Dr Matthew Morgan is appearing via video link. He was the Roosters medical officer for the match and is taking questions from NRL counsel Lachlan Giles.
He’s working through his report from the night which details the category one concussion suffered by Lindsay Collins from “contact to the jaw”.
Nelson Asofa-Solomona is flanked by Storm general manager Frank Ponissi.Credit: Wolter Peeters
He mentions Collins’ “clear on-field signs of concussion”, pointing to his playing of the ball in the wrong direction and the fact a teammate needed to help steady him after the contact.
Patient confidentiality has played a part in what can be discussed here; Dr Morgan says he doesn’t have Collins consent to share specifics on his symptoms.
Nick Ghabar now takes his turn examining the medical report. We’re going through HIA protocols, and the minutia of a SCAT-5 test. Basically how a player is determined to be concussed.
“It’s not the be-all and end-all,” Morgan says.
We’ve got an objection from Giles – I like it. Just like on TV. Giles is arguing that Ghabar is straying from the incident in question as he asks Morgan about other concussion diagnosis, NRL chairman Geoff Belles upholds the objection.
This certainly appears to be why we had a 40-minute delay in the hearing starting.
Nelson Asofa-Solomona flattens Lindsay Collins.Credit: NRL Imagery
NRL counsel is stridently arguing any questions that he deems strays toward breaching Lindsay Collins’ patient confidentially.
Under cross-examination from Asofa-Solomona’s counsel Nick Ghabar, Morgan was asked if Collins displayed clear onfield signs of concussion. Morgan said that he did. Ghabar said that was not a medical diagnosis.
Ghabar: “You have not made a diagnosis of concussion”.
Morgan: “In the report under diagnosis, I said there were clear symptoms of concussion requiring an 11-day stand down”.
Ghabar: “Where in this report do you detail the symptoms that led you to that conclusion.”
He’s arguing it’s not relevant and Ghabar is fighting a losing battle to get any further questions through on this line.
Chairman Bellew has dismissed the approaches after Giles’ fifth objection. “I’m not going to disclose symptoms,” Dr Morgan says. “I’m not at liberty to disclose that.”