Lindsay Collins has a long history of head knocks. That’s why the Roosters are playing it safe

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Lindsay Collins’ recovery from his latest head knock will extend to six weeks after being sidelined for the Sydney Roosters since the concussion setback that ruled him out of the third game of the State of Origin series.

The front-rower has not played since failing a head injury assessment during the Roosters’ 24-18 defeat of Brisbane at Suncorp Stadium on June 26.

As a result, the Queensland mainstay was forced to miss the Origin decider at the same venue 12 days later and has also sat out the Roosters’ subsequent wins over Parramatta and Melbourne.

Roosters captain James Tedesco will resume his spot in the line-up for their visit to Newcastle on Friday night, appearing for the first time since being concussed during the Blues’ series-sealing triumph.

Collins, however, will miss the Knights game as well as the Roosters’ trip to Townsville next Thursday to take on the North Queensland Cowboys.

He is expected to be back for the Roosters’ round 23 clash with Canterbury, at which point he would not have lined up for Trent Robinson’s side for six weeks.

Lindsay Collins has spent an extended period on the sidelines following a concussion.Getty Images

It is a considerable absence far beyond the NRL’s mandatory 11-day stand down period but one that reflects the typically cautious approach employed by the Roosters in dealing with players’ returns from concussion, particularly those with a history of head knocks, such as Collins.

He has suffered a series of them during his career, the most recent coming to light when he experienced delayed symptoms after leaving the field against the Broncos during the first half last month.

“It’s just a cautious approach,” the coach said. “Obviously, he couldn’t play Origin and that took him out, so we’ve just taken a bit of a longer route to get him back on the field and do it in the right way.”

The Roosters have had no shortage of concussion issues to contend with in recent years, and their handling of Collins is similar to the way they’ve treated other players.

Roosters lock Victor Radley was last year sidelined for a month after a string of head injuries, while the club has previously given sizeable breaks to grand final winning captain Boyd Cordner and premiership-winning five-eighth Luke Keary due to concussion concerns, as well as former Tricolours forward Ryan Matterson.

Three-time premiership-winning Roosters hooker Jake Friend decided to retire early in the 2021 season after sustaining a third head knock in six months and a 20th of his career.

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Chris Barrett is a senior sports reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald. He is a former South-East Asia correspondent for the Herald and The Age.Connect via X or email.