A spate of players staying down after high shots is cause for concern. The NRL needs to review its current policies for head injuries.
After all, a player’s safety should never be questioned.
On the flip side, the frustrations of fans and opposition coaches boil over when a player deliberately stays down to increase the chance of a penalty.
I feel that once it is confirmed a player has sustained a head injury and stays down they are automatically sent to the sideline.
Off the field the injured player’s well-being is reviewed by the team’s doctor or an independent doctor.
The injured player is replaced by a player, but doesn’t cost the team an interchange.
While the injured player is reviewed on the sideline the offending player is also sidelined; they are not entitled to a replacement.
Hence the opposition team will be down to 12 players.
The offender should be sidelined for as long as the medical review takes, but this should be capped at five minutes.
Should the injured player not return to the field the offender can come back on after five minutes.
I feel this practice will improve players safety and stamp out the deliberate ploy of some players staying down so that their team may receive a penalty.
The NRL should review what other codes employ. The NFL has adopted a policy that has an independent trainer who observes the game and alerts team trainers to players suffering from head injuries.
A player’s well-being is of greatest importance to all concerned.
Ian Whitchurch
Guest
Roarsome, Are you aware you can go to jail if you dont provide a safe workplace ?
Sylvester
Guest
Carnivean, I can't see that policy working. It would be too difficult to test the severity of a head injury on the sideline.
Johnno
Guest
Dont agree with the "offender" sitting on the sideline also. I think a better idea is to use this 5 min time for the video ref to review the "offence" while the game goes on and if it's found to be an illegal hit, the offender is then appropriately punished, sent off or referred to the judiciary. Agree about the free interchange for the injured player. -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download The Roar's iPhone App in the App Store here.
Roarsome
Guest
Should Bathurst be driven at 60km/h? It would be much safer. Rugby League is a sport, players have a choice and know the associated risks. A PC world is boring and offensive, let it be. -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download The Roar's iPhone App in the App Store here.
Carnivean
Guest
So if Team A's player takes a dive, Team B is playing 12 on 13 for 5 minutes? A better plan would, I think, be to have the "injured" player be assessed by an NRL official, with the free interchange. Should he be found to be faking it, then the interchange player is returned from the field, and the injured player stays off the field for 5 or 10 minutes. Should he be fine, then when he is finished being assessed, then the offending player is binned for 10 minutes. The idea of putting players on report, but not off the field, started with a good idea, but has devolved to the point where it no longer covers the original objective: punish players for foul play.
Rabby
Guest
Good article sluggers. I think there are a few different issues at play here. Agreed that player safety is paramount. The game prides itself on being a contest of body and will and I believe that 'taking a dive' detracts from the ethos of RL. I believe that if this is allowed to become endemic in the game, RL will suffer. No one enjoyed watching the dive in the Aust v Italy in the World Cup. This is different from injured players who need to be properly protected and not rushed back into playing footy.
Tigranes
Guest
I watched it as well, and I think the NRL really needs to lift its game in this department. Guys like Gorden Tallis say the shoulder charge is an essential part of rugby league...well if Gorden Tallis or his son (if he has one who plays RL) end up with CTE will they agree?
ManInBlack
Guest
Watching Four Corners on Monday night (flicked over at half time in the footy) and it's pretty obvious that the NRL attitude to head high contact and head injury is lost in time somewhere between Bob Hawke celebrating the victory of Australia II and Scott and Charlene hitting the Neighbours set as a serious 'item'.