Wests Tigers hit with $20k concussion fine, but Bulldogs escape punishment

WESTS Tigers have been hit with a $20,000 fine for breaking concussion laws — but the Bulldogs escaped punishment on a technicality.

THE Wests Tigers have been hit with a $20,000 breach notice for breaking the game’s new concussion laws — but the Bulldogs have incredibly escaped punishment on a technicality for the controversial incident involving James Graham.

The tough Englishman found himself at the centre of a concussion test case back in round four when commentators questioned why Graham was allowed to play on after suffering two heavy knocks.

Graham ended up scoring a crucial try in the win over Melbourne but while everything indicated that he shouldn’t have been on the field at the time the NRL were forced to back down on Wednesday.

News_Image_File: James Graham took two big hits in the Bulldogs round four win over the Storm.

At the start of the season NRL head of football Todd Greenberg had warned clubs could be stripped of points under the tough new laws but the Bulldogs have exposed a flaw in the rules that allowed them not to be punished.

They had argued previously that the trainer didn’t see Graham get injured because he was attending to another player.

As Greenberg explained: “Neither the club doctor or the head trainer could witness that incident.

“Under the policy of the rules you can’t breach a club for that.”

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But Greenberg said from here on the onus would be on clubs.

“Under the changes to the rules which were approved by the Commission last week that is no longer an excuse,” he said.

“I am not going to talk specifically about those issues that have been passed but it is clear that from some of the investigations we have undertaken a doctor or a trainer hasn’t seen the issue and that has been the resounding factor of whether we have taken it forward.

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“The rules used to say that it had to be spotted by the doctor or the head trainer.

“Now you will know like I do that there are multiple people that sit in a coach’s box and multiple people from a club that sit on the sideline. The onus and responsibility is on the club to identify that.”

News_Image_File: The Tigers’ failure to act on Liam Fulton’s concussion has cost them $20,000.

The Tigers were found guilty of a breach involving Liam Fulton in round five.

Fulton had suffered concussion in round one and round three before his return in round five when he copped another knock while attempting a tackle on Manly’s Peta Hiku.

Despite appearing unsteady on his feet, Fulton was checked by a trainer but allowed to play on.

As it was the Tigers’ first breach, $10,000 will be suspended.

Greenberg said: “We have issued that to them today (Wednesday) so they will have seven days under the rules of the game to come back to the NRL.”