2023 SF Sat - Warriors 40-10 Newcastle @ Go Media

[Apey]

Well he could barely stand and didn't look like he knew his own name

Haha, I'm not going to bother having a discussion with someone who clearly hasn't even seen the incident.

I'm surprised the independent doctor didn't pick this symptom up. The conspiracy angle is a real tough sell when the independent doctor has called for many HIAs all year.

The obvious answer is that he wasn't showing any concussion symptoms that warranted a HIA.

 

[Woody90]

Have a look at the actual contact with the ground. If he wasn't concussed then so be it but absolutely it warranted a HIA

I’ve seen it 100 times. Players heads make contact with the ground like that every single game. I've also seen that Ponga gets shaken and takes a long time to get up after any type of hard contact, regardless of whether it has anything to do with his head or not. Every single week. He's also playing with a broken shoulder and was grabbing at that before taking the goal.

That also wasn't a random trainer that assessed him. That was Craig Catterick who is the Knights Head of Medical and extremely experienced. I think he probably knows more than any of us. To suggest that the Knights wouldn't treat a possible concussion seriously is absurd. The club kept their best player out of the side for 2 months to send him to Canada to get assessed which is above and beyond normal practice of what other clubs do...including the Roosters with Keary who has been through the same thing and Ponga.

 

[Juju]

The betting odds are totally disrespectful to Newcastle.
This is an even odds match in my eyes.

 

[Apey]

I’ve seen it 100 times. Players heads make contact with the ground like that every single game. I've also seen that Ponga gets shaken and takes a long time to get up after any type of hard contact, regardless of whether it has anything to do with his head or not. Every single week. He's also playing with a broken shoulder and was grabbing at that before taking the goal.

That also wasn't a random trainer that assessed him. That was Craig Catterick who is the Knights Head of Medical and extremely experienced. I think he probably knows more than any of us. To suggest that the Knights wouldn't treat a possible concussion seriously is absurd. The club kept their best player out of the side for 2 months to send him to Canada to get assessed which is above and beyond normal practice of what other clubs do...including the Roosters with Keary who has been through the same thing and Ponga.

The idea we'd be careless with a bloke who is the linchpin to any success we may have over the next few years and is in the first year of a 5 year deal is quite the interesting take. I am keen to see it further elaborated upon.

 

[Captain Apollo]

 

[perverse]

The betting odds are totally disrespectful to Newcastle.
This is an even odds match in my eyes.

Feels ominous going into a knockout final as red hot favourites, huh? Glad we don't have that pressure this week.

 

[Penrose Warrior]

The idea we'd be careless with a bloke who is the linchpin to any success we may have over the next few years and is in the first year of a 5 year deal is quite the interesting take. I am keen to see it further elaborated upon.

I didn't see the incident we're talking about but I don't think it's a massive stretch to suggest you'd roll the dice to a degree in a knockout semi-final when you've won 10 in a row. (I'm not suggesting that's happening, but I really don't think it's as unconscionable as you suggest).

Despite very clear evidence around issues with head knocks, there is still a lackadaisical or lack of bigger picture thinking when it comes to HIAs. Again, I didn't see this incident, but I know Ponga has a significant history of head injuries. Would it be different if this was round 2 of the regular season not finals? It seems like some people think so.

 

[Penrose Warrior]

Feels ominous going into a knockout final as red hot favourites, huh? Glad we don't have that pressure this week.

I don't think there's a single person in NZ who thinks we're red hots, or even favourites. Genuine nervousness over here

 

[skeepe]

I don't think there's a single person in NZ who thinks we're red hots, or even favourites. Genuine nervousness over here

Relax. You won’t just win, you’ll demolish them. Tyson Gamble surely won’t be able to fake another bite to fire them up this time.

 

[Woody90]

I didn't see the incident we're talking about but I don't think it's a massive stretch to suggest you'd roll the dice to a degree in a knockout semi-final when you've won 10 in a row. (I'm not suggesting that's happening, but I really don't think it's as unconscionable as you suggest).

