Roosters’ Jake Friend suffers scary head injury amid concussion fears

The Sydney Roosters were on fire but skipper Jake Friend took the sheen off the win as he added to his long list of injuries.

Roosters skipper Jake Friend has been left twitching on the ground after a heavy knock saw him potentially knocked out early in the second half of the first round match against Manly.

The Roosters raced away to a 26-4 lead at halftime but a heavy collision with new Sea Eagles recruit Andrew Davey has seen him left behind with immediate concern from players and officials.

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The trainers rushed onto the field to help the stricken star with Fox League commentator Dan Ginnane saying Friend “looks in all sorts”.

It appeared to be an accidental head clash which felled the star.

“This man has had injuries all over his body,” Ginnane added. “The bicep, the shoulder, he’s had internal bleeding, lung issues, he’s got a plate in his arm. He can’t avoid trouble Jake Friend.”

Jake Friend has suffered a brutal blow.

The tackle attempt Friend came off second best.

Luckily Friend was soon helped to his feet.

But he failed the head injury assessment with Fox League’s Matt Russell saying the injury has raised questions over his future in the game.

“Because of his history of head knocks, he’s been forced from the field after a really heavy blow,” he said. “The club and the player are on the record saying ‘given the history, I don’t know what happens if I get another head knock’. A big story out of this one would be the playing future of a man who is so admired and so famous at this great club.”

Post-match, Trent Robinson didn’t want to jump to conclusions.

“I’m concerned he came off the field pretty simply,” Robinson said. “I’ve seen him for two minutes and I’m not a doctor. I think making a big statement like that isn’t for five minutes after the game.”

It was a bittersweet moment after Friend and his partner welcomed their child earlier this week.

The Roosters have been no strangers to concussion issues with Luke Keary having long running issues with head injuries and Boyd Cordner currently out of the team.

Friend himself was lucky to play in the Origin series after two concussions in the space of a month at the back end of last season.

He was even able to earn his first Maroons jersey in the end-of-season series but a concussion issue was a talking point after game two when Friend appeared to have wobbly legs.

A NSW official said it “beggars belief” he wasn’t taken off for a HIA with coach Wayne Bennett blasting the claims as “a fallacy”.

In the past, Friend has admitted that concussion is concerning for him post-career.

“It does [scare me],’’ Friend said in 2019.

“It’s a scary thing — and it’s a bit of an unknown. We’ve seen in the [American] NFL, the stuff that has happened over there.’’

Friend didn't look to healthy as he went off.

But he’s also defended the club’s treatment of concussions after calls for Cordner to retire.

“You’ve got people with what credentials going up against doctors,” Friend said earlier this month.

“It is murky waters. I had a few concussions as well and Boyd is dealing with the best doctors that you can for these issues.

“He is guided by them and so are the Roosters, and that is how they are making decisions.

“The Roosters and Boyd are doing the right thing and they are listening to the right people and that is all they can do.”