There have been accusations of gamesmanship in the aftermath of South Sydneyโs win over the North Queensland Cowboys, with Cowboys coach Todd Payten claiming the Rabbitohs exploited the rules to repeatedly prevent his team from gaining any momentum.
Payten claimed the Rabbitohs had bent the rules and exploited concussion checks at key moments to arrest North Queenslandโs momentum and earn their players a break from the intense battle.
The Cowboys coach was left asking why South Sydney trainers stopped the game on multiple occasions for Head Injury Assessments โ once when a player was hit in the ribs, and another just as the Cowboys were about to launch a set on South Sydneyโs line.
โThe game went for two hours tonight,โ Payten said after the game.
โIโm very confused about something at the back-end.
โThere was one in the first half when Jason (Taumalolo) hit Junior Tatola through the ribs and there was an HIA.
โThatโs bending the rules at best.
โThen there was (another) one when we forced an error. There was a scrum, it was our ball and momentum was in our favour. It was another opportunity where they could stop the game, they get their gas back and it halts all momentum in our favour.โ
Payten suggested it was something the NRL needed to monitor as this yearโs finals series rapidly approaches.
โIโd like the NRL to look at it. Iโd like them to investigate or at least look closer at it.
โI donโt think you see it across the league.โ
Of the three South Sydney concussion tests that took place, not one resulted in a player coming from the field.
South Sydney Rabbitohs coach Jason Demetriou hit back at Paytenโs claims in his own post-game press conference, pointing to Paytenโs history of similar comments.
โHeโs made a bit of a habit out of complaining about stuff,โ Demetriou said.
โOur medical team are as diligent and respectful of the rules as anyone in the game
โIf you look at how many HIAโs weโve used and how many blokes weโve brought off the field, weโd be one of the fewest in the competition.
โIโm going to stick up for my staff, they donโt do that unless they know thereโs a reason to do it.โ
The sin-binning of Cowboys back-rower was also a point of contention, with Payten questioning why Hess was sent from the field yet Graham didn't even come off for a HIA, despite appearing heavily dazed after the initial contact.
"Campbell Graham didn't come off for an HIA, so I'm not sure if he got hit in the head or not," said Payten when asked about the incident.
"That's the part I'm confused about."
