Inspirational South Sydney skipper Cameron Murray is likely to play in next Sunday’s elimination final blockbuster against the Sydney Roosters after he woke up on Saturday with “full memory” and “zero concussion symptoms”.
Murray was ruled out of Friday night’s 26-16 loss to the Roosters after being floored while going low on Kevin Naiqama in the second tackle of the game.
The inspirational forward was not allowed to return to action because he had displayed category one concussion symptoms. The same thing happened to him in the opening minute of Origin III.
However, South Sydney coach Jason Demetriou said Murray passed his head injury assessment during the game and again before he left Allianz Stadium on Friday night.
The nine-day turnaround to the all-Sydney blockbuster would also aid his recovery, just as it would for the Roosters’ Victor Radley, who was knocked out and was convulsing in the middle of Melbourne’s AAMI Park last Friday.
The only issue Murray needed to address was his tackling technique, Demetriou said, especially early in games when he went low on opposition players who were fresh and full of adrenaline.
Cameron Murray struggles to his feet on Friday night.Credit:Getty
“Cam is fine; it’s a long turnaround, he has no symptoms, so 100 per cent he will play,” Demetriou told The Sun-Herald.
“There is no way I would ever pick him if he was a risk. But he has never been knocked out, and he has never laid on the floor convulsing.
“He’s been stunned on two occasions, and because of the protocols in place, he’s been ruled out of games. That’s why we’ve got specialists and protocols in place, to make sure the game is safe. I’ve got no doubts he’ll be right.
“If this was last year or the year before, Cam would have played on, but he’s had to come off this year because of the rules with category one symptoms.
The lock forward was forced out of Origin III in the opening minute.Credit:Getty
“He’s woken up with zero symptoms, so we’re not concerned, and he’s not concerned.”
Demetriou said the top priority in the Souths’ pathways was safe tackling techniques, which had almost become a forgotten art dur to the game’s obsession with wrestling.
“With Cam, it’s all about how early you dip into the tackle, and he can set himself a bit early, which gives the opposition the chance to dip and rotate their hips to brace for collision,” Demetriou said.
“Cam just needs to stay upright a little longer, and they’re technical things we’ve been working on.
“That technique has become the No.1 priority in our pathways because of the effect [a bad tackle] can have on a game and an individual’s career.
“Because of the wrestle and how obsessed we have all become with that the last few years, we’ve lost our safe tackling techniques, and at our club it will be a priority.”
Siliva Havili underwent two HIAs against the Roosters, which automatically ruled him out of Friday’s game, but Demetriou said he would also be fit to return for the sudden-death rematch with their arch-rivals.
Campbell Graham suffered delayed concussion symptoms from the previous week and missed the Roosters game, but he is also on track for a return next weekend.
As part of the concussion protocols, Murray will record his symptoms and consult an individual specialist before being given the green light to resume full training on ‘day five’.
Souths and the Roosters will be given three days off and return to training on Tuesday.
Demetriou watched the game on his laptop while in COVID isolation in his bedroom, and was on speaker phone to his coaching assistants at the Moore Park venue. The slight delay with the coverage meant he could hear what was happening before it had unfolded on his screen. He is due out of lockdown on Tuesday.
One player who will not return this season is rookie winger Izack Thompson who tore his hamstring at training last week.
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