‘Utter disgrace’: Referee slammed for concussion no-call in Manly vs Souths preliminary final

Rugby league fans have slammed a referee officiating Friday’s preliminary final for a shocking decision when a player was concussed.

Manly's Sean Keppie was clearly concussed but the referee didn't stop play.

NRL fans have slammed the referee in charge of the preliminary final between Manly and South Sydney for not stopping play when the Sea Eagles’ Sean Keppie was visibly concussed on the field.

The back-rower was left dazed after tackling Mark Nicholls in the opening minutes of the game.

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Keppie attempted to get back to his feet but fell to the ground straight away and was clearly struggling to stand up on his own.

Usually the referee would immediately stop the game when a player appears to be concussed but the Rabbitohs’ set of six was allowed to continue.

With Manly effectively a defender down, Souths winger Jaxson Paulo cut across the Sea Eagles’ defensive line put was held up by several Manly players.

Keppie left the field and was taken down to the change rooms for a Head Injury Assessment, which he failed.

The referee didn't stop play despite Manly's Sean Keppie being knocked out cold.

It meant Manly was left a man down on the bench for almost the entire game.

Fox League commentator Warren Smith could tell Keppie was concussed as soon as he tried to tackle Nicholls.

“Keppie, put in an awkward position there, might have dazed himself,” he said.

“He’s all rubber-legged. All the indicators there of a concussion suffered.”

Panthers legend Greg Alexander was shocked the referee didn’t stop the play.

“I thought the game was going to be stopped there,” he said on Fox League.

“I thought the referee was looking at him.”

NRL great Willie Mason, who won the 2004 premiership with the Bulldogs, was furious the referee didn’t stop the game when Keppie was obviously concussed in the middle of the play.

“Why can’t the refs just get it right with the timing of stopping the game cos of injury!” he wrote on Twitter.

Manly’s Sean Keppie was only on the field for a few minutes before he was knocked out cold. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

“It honestly can’t be that hard. Keppie is stumbling right in the ruck and you don’t stop it but you’ll stop it when the player is 30 metres away.”

Huge play @SeaEagles Keppie... should have stopped play!!!!!!

— Chris Warren (@ChrisWarreNRL) September 24, 2021

Seriously, how was ply not stopped straight away for Sean Keppie. That was bad. Very bad. #NRLSouthsManly

— Scott Bailey (@ScottBaileyAAP) September 24, 2021

Political journalist Peter van Onselen added to the chorus of viewers who couldn’t believe the referee allowed play to continue.

“That referee should never referee finals again after letting that play go on after the Manly player was knocked out almost cold,” he tweeted.

“What an utter disgrace! No concern at all for player safety. It happened RIGHT in front of him. Totally unprofessional.”

Originally published as ‘Utter disgrace’: Referee slammed for concussion no-call in Manly vs Souths preliminary final