NRL head of football Graham Annesley exposes clubs over HIA trainer rort
On the eve of finals, the NRL has accused clubs of a HIA rort to secure free interchanges, with head of football Graham Annesley warning clubs to stop or incur ‘significant sanctions’.
The NRL has exposed a pre-finals rort where club trainers are securing free interchanges by pulling players from the field for head injury assessments without having consulted with club doctors.
It has prompted NRL head of football elite competitions Graham Annesley to send a direct edict to all clubs CEO’s and football managers warning that offenders would face “significant sanction.”
The NRL has considerable concerns at the increasing trend where a trainer drags a player – who hasn’t sustained any identifiable head knock or impact – for an HIA without having sought permission from a club’s sideline-based chief medical officer (CMO).
It then allows the team a vital free interchange.
NRL management is monitoring the HIA drama and hopes a strongly-worded edict will end any possible rorting heading into the finals.
Under NRL rules, an on-field trainer observing an allegedly concussed player must seek and receive approval for an HIA through the doctor - when talking via a headset and speaker – after explaining the player’s symptoms.
The trainer, under NRL rules, cannot simply go rogue and replace the player without the CMO’s consent.
The NRL edict read: “Following review of several recent incidents, it is timely to stress the very specific requirements to be observed by trainers regarding removal of players from the field for Head Injury Assessments (HIAs).
“The NRL operations manual stipulates decisions to remove players for HIA’s based on “clinical impression (suspicion)” can only be made by the club Chief Medical Officer (CMO).
“Trainers cannot, and must not, make such decisions in isolation under the rules.
“Where a club CMO is unaware of any specific incident in which a “clinical impression (suspicion)” may have occurred, it would be advisable for the CMO to review the (sideline) SIS video to identify a possible head impact incident before deciding removal for an HIA is appropriate.
“The HIA provisions of the NRL rules are in place as a player welfare mechanism and must be used only for that purpose. Any club that does not strictly adhere to the rules may be liable for significant sanction.”
This masthead has noticed a number of questionable HIA interchanges in recent weeks. The new tactic garners a free interchange and is open to rorting under the unlimited interchange system.
One club official said: “You can’t get a concussion if you haven’t been hit in the head.”
There have been instances when officials have asked how and why a player was taken for an HIA by the trainer.
Medical data throughout a game will tell coaches which players require a break through fatigue.
Several free interchanges during a big game, coaches agree, can give one side a considerable on-field advantage.
There are also concerns that players are telling doctors about an apparent concussion even though the player hasn’t been involved in any collision for the previous few minutes.
Team doctors have been instructed to ignore attempts to replace players with an alleged HIA if the player is uninjured.
The NRL was contacted for comment but declined. The NRL bunker doctor can also identify a head knock and order a player for an HIA test.
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