Vision has emerged of a somewhat dazed Finucane being tended to by a Storm conditioner – who pats his own head as a sign the player needs to leave the field for a standard concussion test – but the 25-year-old played on for more than five minutes before being dragged from the field.

Finucane resumed his place in the defensive line for the following set after initially being assessed, which came after Storm interchange forward Christian Welch conceded a last tackle penalty for collecting Cronulla halfback Chad Townsend across the head.

Finucane, who was making his second grand final appearance after losing to the Storm as part of Des Hasler's 2012 Bulldogs side, then threw himself in the way of a rampaging Fifita during the Sharks prop's match-winning try.

Finucane made the initial contact with Fifita as he swivelled and wrestled no less than five Storm defenders over the line before planting the ball down to end the Sharks' 49-year wait for their maiden title.

Five minutes later, Finucane was eventually taken from the field as an interchange official indicated it was for a concussion test which incurs a free interchange.

The issue of whether clubs are taking immediate action to safeguard their players from long-term brain damage is again likely to be in focus after the dramatic grand final.

The minor premiers were desperately clinging to a four-point lead and repelling the Sharks on their own line with just 12 minutes left at the time Finucane was being seen by a trainer.

Even if Finucane had left the field for the standard head injury assessment and passed the ensuing test, he would not have been able to make it back onto the field, given there was so little time remaining in the match.

A player is required to pass a clinical test within 15 minutes of leaving the field before being allowed to return.

The NRL said on Monday that "all HIAs are reviewed" and the Finucane incident was almost certain to be scrutinised after the Sharks' gripping 14-12 win on Sunday night.

It also confirmed Finucane's subsequent interchange was for a head injury assessment, but the Storm had possession near the half-way line rather than being camped on their own line when he eventually ambled from the field.

Melbourne Storm football director Frank Ponissi defended the handling of the incident.

"We didn't have time to assess him before play was re-started," he said. "It was a pretty physical game and we had a couple of guys who came off for tests and it was no different to any other normal game."

Finucane was one of four players – including teammate Kenny Bromwich and Sharks forwards Matt Prior and Jayson Bukuya – who were taken from the field after head knocks during a brutal decider. The other three passed tests and were allowed to return.

Only last year, the NRL imposed stricter guidelines on clubs on concussion protocols after handing out a breach notice to Parramatta for its handling of three incidents in the opening rounds of the 2015 season.

Newcastle coach Nathan Brown in April said clubs that were abiding by the concussion guidelines were being punished as they weren't allowed to carry an 18th or 19th man on their interchange bench.

NSW coach Laurie Daley and three other Blues officials confronted the NRL's chief medical officer Paul Bloomfield in the ANZ Stadium tunnel after State of Origin I full-time this year after Queensland centre Justin O'Neill wasn't hauled from the field for a concussion assessment.