One New Zealand Warriors forward Mitchell Barnett has been cleared of a major neck injury and was able to fly home with the team on Sunday following the 26-12 win over the North Queensland Cowboys in Townsville.
The-28-year-old Barnett left the field in discomfort clutching his neck and shoulder area after being tackled by three North Queensland players in the 54th minute of the match.
Centre Gehamat Shibasaki was subsequently put on report by referee Chris Sutton but wasn't charged over the incident.
One New Zealand Warriors head coach Andrew Webster said Barnett was taken to hospital as a precaution on Saturday night.
He was cleared of any fracture and was later discharged to re-join the team.
While Barnett will undergo further assessment this week Webster said he was up and about walking freely before the team travelled home on Sunday.
New signing Barnett was one of the team’s many outstanding performers in the win in Townsville.
Starting in the second row, he made 140 metres from 15 runs plus 16 tackles in his 54 minutes on the field.
When he was forced off the Warriors were leading 22-12 before going on to secure just the club’s third win in Townsville since 2002.
