Melbourne Storm admit Cameron Munster HIA was ‘tactical’

The Melbourne Storm have revealed the truth about Cameron Munster’s brief trip to the HIA against the Roosters as a “gamesmanship” debate rages.

Cameron Munster during his 27 second break.

The Melbourne Storm have admitted “there was nothing wrong” with Cameron Munster after a sin bin drama in Friday night’s clash with the Sydney Roosters.

It was early in the match when Roosters lock Victor Radley was given 10 minutes in the sin bin after he hit Munster with a high shot.

Watch The 2021 NRL Telstra Premiership Live & On-Demand with No Ad-Breaks During Play. New to Kayo? Try 14-Days Free Now >

Radley was off balance and appeared to carelessly hang his arm out, catching Munster around the neck, as he fell to the ground heavily.

The referees have been told to be more strict with their interpretations after the first week of the 18th man concussion sub drew criticism.

The new rule states that there have to be three players fail HIA tests for the 18th man to be triggered, or be the victim of foul play that sees the offender sin binned or sent off.

At halftime, NRL great Corey Parker said: “From first look watching it live, I thought Munster was out. I said straight away ‘it’s a send off’.”

It played out later in the round with the Bulldogs’ Jack Hetherington sent off for a high shot on the Cowboys’ Valentine Holmes.

But while Munster initially appeared in trouble, he popped straight up and was forced from the field, for what was believed to be a head injury assessment.

Munster was back just 27 seconds after the high tackle.

Radley was sin binned, while Munster went off the field before running straight back on.

The Daily Telegraph reported that Storm general manager Frank Ponissi admitted that the Storm had followed what the rules said.

“Munster was a tactical one,” admitted Storm general manager Frank Ponissi, “There was nothing wrong with him. He said Radley hardly got him.

“To be brutally honest we were surprised Radley was sin-binned.

“He passed his on-field test but we wanted to be doubly sure.

“Our main doctor was in the dressing room doing an HIA with Ryan Papenhuyzen.

“Our second doctor checked the vision then sent Cameron straight back out.”

Players hurt in a foul play incident get a free interchange if a player is hurt and an opponent is placed on report or sin binned.

But with Radley facing three weeks on the sideline for the shot it’s raised questions that other teams will look to use exploit the rules for a free interchange.

Speaking on Fox League’s The Big League Wrap, Fox Sports’ NRL reporter James Hooper said it had been a question that journalists hadn’t been able to get an answer to so far.

“The controversial element of this game and we haven’t been able to get any straight answers out of the NRL yet was the Cameron Munster HIA incident,” Hooper said.

“We see Victor Radley sin-binned. Now fair play he goes to the sin bin and has been charged by the match review committee.

“In all likelihood we think the Roosters will fight that and try and get it downgraded to a grade one.

“The other fascinating element of all this is the way that Munster comes off the field and is only off the field for 27 seconds.

“You can see him on the sideline with one of the Melbourne Storm support staff and then very quickly he grabs an HIA card and goes back on.

“I have asked the NRL and they haven’t been able to give me any straight answers.”

Cameron Munster didn't even sit down after going off the field.

But league great Corey Parker appeared to defend the move, saying Munster and the Storm outmanoeuvred the rules.

“Cameron Munster is a smart footballer,” Parker said.

“He understands what needs to happen to have control over situations. Now it looks terrible and when I first saw it live I thought he was out cold. He was hit high and sent off.

“I know what it looks like but seeing the way Munster gets to his feet, has a few things to say and then gets involved in the next play, he was fine.”

Michael Ennis said that if a player shows category one signs they need to go off for a HIA “it should be taken out of the club’s hands”.

Ennis then asked: “Once you go for a HIA don’t you have to go for 15 minutes?”

“I thought you had to, I thought that was the rule, but Melbourne rushed him back out there and he was off the field for 27 seconds,” Hooper said.

While he stressed that he wasn’t suggesting the Storm had done anything wrong, Ennis argued that there should be more significant penalties for teams looking to exploit the rules.

“My understanding is I think the NRL are very cautious in this area because they need to get the right information from the medical team,” Ennis said.

“They are looking into that and we saw the action they took with Lachlan Lewis when the Bulldogs were fined $20,000.”

“Do you think in the context of a game if we get towards a finals game or if you are playing for a top four position and that is Cameron Munster that gets hurt, you don’t think clubs are going to roll the dice for a slap over the wrist of $20,000 to get themselves into the top four through that crucial period?”

Hooper added that it was “such a dangerous and grey area”.