Canberra Raiders coach Ricky Stuart wants bunker doctors scrapped as NRL hit back at HIA process criticism

"I don't think we need the bunker doctor," Stuart told The Canberra Times.

"The integrity of any doctor will be trusted in regards to the welfare of a football player. I can't see a doctor wanting to cheat the system. I don't know a doctor who would."

Stuart was one of a handful of coaches that slammed the head injury assessment (HIA) process this week, alongside Wayne Bennett, Adam O'Brien and Cameron Ciraldo, following round one incidents.

The Raiders coach's frustration stemmed from fullback Sebastian Kris being removed for a HIA in the second half of Canberra's 19-18 defeat to the Cowboys, despite Stuart deeming him "very coherent" on the sideline.

In his post-game press conference Stuart blasted the NRL and RLPA for not trusting coaches and club doctors to pull players with suspected head injuries, and league legend Brad Fittler later backed the coach for having a "really good case" in pointing out the HIA process' flaws.

The controversial talking point prompted NRL chief executive Abdo to go on the front foot, telling clubs they would not budge on the "strong" current protocol, which he argued was necessary to ensure a safe environment for players.

Reflecting on the "disappointing" incident on the weekend, Stuart was still critical of independent doctors watching remotely being able to remove players for 15 minutes for a HIA, with the power to overrule club doctors on the ground who are also able to assess players at any moment.

"Our doctor was adamant that Seb Kris didn't have a case to answer to in regards to a HIA, but the bunker doctor, she has gotten it wrong," Stuart said ahead of Canberra's round two game against the Dolphins in Redcliffe.

"Seb didn't have any HIA symptoms. He hurt his leg, but she overruled our doctor.

"So they not only don't trust coaches, they're not trusting the club doctors on the field at the moment, and that's disappointing."

The use of independent doctors in the bunker - as well as two assistant injury spotters - is designed to allow decisions over concussion assessment to be made without prejudice, from multiple angles, quickly catching incidents club doctors may miss from the sidelines or while treating players in the change rooms.

It also removes the potential for clubs to overlook head injuries if it leaves teams a player short.

But Stuart does not believe any doctor in the modern game would jeopardise a player's health like that.

"Our doctor is very, very thorough and obviously puts the players' welfare as a priority, as do I," he said.

"If a player has HIA symptoms, yeah, of course you're disappointed because it disrupts your flow, but you do not go against a club doctor's ruling.

"On this occasion, I back my doctor. He's on the field, views the body language and the look of a player who gets a HIA, gives him a test and communicates with our medical assistant.

"Yet, the bunker doctor has no communication with anyone and makes a critical call through a monitor.

"That's just not trusting the professionalism and the ability of the doctor on the ground.

"I wouldn't know a doctor that wouldn't do the right thing. The standards of our medical people are at the highest level."

With 19 HIAs over the opening round, NRL executive general manager of elite football Graham Annesley addressed the HIA process at his weekly briefing on Monday amid the criticism and defended the role of the independent doctor.

Annesley clarified the different signs - not symptoms - that the bunker experts review remotely for category one and two head injuries, including a player being motionless, motor in-coordination, seizures, tonic posturing, a lack of protective action while falling, a blank look or behavioural changes.

"No-one does this to be a narc or take the team's best players off the field," Annesley said.

"We just want to ensure players are safe. Players do want to play on.

"You'll get over a muscle injury or a broken bone ... but when you're talking about impact with the head and the long-term repercussions that can have well after a football career, we have to take a safety-first approach.

"There is no alternative."

Annesley said the process used to be in the control of club doctors, however it led to mistrust between teams over their use of the HIA.

"It used to be left with the clubs and the clubs were screaming for us to introduce independent doctors and the primary reason was because the clubs don't trust each other." he said.

"There were claims clubs were rorting the system ... whether the claims were accurate or not, this is what clubs think.

"Club doctors are not always able to watch everything that's happening on the field.

"There is no perfect system but we've got what we think is a very good system for identifying players that have suffered a head injury, can come off and be properly assessed by a doctor."

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