handed a $20,000 fine, $10,000 suspended, for not getting Sims checked for concussion breach.

THE North Queensland Cowboys will fight a $20,000 fine for breaching the NRL’s concussion rules during their 20-12 Round 20 win over the Canterbury Bulldogs.

The NRL released a statement On Friday saying the Cowboys would be fined, $10,000 of which is suspended, after an investigation into the game on July 26, in which Tariq Sims took a knock.

Tariq Sims was concussed in this hit.

Video footage shows Sims, along with brother Ashton, making a tackle on Bulldogs prop Sam Kasiano in the 69th minute of the Cowboys’ victory at ANZ Stadium.

Sims stayed on the ground after the tackle but made his way back into the line later in the set.

The Bulldogs and Wests Tigers have been handed similar fines for breaching the rules, which state teams must remove players from the field for a concussion check after receiving a head knock.

But Cowboys general manager football Peter Parr said they took the regulations seriously and believed they had followed the correct protocols.

He said they would be appealing against the fine within the week.

“We believe we followed all the right protocols and we also have a period to respond and we will be doing that,” Parr said.

If the fine stands, the half that is suspended will be activated only if the Cowboys are found to be in breach of the rules again in the next year.

NRL head of football Todd Greenberg said the concussion rules would be heavily enforced during the finals.

“This fine should act as a timely reminder to clubs that we expect the NRL’s concussion rules to be followed if players suffer head knocks,” Greenberg said.

Originally published as North Queensland Cowboys to fight $20,000 fine for alleged breach of NRL concussion rules