The NRL’s concussion rule has saved the life of a Panther’s rising star Mitch Dening

THE NRL’s concussion rule has saved the life of a Panther’s rising star, who fractured his neck while playing for feeder club Windsor.

THE NRL’s concussion rule has saved the life of a rising star from the Penrith Panthers, who fractured his neck while playing for feeder club Windsor.

Mitch Dening, 19, walked from the field last Saturday after making a routine tackle while playing for the Wolves in round one of the Ron Massey Cup.

Unaware of the serious and career-­ending damage he had suffered, which included two fractured bones in his neck and two ruptured discs in his back, a concussed Dening then tried to convince the Wolves and the opposition’s club doctor from Mount Pritchard that he should be allowed to return to the field.

But because of the NRL’s new strict concussion guidelines, both club doctors overruled Dening. And while the teenager’s dream of playing in the NRL is over, had he returned to the field the further spinal damage he risked might have been lethal.

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“He felt all right, but his head was spinning from the concussion,’’ Windsor head coach Brad Prior said.

“He said he wanted to go back on because he was going reasonably well at the time.

“But the doc from Mounties said ‘no, you’re gone for the day’, which is the thing that quite possibly saved his life, the new concussion rule.”

It wasn’t until 15 minutes after the match that Dening, a centre or backrower who was recruited from the Gold Coast Titans to Penrith this year, began feeling pain in his neck.

“That’s when we sent him to hospital for scans and then we found out the injury,” Prior said.

“I’m still coming to terms with what happened, actually.

“Mitch said he was going into a make a tackle like he normally would.

News_Image_File: Knights player Alex McKinnon also suffered neck fractures after he fell awkwardly in a tackle.

“It’s a terrible thing and I was there in the hospital when he was basically told that his hopes of playing again are all over.

“But the main thing the doc said was that there was no ­spinal cord damage, which could’ve have happened on impact, especially if he had he gone back out there.”

Despite being clearly devastated, Dening was trying to remain positive yesterday as the Penrith club rallied around him.

Panthers welfare officer Cameron Ciraldo, Holden Cup under-20s coach Trent Barrett and Men of League ambassador Ben Ross were by his bedside yesterday to offer their support.

“It’s terribly unfortunate,” Barrett said. “It was an innocuous tackle and his head just got in the wrong spot. He’s a lovely young man who had come down from the Gold Coast.

“I reckon the concussion rule has saved him from something much more serious.”

Young Dening’s gut-wrenching story should ­finally put an end to the arguments from critics since the new rules were brought in by the NRL this season.

Ironically, the Panthers are one of three NRL clubs which have been sent “show cause” letters from the NRL after possible breaches of the rules. The Bulldogs and Eels have also received a letter.

News_Image_File: Alex McKinnon lays on the ground after falling on his head in a tackle.

The timing of Dening’s injury also comes as a shocking coincidence to the entire rugby league community, which yesterday held its collective breath for the well-being of injured Newcastle Knights forward Alex McKinnon.

While Dening will undergo surgery today, the future of McKinnon remains ­uncertain.