Eels captain and star fullback Clinton Gutherson has spoken out after being forced from the field to undertake an HIA test.
This decision ended up costing the Parramatta Eels. who conceded two tries whilst Gutherson was off the field. A key piece in the Eels getting out to a 10-0 lead, the momentum switched instantly when he was escorted off the field.
Having lost by four points at the end of the game, the Eels would have been likely to walk away with the win if their skipper didn't go off the field.
After staying down for a few seconds after a Jesse Ramien tackle, the independent doctor in the bunker decided to force him off the field for an HIA.
Although Gutherson was disappointed in the decision to take him off the field, he acknowledged that rules are rules and the HIA is now part of the game the player's have to adjust to.
"(It was) disappointing because you obviously don't want to go off. I wasn't concussed or anything like that," Gutherson said.
"It's disappointing, but it's the way the game is. That's the rule."
"You don't want to come off, but it's out of our control."
While Gutherson's frustrations could obviously be seen, coach Brad Arthur had his own take on the HIA decision. Despite believing the captain could have helped keep the Sharks out of the contest, he was unhappy with the tries scored against them.
“It's part of the game. We just have to deal with it and we have to deal with it better," Arthur said.
"Whether he's out there or not, he obviously helps with our defensive structures, but some of the tries that they scored throughout the whole period of the game were soft."
"They didn't have to work too hard for a lot of them.”