Despite very clear evidence around issues with head knocks, there is still a lackadaisical or lack of bigger picture thinking when it comes to HIAs. Again, I didn't see this incident, but I know Ponga has a significant history of head injuries. Would it be different if this was round 2 of the regular season not finals? It seems like some people think so.

Isn’t that why there’s an independent doctor though? Neither the independent doctor or the club’s head of medical believed that he was displaying any symptoms of concussion. I don’t know why everyone now suddenly thinks that they’re Neurologists and know more than the people employed to do the job.

The Knights took off Frizzell (who I’d argue is just as important to the Knights from a finals perspective) for a HIA during a crucial part of the match so I really don’t think they’re trying to “roll the dice” to win games. More likely they’re trusting the judgement of medical professionals.

 

[Leber]

I'm philosophical about this one. Realistically, neither team is going to win the comp. Neither team will get past Broncos next week, so a loss here isn't going to alter the outcome of the comp.

However after 15 years of no finals, all the uncertainty of covid, it would be so important for the fans to get the W here. Fingers and toes crossed.

 

[Someguy]

Warriors to continue their late season fade away. Key players not healthy enough to get the job done

 

[Penrose Warrior]

Isn’t that why there’s an independent doctor though? Neither the independent doctor or the club’s head of medical believed that he was displaying any symptoms of concussion. I don’t know why everyone now suddenly thinks that they’re Neurologists and know more than the people employed to do the job.

The Knights took off Frizzell (who I’d argue is just as important to the Knights from a finals perspective) for a HIA during a crucial part of the match so I really don’t think they’re trying to “roll the dice” to win games. More likely they’re trusting the judgement of medical professionals.

The suggestion is that the independent doctor can still get influenced by the moment. It's the dying stages of a final, no doubt there exists pressure to make a certain decision.

I don't care if you think I'm a neurologist. I'm not. What I am, is aware of biases in humans. I watch the NRL intently every week, and I see head knocks like that undergo HIAs with regularity. Especially with regards to the free interchange rule. So why not this one, with a guy with a reasonably significant history of concussion? I think I know the answer, even if you want to say that independent doctors are completely robotic and void of influence.

The Frizzell incident isn't the same. Look at what Joey Johns said in commentary about Ponga 'can he kick?!?!' - that suggests that this one was particularly influential.

At the end of the day, this is my opinion. I wasn't there. I'm not a doctor. But I have an opinion. I'm allowed one, otherwise this forum doesn't exist. And if we are going to blindly accept whatever is done in this space, I don't know if that's a good outcome.

 

[Warriors Fever]

Wow the knights have really come in with the betting not surprising they were some Juicy odds at the start of the week. I’m super nervous about this game, really wished we had addressed that horrible left side this week. Dom young will be licking his lips

 

[alexwilliams_66692007]

Knights by a Cluney field goal

 

[Someguy]

Wow the knights have really come in with the betting not surprising they were some Juicy odds at the start of the week. I’m super nervous about this game, really wished we had addressed that horrible left side this week. Dom young will be licking his lips

$2.5 on TAB is still excellent imo. I know they were lucky to win last week but the Raiders genuinely played well. Only worry for knights is their left side defence that found out a few times by the raiders

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Wow the knights have really come in with the betting not surprising they were some Juicy odds at the start of the week. I’m super nervous about this game, really wished we had addressed that horrible left side this week. Dom young will be licking his lips

Odds follow the money. Obviously knights fans are getting on their team

 

[Woody90]

Odds follow the money. Obviously knights fans are getting on their team

Not us. We’ve been so burnt in the past we still go into every week expecting a loss. I almost put money on the Raiders last week

 

[perverse]

I'm philosophical about this one. Realistically, neither team is going to win the comp. Neither team will get past Broncos next week, so a loss here isn't going to alter the outcome of the comp.

However after 15 years of no finals, all the uncertainty of covid, it would be so important for the fans to get the W here. Fingers and toes crossed.

Yeah I think for either set of fans, winning this match is more about keeping a fairytale hope alive than actually thinking they're an even-money shot at the premiership. You get one more week to dream, and weird stuff happens on Rugby League fields.

 

[Grapple]

Warriors 13+