George North stood down from playing

[ellis9]

http://m.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/38227807

Seems he did get a head injury and Saints are saying if they had seen all angles on the screen they get for medical assessments, he wouldn't have returned to the pitch

[fortysix]

This poor lad needs to quit rugby while he is still in one piece mentally. Bet a pound to a penny he will be forced to retire before much longer... just study all the American reports on repeated concussions.

[strawclearer]

As expected, the plot is thickening...

The story seems to be changing from "he wasn't unconscious" to "we didn't see the tv footage to make a fully informed decision."

Hmmm. What footage did they see and what was it that indicated he wasn't knocked out?

They say now "If evidence suggesting a loss of consciousness had been available to the medical team at the time of assessment, George would not have been allowed to return to the field of play."

Doesn't a player falling to the ground with seemingly no attempt at self-preservation and then lying prone with his eyes closed constitute 'evidence suggesting a loss of consciousness' - irrespective both of tv footage and whatever the player might say?

This is not going to go away.

As a postscript, where does the ultimate responsibility for player welfare on the pitch lie? Had I been referee, I think I might have been tempted to over-rule any Coach or medic who tried to return North to the field of play.

[sapajo]

Seems to me the Saints excuse cupboard will soon be thread bare. What ever happened to honesty is always the best policy?

[ellis9]

The responsibility would lie with the medics. They are the experts and make the decision. Yes he is fine to carry on or no he needs to come off. Obviously, the DOR needs to then follow the decision up and bring him off if the medics say he needs to come off.

[Old Hob]

What of those coaches and officials in lower leagues who never have access to TV? This is feeble from Saints' management.

[Rykard]

Was the incident on the big screen?

[Tigerbeat]

Was the incident on the big screen?

The incident was shown on the big screen as JP Doyle asked for the TMO

[tigercaspian]

Work made it impossible for me to go to the game but I watched on TV. North didn't move after he hit the ground : he certainly seemed sparko on the TV screen.
Was therefore amazed he (a) came back so quickly (b) that he came back at all knowing his history (c) allowing for (a) and (b) that the medical team didn't double-check what they saw and what North was telling them.
Whatever comes out, I wish GN all the best for a clean bill of health now and long good health afterwards . But, George, if there is any doubt, even the tiniest smidgeon of doubt about your health, then give up the game, laddie.

[Yorkshire man]

Before I post this comment I must make it clear that I am a naturally suspicious old sod. With the recent incidents involving Elliot Daly, and the Argentine player in the same match, it seems to have become obvious that in incidents where a player is tackled in the air, no matter what the nature of the tackle, the sanction is based on the outcome, and not the incident. It seems you could make the most cynical of tackles and if your opponent gets up quickly from the floor its a yellow and a gentle tackle with an unconscious opponent, or one who lands on his head or neck, is a red.

Trickery on the rugby field is becoming more and more prevalent. Is it at all possible that Mr North could have been attempting to have his opponent red carded. Everybody from Saints seems to be of the opinion that he wasn't knocked out and was very quickly judged to be fit to return to the conflict. He did seem to take an active part in the game from the time of his return.

If I am barking up the wrong tree, then my apologies go to all concerned, and if George is injured I wish him a fast and total recovery.

[HantsTiger]

Yorkshire - if that was acting then he's up for an oscar next year. I understand your viewpoint, but he was motionless and I don't buy the 'I was waiting for the medics to give me the all clear before I moved line'.

I hope he makes a full and speedy recovery but his future must hang in doubt as this wasn't the hardest hit on the head and neither was the Hughes tackle that knocked him out a few years back. It certainly wasn't the same impact as the Daly tackle, where the 8 went head first to deck.

[jgriffin]

Scotty Hamilton seems to think it was a con to get Thommo red-carded!

[tigerburnie]

Scotty Hamilton seems to think it was a con to get Thommo red-carded!

I tend to agree from I've seen. Now it could come back and bite the Sinners on the backside.

[fortysix]

Either which way, the whole Stains modus operandi stinks to high heaven and before long Voldemort and his cohorts will be on his way.

And we think we have problems.

[strawclearer]

For what it's worth, a couple of comments from the Saints Forum:

"I'd make an offence of jumping into occupied space. Situations like this one, to a lesser extent Finn Rusell, and a few others the jumper is entirely at fault for the collision, and should be punished. Thompson should have had a yellow for completing he tackle, but the situation was not of his making, and he had no way of avoiding contact whilst obeying the laws of physics."

...and...

"Did it really require multiple camera angles to determine what was patently obvious to everyone who was watching live on BT Sport?

Best wishes to George for a full and speedy recovery - he has been badly let down by all those at Saints who are paid to look after his welfare."


I'm not saying these are typical but I sense an uneasy mood developing.