NRL seek answers from Maroons about HIA interchange

The NRL have sent the Queensland Rugby League a “please explain” relating to a head injury assessment interchange involving Reuben Cotter during Origin II last week.

This masthead can also reveal the NRL is reviewing a potential interchange bungle involving Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow.

The NRl are investigating this tackle and why Reuben Cotter came from the field for a HIA.

Tabuai-Fidow returned to the field for the second half, but Queensland officials did not immediately inform the NRL interchange official. Blues officials were quick to raise the issue on the night.

Cotter, meanwhile, was up-ended in a tackle by Liam Martin in the 36th minute at the Melbourne Cricket Ground last Wednesday. Martin was penalised but not charged by the match review committee because Cotter was ruled to have landed on his right shoulder.

Cotter had clashed heads with Harry Grant shortly before the Martin tackle. Grant – whose head was split open – remained on the field after being bandaged up.

Sources with knowledge of the situation not authorised to speak publicly confirmed the NRL had written to the QRL on Monday seeking clarification around Cotter’s HIA.

Reuben Cotter passed his HIA last Wednesday

The middle forward passed his HIA and was available to play against Penrith on Sunday, only for the North Queensland Cowboys to rest their Origin contingent.

The NRL have in the past written to clubs wanting further information over why a player has been brought from the field for a HIA when there has been no clear contact with the head.

Clubs, or in this case the QRL, risk being given an official warning or fine if the NRL determines there has been a breach of the rules. The QRL were contacted for comment on Monday evening.

Meanwhile, NRL head of elite competitions Graham Annesley confirmed match officials had made the correct call when denying Parramatta two tries during Saturday’s 34-26 loss in Newcastle.

Wingers Maika Sivo and Blaize Talagi both thought they had scored in the first and second half respectively, only to put the ball down short of the line.

Annesley said of the Talagi no-try: “As he reaches out, the ball starts to come away from his fingers, and when he catches up with the ball as it hits the ground, it looks like it’s just short of the line.

“The ball comes out of his hand and there’s nothing to stop it dropping away from the arm, so there’s no way this can be ruled a try.”

Eels skipper Clint Gutherson was also impeded by referee Peter Gough when trying to stop Greg Marzhew, but Annesley said Gough had nowhere else to go.

The Dogs were denied a try earlier this season when a referee accidentally impeded a Cronulla player.

“My personal view is that was OK,” Annesley said of the Gutherson incident. “The referee can’t disappear into thin air. He has to be as close to the play as possible in order to adjudicate. They have to determine if they have irregularly affected play or not. That’s the term used under the laws of the game.”