WOLVES' Kevin Brown battled his corner to continue representing England in yesterday's Rugby League World Cup quarter final in Melbourne.

He felt he was fine to go back onto the field in the second half and help steer the side into a showdown with Tonga for the right to play in the final in Brisbane on December 2.

But head coach Wayne Bennett and the national team's medical staff found out in bizarre circumstances that the stand-off had been knocked out 25 minutes into the defeat of Papua New Guinea and decided to pull the plug on his appearance during the half-time break.

Now Bennett is hoping to have the 33-year-old fit for Saturday's semi-final in Auckland, where England land today.

The Wire playmaker, who has a history of concussions, took two heavy blows while carrying the ball into the Papua New Guinea defence at Melbourne's Rectangular Stadium but played on after convincing medical staff that he was fit to continue.

Television replays showed how Brown's legs buckled and he fell like a sack of spuds under the tackle from Kumuls sub Stargroth Amean.

Bennett said he was forced to withdraw Brown, against his wishes, after one of the non-playing members of his squad showed him a video of the incident.

"The doctor who went on the field didn't see the incident because there was no replay board," Bennett said. "It wasn't working.

"Kevin assured him he was fine. He had no major symptoms that suggested he'd been knocked out.

"Nearing half-time, one of our players who was not playing was on social media and up came a replay of the incident. He brought it in and showed the doctor and the doctor realised that it was a category one.



 

"Kevin was quite coherent in the changing room at half-time and the last thing he wanted to do was come off but when you saw the replay you could see he was knocked out, it looked bad enough."

Bennett said he was unaware of Brown's history of head knocks in Super League and is confident he will be fit to face Tonga.

"I don't think he'll be doubtful," he said. "It will be up to the league. He's got to go through a whole load of procedures now, concussion tests and, if he passes them, he'll be fine.

"I don't know his history. I just know he was totally coherent in the changing room and totally adamant that he was going back on.

"His head was clear, he knew where he was and what was going on. But, once the doctor said it was category one and he didn't want him to go back on the field, I told Kevin he wasn't going back."