There’s been a lot said about the speed of the game today and how it’s the cause of more player concussion and injury.
Yes, the game is faster, and that is key to rugby league surviving and thriving. The athletes are bigger, stronger, fitter and faster. It’s no different in any professional sport, from AFL to rugby union or tennis. It’s a new era.
The current rules are measured. The game that was played in the 1970s through to the 90s and even the 2000s has evolved to be faster, and this year the league has changed the rules again.
One is not better than the other. Faster? Harder? It depends where you are coming from.
Would I have liked to tackle Steve Roach at Leichhardt on a Sunday afternoon? Hell no. Would I like to tackle Nelson Asofa-Solomona as he offloads to Ryan Papenhuyzen to score under the posts in Round 4 of 2021? Hell no.
They are different generations, and I don’t know that one was tougher or harder than the other.
There is some suggestion the NRL has sped up to State of Origin speed. Origin was always been faster than matches of the regular season, which has often resulted in a higher injury rate to both sides.
Ben Hunt broke his leg this season and played on. Allan Langer broke a leg in the 1989 State of Origin. Shane Webcke carried a broken arm into the 2000 grand final.
Sam Burgess busted his cheekbone in the 2014 grand final. Reportedly James Graham said to Burgess words of the effect of, “Your face looks like a dropped pie, you’ve got to go off”. He remained on the field and the Bunnies won.
There has been a lot of mail about how games are further apart and the last close game was statically worse than last year or the year before. But it’s still Round 5. Let’s not judge too early. There are 20 rounds left this year. Trends change through the season as match fitness, skills and team cohesion improve and coaches adjust to the on-field conditions.
Yes, concussion is a major factor and a very serious one indeed. It’s being handled better than it ever has been. Player welfare is first and foremost, and the players have never been better looked after.
There are so many systems a player must abide by in order to stay on the field. We still see brain explosions and illegal behaviour despite there being cameras on so many angles showing spectators the indiscretions. Today we have a different culture.
We all need to accept that there are going to be collisions in rugby league. Attack and defence are going to be electric and heavy. The speed of the play is nothing new to any player under 22 years old. The six-again rule has ensured players are not stuck in the ruck with defenders wrestling them on to their backs.
It’s too early to predict whether the recent rules changes have been for better or worse.
Wait until finals footy comes and goes and we experience a fast and furious grand final. Only then can we have the case to argue for or against the rules and determine whether changes are necessary for 2022.
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
How many single point field goals have been kicked? It's a significant rule change despite the predictions that it would be a flop.
Crow
Roar Pro
Reynolds and Nathan Cleary are the only two this year to kick a field goal from outside the 40 for two points.
mushi
Roar Guru
How does that make sense, just because it's all they know doesn't mean they've experienced some evolutionary leap. And if you're somehow right... Then it is all for naught anyway as there will be no fatigue to create space.
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
Headgear doesn't help much although it may reduce cuts to the head in such collisions. The concussion comes from the brain hitting the inside of the skull with force and the headgear has no effect on reducing that force.
farkurnell
Roar Rookie
Crow what is inevitable is the Compo Lawyers lining up for Concussion victims. Current headgear used obviously will not negate head concussions. I'm suggesting mandating Boxing style headgear to reduce the risk of ever increasing concussions in our sport.
Crow
Roar Pro
I am not sure it’s inevitable. I think it is a players choice as to wearing headgear suits their style. Kaylan Ponga followed in Johnathan Thurston’s footsteps. Headgear does not negate concussions.
Crow
Roar Pro
Sure there are injuries. I sure don’t like seeing injury to anybody less some professional athletes. The speed of attack has some teams out on their feet. Fatigue relates to gaps in the defensive line and structure, hence the score lines between top and bottom teams. The players coming through only know a fast paced game. They will surely play many games into their thirties. It might just take a while for dinosaurs to catch up. It’s not the hare and the tortoise. The tortoise won’t win. It’s more the hare and the fox.
Crow
Roar Pro
Yes. When it’s finals time the top teams will be very competitive with close scores.
mushi
Roar Guru
I thought it still had a single digit percentage impact on concussion because it reduced the impact of blows to the cheek and side of the jaw line.
mushi
Roar Guru
Again I really don't understand the context of your response. I'm saying we're not very proactive as a sport hence I was surprised your view is we will be proactive in this instance.
farkurnell
Roar Rookie
Mushi ,I'm suggesting introducing Headgear will help diminish the effect of concussions,not eliminate them,without any Statistical or Medical data to support my theory ,just plain old common sense.Sure this move would impact on how the game is played, but IMO doing little to nothing is not an option for the long term future of the game.The current tinkering with rule changes will have little impact on this problem,and may well exaserpate it. A crude analogy would be the risk of injury crashing in a modern "airbagged" car compared crashing in an older model without protection.
jimmmy
Roar Rookie
I think the jury is in , it doesn't help.
mushi
Roar Guru
Not sure of the context of your reply to me here? The two extra teams isn’t really dependent on the new rules though. And I was talking ending more careers, so increasing the number would also increase that ended careers. You don’t express work place accidents as 100 people didn’t get hurt this year, open a new factory with 100 employees and then pat yourself on the back if 99 of the new employees die leaving you with 101 people. Also the 25 odd rounds of data we have for the new rules say they aren’t great for less serious head knocks or other injuries so that doesn’t really make sense to me. Also there’s an argument that if there is a quality difference in the expanded player pool that poor technique could influence the head injury count. I really am struggling to understand what parts you’re addressing in your reply? Did you think it was a reply to your post above (which I did reply to and you’ve since countered)?
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
Boxing head gear stops cuts.
mushi
Roar Guru
Agreed, which is kind of my point it feels like we move well after other sports do on player safety.
mushi
Roar Guru
I believe boxing head gear does, but the issue will be vision
farkurnell
Roar Rookie
Then why do boxers where headgear if it doesn’t help
farkurnell
Roar Rookie
Bringing 2 more teams means more players or existing ones extending careers.Less serious head knocks should extend careers
farkurnell
Roar Rookie
The 18th man rule is only reactive not proactive
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
Reynolds didn't give up on one of the new rules , the 2 point field goal. The rule was ridiculed but it may get a bit more respect when a team loses a finals match because of it. As for the other rules, there is plenty of water yet to pass under the bridge and it will be a rare season for 5 or 6 teams to fly high all season with or without rule changes. Saints are one example of a team who were hugely dominant in the early parts of past seasons and then they weren't.