Newcastle star Kalyn Ponga will fly out to Canada on Friday with club medical staff for further assessments on his recovery from concussion.
The Knights released a statement on Friday morning confirming Ponga will leave the country to undergo an assessment which involves technology that is approved for use in Northern America however not yet available in Australia.
Knights Director of Football Peter Parr spoke about the factors behind the decision.
“Management of concussion is a complex issue for everyone involved, we see this an opportunity to gather additional information to assist Kalyn in his recovery,” Parr said in a statement.
“Our broader aim, under the guidance of Professor Levi, is to develop a model of care that will advance our capacity in supporting players with concussion.
“Kalyn remains in good spirits and wishes to thank everyone who has enquired about his health.”
Ponga suffered a fourth concussion in 10 months against the Wests Tigers in Round 2 with no timeframe placed on a potential return to the field.
Ponga leaves the field early
NRL CEO Andrew Abdo wished Ponga and the Knights all the best with the journey and said the game would continue to look at initiative ways to protect players from injuries like concussion.
The NRL announced a mandatory 11-day concussion stand down policy last week as part of their cautious approach to head injuries.
"The NRL is supportive of any positive steps taken by clubs to optimise the clinical assessment and recovery of players diagnosed with a concussion," Abdo said.
"We applaud the Newcastle Knights club and the Knights Chief Medical Officer for their efforts in seeking out new technology and international expertise to assist in monitoring Kalyn Ponga’s brain activity and to guide Kalyn’s clinicians as they manage his recovery.
"This technology is not currently available in Australia and the NRL will closely monitor the outcomes.
"The NRL and all NRL clubs are aligned in ensuring the game remains at the forefront of medical and technological advancement in these matters."