Roosters coach Trent Robinson maintains there is no need for the NRL to schedule a week off before the grand final despite the “absolute devastation” Connor Watson is experiencing after being the first player to miss a decider due to the 11-day concussion protocols.
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Watson → maintain → protocols
Watson has been ruled out of Sunday’s clash against Newcastle – which would have doubled as his farewell Roosters game before joining the Dragons for next season – after suffering a concussion against the Dolphins in the preliminary final.
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which → rule → final
After initially displaying category-two symptoms, the representative utility was upgraded to a category one.
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utility → display → category
It meant Watson would be unable to play or train for 11 days under the NRL’s concussion protocols, effectively ruling him out of the grand final.
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Watson → mean → final
There is a provision under the rules that allowed the Roosters to seek a reclassification or exemption based on independent medical advice, although the club ultimately opted not to do so.
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club → be → advice
It has raised debate over whether the NRL should give the grand final teams a week off to avoid the situation that has ultimately ended Watson’s dream of a fairytale club farewell.
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that → raise → farewell
But while Robinson felt for his star utility, he wasn’t in favour of any change.
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he → feel → change
“Look, I think these are unfortunate things that happen, but we have protocols for a reason,” Robinson said.
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Robinson → look → reason
“I’m more for the week off before the finals than I am before the grand final.
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I → ’m → final
I feel like momentum is built throughout the finals series, and the attrition part of it is a part of our game, so I understand that.”
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I → feel → that
Robinson had no issue with the protocols that resulted in Watson’s scratching, given they were implemented to protect the health of the players.
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they → have → players
The three-time premiership-winning coach added that Watson had taken the news “stoically”.
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Watson → win → news
“It’s probably who Connor is,” Robinson said.
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Robinson → ’ → ?
“Connor’s a good man, a strong man, he’s his own man, and so he had to control all of that.
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he → ’ → that
He knew we were in the middle of a [training] session.
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we → know → session
The absolute devastation that it is for him and all the work that’s gone into his football career for him, his family, and friends, and then you get news like that – it’s quite tough.
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it → go → that
“But then he spoke to the group quite clearly about how this is about the group, and he passed that on …
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he → speak → that
“You can have all the pain in the world, and in the present moment, that’s a lot of pain for him.
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that → have → him
But he also knows who he is, what he’s done, his role in this team, and what he wants from this team.
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he → know → team
Someone as stoic as Connor is going to hold that emotion, give positive energy to the crew, and move on.
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Someone → go → crew
That’s exactly what he did.”
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he → ’ → what
The Roosters will go into the grand final as overwhelming favourites, but Newcastle believes it has one more major upset in them.
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it → go → them
Knights coach Justin Holbrook – who has twice worked as an assistant to Robinson – dismissed suggestions his team had played their grand final early, in last weekend’s epic win over Penrith.
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team → work → Penrith
We know that,” Holbrook said.
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Holbrook → know → that
“Someone said it the week before after the Warriors game, that it was our grand final, but we knew it wasn’t.
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it → say → game
We know the grand final is tomorrow, so we’re not silly.
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we → know → ?
“I can understand it because we’ve got on a roll and gone up the ladder over recent weeks if you want to look at it that way.
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you → understand → it
But that’s irrelevant now.
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that → ’ → ?
We’re so happy and excited to come to training and play, so we get another chance to do that tomorrow.
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we → ’re → that
We understand tomorrow is the grand final, and we’ve always known that.”
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we → understand → that
The grand final will be decided by a mistake.
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final → decide → mistake
The key is to avoid making one
- Andrew Johns: The superstars, unsung heroes and tactics to win the NRL grand final
- Connor Watson ruled out of grand final after failing bid to overcome concussion
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Watson → avoid → concussion
Peter FitzSimons: How the Knights’ class of ’97 reacted to famous victory
- How Fletcher Sharpe – and his hair – became the face of Newcastle
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Sharpe → react → Newcastle
- Trent Robinson on the pressure of playing a grand final as favourites
- ‘If he wants you, that’s it’: Nick Politis and the secret to his success at the Roosters
- ‘Seriously bonkers’: Inside the Knights-mania sweeping Newcastle
News, results and expert analysis from the weekend of sport are sent every Friday.
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results → play → sport
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