Murray hits back at the knockers

SOUTH Sydney captain Cameron Murray has denied he is disguising concussion symptoms to stay on the field.

Murray was cleared to play in the Rabbitohs’ elimination final win over the Sydney Roosters on Sunday, having suffered a concussion the previous week trying to tackle Kevin Naiqama.

In the physical encounter, the lock (pictured) appeared to cop a head knock trying to tackle Roosters prop Matt Lodge. He was then rattled by a hit from Jared WaereaHargreaves – who drove Murray’s head into the ground.

He was not taken off after either incident, raising questions about whether the 24year-old had disguised symptoms – something he strongly denied when asked.

“Every player I know just loves playing footy,” Murray said. “So nobody wants come off and not play.

“And when you’re in the heat of the moment ... there’s not a lot of thought around, you know, what’s right for you. It’s all about what’s right for to the team. And you don’t want to let the team down.

“So I’m not saying that players are getting better at it because I don’t think you can mask a concussion symptom.

“You know, if you’re concussed you can’t play it off. I have been concussed and a lot of other players have. It’s not easy to hide. The game is getting a lot better in identifying it and protecting players, and there’s probably still a little bit to go, but it’s just a natural progression to make sure that we continue to get better to protect the safety of our players.”

Murray has suffered three concussions in 12 months, including a head knock in the Origin decider in July.