Trent Robinson labels Jake Friend ‘back to normal’ as the Sydney Roosters skipper weighs up a return from concussion

Sydney Roosters co-captain Jake Friend is back at training and edging closer to a return from concussion, according to his coach Trent Robinson.

Sydney Roosters coach Trent Robinson says co-captain Jake Friend is “back to normal” following his concussion and is training as he weighs up a return to the field in the coming weeks. Photo: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images.

Sydney Roosters coach Trent Robinson says co-captain Jake Friend is “back to normal” following his concussion but his playing return still rests on expert medical opinion.

Friend has been sidelined since suffering a head knock in the Roosters’ opening round win over Manly but back training as he weighs up return to the field in the coming weeks. .

Robinson revealed the Queensland Origin representative needs to see another specialist before the club can sit down with him to decide on his playing future.

Sydney Roosters co-captain Jake Friend is back at training and edging closer to a return from concussion, according to his coach Trent Robinson. Photo: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images.

In the meantime, though, he said Friend is recovering well as he ramps up his training in a bid to make a comeback.

“We will sit down with Jake at the end of this week or early next to nut out of the process and what we are going to do,” Robinson said.

“But he is all good. He is fine and he is back to normal and back training with weights and running.

“He is feeling normal, and he did not long after, but there is obviously a history that we have to go over to make sure that we get it right.

“But he is back to the normal Jake.”

Robinson opened up on the challenging process when it comes to concussion.

He said the process to decide when Friend should return to the field isn’t officially set in stone from the game, and the final decision will come down to the Roosters doctor in consultation with Jake himself.

“There is not a process, and no one outlines a process of what you should do,” he said.

“It is up to the club doctor. There is the process after the game with concussion and you must see an independent doctor now for this year, but after that weekend that process isn’t there.

“The process is the history of the player and how much you care about the player and how long are you going to take to get that player right.

“That is left with Tom our doctor, who has been amazing and a couple of us at the club to have a conversation.

“There is no intervention from anybody from the game that says what we should do.”

Trent Robinson labels Jake Friend “back to normal” as the Sydney Roosters skipper weighs up a return from concussion. Photo: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images.

The Roosters have set a strong precedent with the club’s handling of concussion through players like Friend, Boyd Cordner and Luke Keary.

Robinson, though, doesn’t feel a sense of pride that the Tricolours have handled the serious issue better than other teams.

“I don’t see it that way,” he said.

“If you care about your players then every case is individual.

“We want to win, and we want to continue to win, that is without question, but if this was our son what would we want to happen?

“I you can balance out the two – win and do what you can for someone that you care about – then you will find the right answer.”