Connor Watson ruled out of Grand Final under concussion stand-down

Connor Watson has been ruled out of Sunday's Grand Final against the Knights after the Roosters decided not to seek an exemption for him to return inside the mandatory concussion stand-down period. Watson was hurt early in the preliminary final win over the Dolphins, and despite positive testing during the week, the club and NRL medical staff agreed he wouldn't meet the criteria to be cleared. The decision means Watson has played his final game for the Roosters, missing what would have been his first Grand Final before joining the Dragons next season. He thanked the club's medical staff for their efforts and backed his teammates to get the job done. Watson becomes the first player ruled out of a Grand Final under the stand-down rule, which is expected to fuel calls for a two-week break before the decider.

By Michael Carayannis, Code Sports — read the full story