NRL consider bold crackdown on ‘unregulated’ danger which cost NFL $1bn

The NRL is considering following in the footsteps of the NFL in limiting the number of full-contact training sessions in a bold new step in the crackdown on concussions.

The game’s powerbrokers have been criticised for changing the rules halfway through the season after a record 24 match review charges during Magic Round.

However the NRL have refused to apologise or back down over the high shot crackdown and The Sydney Morning Herald reported the governing body will consider new training measures to ensure player welfare remains paramount.

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One proposal is monitoring and limiting the amount of full-contact sessions that players are permitted to take part in during the year.

Since 2011, the NFL has limited full-contact padded practices to 14 each year, which equates to just one per week during the regular season.

The change came after studies of college football found the majority of head knocks occurred during training rather than in games.

Since the rule change was introduced, only 18 per cent of concussions in the NFL have taken place at training, which could be something the NRL looks to emulate.

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Now that the NRL’s new edict on high contact with the head and neck results in immediate dismissal from the field, the governing body could soon shift their focus to training.

“That’s something we definitely have to look at, absolutely,” ARLC chairman Peter V’landys told the Herald.

“It’s my job to make it as safe as possible for the player. We have to review everything because there could be head knocks there too.

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“I was ignorant of the fact that there is so much contact at training. It’s unregulated, so we definitely have to look at it, no doubt about it.

“I’m not being critical of any club or any coach, but it’s something that has been brought to my attention and naturally we will have a look at it.”

The NRL is following the lead of other codes in Australia like the AFL and rugby union in attempting to avoid the situation that occurred in the NFL, which agreed to pay $1 billion in damages over 65 years to resolve concussion lawsuits from former players.

“I’ve said before that COVID was going to bankrupt us, but concussion could kill us,” V’landys said.

“People are seeing that our intentions are good.”

Originally published asNRL consider bold crackdown on ‘unregulated’ danger which cost NFL $1bn

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