Expect a call from the NRL! Souths star Jai Arrow confesses he broke the rules by walking out half way through his concussion test so he could celebrate thrilling victory over Penrith
- Arrow left the field when the Bunnies were down
- Heard cheers as Souths scored the winning tries
- Walked to the doctor to celebrate with teammates
South Sydney striker Jai Arrow’s excitement over his side’s thrilling victory over Penrith on Thursday night may be short-lived after he admitted breaking the rules by taking an HIA test.
The NRL is cracking down on punches and concussions with a litany of sin bins for high shots and a new 11-day ban for players with concussions.
Arrow will test those new rules after running its HIA test late in Thursday’s game.
There were no charges from the NRL Match Review Committee following the clash, but the NRL was still able to investigate after Arrow dice itself on Channel Nine after the siren sounded.
Speaking to commentator and NSW coach Brad Fittler after the game, the radiant Rabbitoh admitted he came up short the doctor as Souths pulled off a memorable victory.
Arrow was pretty pleased with himself when he told Brad Fittler how he walked out on the doctor during a mandatory concussion test
“How many minutes have you been out?” Fitler asked.
“About seventy and then I got a headbutt at 18-10 behind when they scored that last try,” Arrow replied.
“I came in and heard cheering and then two of our guys were cheering.
“So I ran halfway through the HIA and came out and it was 20-18.”
‘Can you do that? Is that part of the SCAT5 test?’ Fitler asked.
The SCAT5 (Sport Concussion Assessment Tool) is a standardized tool used to evaluate and manage concussions in athletes, developed by the Concussion in Sport Group in 2017.
The SCAT5 includes a battery of tests that assess an athlete’s cognitive function, balance, and symptoms.
Arrow played 70 minutes for the Bunnies but was headbutted when he attempted to tackle a Penrith player with the game on the line
The tests include a symptom evaluation, cognitive assessment, balance examination, and coordination examination.
Arrow put it halfway through these reviews.
“The doctor blew up on me, but I didn’t care at the time,” Arrow said.
“I just wanted to run through the tunnel and celebrate with the boys.
“It was exciting and we were lucky to get the two points.”
Arrow is in his second game back from a hamstring injury and told Fittler the forced break had given him a lift.
“I’m feeling good, my gas is pretty good, I’ve got old Freddy fresh legs,” he said.
“I’m just trying to get back into the rhythm of playing footy week in, week out.
“I didn’t know I had the hamstring so it’s just good to see them hanging by a thread and not going against me this time.”
Arrow only returned to the NRL last week against the Dolphins (pictured) after a hamstring injury plagued his start to the 2023 season
NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo is likely to have a dim view of Arrow’s actions after stating the code would continue to crack down on high shots and concussion protocols
The admission is likely to be taken very seriously by the NRL, with CEO Andrew Abdo recently stating that any incident will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.
“There is no exact science as to how long it takes a player to recover from a concussion,” he said.
“It’s all case by case and very individual. Our policy must take this into account.
“We don’t want players to report a concussion for fear of a minor concussion ruling them out for longer than necessary.”
The NRL also confirmed it would consider looking at technologies such as blood and saliva testing as a tool for diagnosing concussions in the future.