Martin confident Penrith won’t alter approach to kick-off despite recent increases in concussions
Penrith Panthers enforcer Liam Martin isn’t going to shy away from a big hit-up on the first tackle of the 2024 NRL Grand Final, despite a significant increase in concussions from the kick-off in recent weeks.
The first hit-up of the game has been put under the microscope over the last two weeks of finals action, with three players suffering concussions from the kick-off.
With Melbourne Storm forward Nelson Asofa-Solomona sent to the sin bin in the opening moment of last week’s preliminary final, many have wondered if either side will back down from the first hit-up in this Sunday’s decider.
However, Martin is confident his team will bring the same intensity to the opening exchanges and that no word has been handed down to take precautions from the kick-off.
“If you sort of try to say that it could probably go too far in the opposite (direction),” Martin said on SEN 1170 Breakfast.
“You just want the boys to go into confident in their training and how they’ve done it in the past.
“Obviously we try not to be reckless in training and the games, accidents do happen but I think he (Ivan Cleary) will say to just approach how you normally would any other game.
“I think Sunday will be no different.”
Over the last two weeks, Toluat’u Koula and Lindsay Collins have both been ruled out of games due to concussions occurring on the first hit-up.
“The high collision sets the tempo of the game,” Martin added.
“It’s sort of a weird one, there’s a lot of momentum from both sides coming into the tackle.
“We do thousands of them a year, you sort of know how to approach them, accidents do happen but that sort of happens in every tackle.
“I don’t think we can really change anything in how you approach.”
The Penrith Panthers will be looking to make it four straight Grand Final wins when they take on the Melbourne Storm on Sunday evening.