Daly Cherry-Evans says he wasn't dazed, but he is confused about the NRL's concussion laws.
The Manly star was hauled off WIN Stadium late in the Sea Eagles' loss to St George Illawarra on Saturday night despite, he says, not being concussed after suffering a head knock.
The move all but ended any chance of a Manly comeback and post-game, coach Geoff Toovey labelled the situation "crazy", claiming club doctors were paranoid about being sued over the NRL's concussion guidelines, introduced at the start of last season.
Cherry-Evans weighed into the debate on Tuesday.
"From what I am led to believe the NRL has some pretty black and white rules but unfortunately I feel as though they got it wrong in my case definitely," he said.
"I can honestly say I wasn't concussed, I wasn't wobbly-legged, I wasn't dazed, I just copped a reasonable hit to the head which hurt obviously but at no stage did I feel concussed."
Toovey said the presence of NRL doctor Paul Bloomfield at the game put pressure on Manly medico Dr Thomas Gan to take Cherry-Evans from the field.
Cherry-Evans said he too felt his and Gan's hand was forced.
"It is tough for the team doctor - he has more than one person to answer to, which is always difficult isn't it?" Cherry-Evans said.
"I'm not sure in the procedure that led to me being taken from the field but when I was told to leave there was no two ways about it.
"I know they (Manly medical personnel) are going to get in trouble if I don't leave the field. The NRL hands out a breach notice to the club and that is the last thing I want to see happen to the good people at this club. They don't need to be put in that position.
"It is only early stages so with any rule change or any new procedures put in place there is always going to be teething problems.
"But I am sure the NRL is just doing the right thing for player safety and moving forward if anything needs to be corrected, they will make sure it needs to be corrected."
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