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SYDNEY - Queensland called it courageous but Melbourne officials claim it was downright dangerous to send knocked out forward Dallas Johnson back into rugby league's toughest arena of State of Origin football.
Johnson has been ruled out indefinitely by his Melbourne NRL club after he was knocked senseless in the opening seconds of last night's Origin finale at Suncorp Stadium.
The lock was clearly still dazed when he returned after halftime to make 26 tackles as injury-ravaged Queensland lost 18-4 to NSW but still claimed the series 2-1.
The dead-rubber ended with a massive casualty list headed by Brisbane's Brent Tate (knee, season), Cronulla's Brett Kimmorley (knee, 4-6 weeks) and Melbourne's Greg Inglis (knee, awaiting results).
Melbourne officials are fuming over the treatment of Johnson and have issued a 'please explain' to the Queensland doctors who gave him permission to re-enter the field of play.
Storm chief executive Brian Waldron says Johnson should have been sent to hospital while Queensland and Melbourne teammate Greg Inglis also believes the lock was unfit to continue playing.
"We will be asking for an explanation from the Queensland Rugby League to determine that the correct duty of care was taken with the player," Waldron said.
"If it had of been a boxing match he would have been put on a stretcher and taken to hospital for observation.
"After what was displayed publicly it was clear to all and sundry that he was clearly out (unconscious) for a sustained period.
"Dallas wanted to go back on but of course he's going to want to go back on, that is his personality. But whether that was the right thing I don't know.
"Given he is our player and we employ him I think we have a right to ask the questions when people borrow him on occasion.
"Whether he was playing for Australia or playing for Queensland or playing for Melbourne Storm or anyone there is a duty of care.
"I'm presuming everything was safe but we have an obligation to him, his family and club to ask the question."
Inglis, also hurt last night with a knee injury that will keep him out of this Saturday's clash with South Sydney at least, said Johnson should not have returned to the field.
Inglis was in the dressing sheds with Johnson during the first half and said it was clear the 25-year-old was heavily concussed.
"Me personally, I don't think he should have gone back on," said Inglis.
"It was a pretty heavy concussion and I was in the sheds with him when I came off and he's one of those people where it's pretty hard to convince him to stay off.
"You can tell he was really concussed. But like I say, he's a tough bloke and he's got to deal with it."
Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy weighed into the debate, questioning whether Queensland would have sent Johnson back into battle if he was a family member.
"I'm no doctor so I'm not going to be too critical but at the end of the day I think the people that made that decision, they should be asking themselves if Dallas was their son would they have put him back on," Bellamy said.
"With head injuries, that's the sort of questions you've got to ask yourself.
"The way he collapsed to the ground there in that first minute looked quite ugly to me.
"I think when he went to the bench he nearly fell off the chair again."
Queensland doctor Roy Saunders said after the game it was a tough decision to let Johnson play.
"It's always a very uncomfortable feeling and always a very difficult decision," said Saunders.
However, Queensland legends today praised the courage of Johnson led by former hardman Chris Close.
"They nearly had to get a security guard to drag him off the field he didn't want to go," joked Close.
"Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew how important it was.
"When you're knocked senseless and you've still got that courage to want to be there ... that is Queensland and will always be Queensland."
- AAP
