Maroons coach Wayne Bennett has bristled at suggestions Queensland medical staff failed to assess Jake Friend for a possible head injury in the second Origin after he took a series of heavy knocks within the space of 30 seconds.
NSW have already been given a warning from the NRL for their handling of Boyd Cordner’s concussion in game one but the Herald revealed the Blues sought an explanation from the governing body over what they perceived to be a lack of due care shown to the Roosters dummy half.
Wayne Bennett was less than impressed by NSW questioning the integrity of his medical staff.Credit:Getty
“With the focus on HIA management after the Boyd Cordner incident, plus the focus on player welfare, it beggars belief why Jake Friend’s two incidents did not warrant him coming from the field for an assessment,” a source close to the Blues told the Herald on Monday.
That didn’t play well with the Maroons, who have rallied behind team doctor Matt Hislop and backed his handling of the incident. Bennett said NSW had no right to question Hislop’s integrity and Friend was not concussed at any stage of the second match in Adelaide.
