Is a try worth risking a severe neck or spinal injury? Three burning questions the NRL must answer

There are some burning questions that need to be asked before the playoffs begin and answered hopefully before everybody forgets that they were even asked in the first place.

When are we getting the decision on an 18th team?

Would anyone argue now that the Dolphins are the 17th team that an 18th team is needed to even the draw out? I am of the opinion that that decision must come sooner rather than later; the days of kicking the can down the road have to be in the past.

Nobody likes uncertainty: no decision holds the game back whereas bad decisions can be reversed or at least should be. The decision should (if not already done) be made in time for next season’s launch to prepare for a 2026 introduction.

My reasoning:

1. This gives the draw-planners as few years with byes in the mix as possible.

2. By 2026, you will presumably have the broadcasters and the NRL in negotiations for the next broadcast deal. 2026 gives them a bonus game per week under the current deal as a ‘one time limited offer’ before the next deal. This will be the sweetener so to speak.

You should not expect the revenue to increase exponentially but if you show them something that adds value then you should get more interest, more potential revenue and more competition between Channel Seven and Channel Nine, Fox and whatever new broadcast option comes up.

3. You have another five-year broadcast deal window (assuming the five-year pattern continues) that can be completed before the 2032 Brisbane games, inside of which there is a three or five year period to bring in the 19th and 20th teams if that is the ultimate end goal, which only the NRL/ARL commission will be able to know. Conversely, if this turns out to be a bad decision the powers that be can reverse-engineer and bring down the team numbers or restructure the competition if needed.

Other reasons why you would make this announcement at the start of next season and have them ready for the 2026 season include who the 18th team is. While there has been much speculation, for now, it is somewhat academic. What isn’t academic is that the announcement and execution will steal some of the AFL’s thunder. They are due to have a new team in 2028 based in Tasmania. Being a leader not a follower might be good advertising for the code.

Similarly, with the success of the FIFA Women’s World Cup, there will be a renewed push for expansion of the A-League. Again, it couldn’t hurt to steal some limelight, media attention and a bigger slice of the advertising/revenue generating pie and make that work in league’s favour, especially if there is continued attention given to the NRLW concurrently pre-2026.

(Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

What is with all the black?

Has anyone besides me noticed all the black alternate jerseys popping up lately? Granted, I am in New Zealand and aside from Warriors news on the main free-to-air broadcast news bulletins, there aren’t many ‘other’ games talked about.

Still, from what I have seen (thanks Channel Nine and YouTube) there seems to be a proliferation of black this season. I have been watching rugby league games since the very early 1990s and back then you had Western Suburbs and the Penrith licorice all-sorts jersey. There was also North Sydney’s brief experiment with the solid upper black bar, red stripes and white jersey of the 1992 and 1993 season before they went to the more traditional solid red upper bar, white and black. I would say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery but who else since then has gone in for the black?

Maybe I am wrong but nobody really! Until strangely during the 2021 season when in the relative anonymity of the NSW Cup, the same Bears introduced a jersey of the 1980s style but inversed with all black with red stripes. Same again this year a black and red alternate jersey. Then I started noticing all these other black jerseys. Cronulla, Canterbury and the latest I see are the Dolphins – I am not allowed to say Redcliffe am I? The Dolphins’ black jersey looked superb and, sorry Cronulla and Canterbury, but yours did not, maybe as it goes against what I am used to seeing. Personally, I think the Bears are innovators and everyone else is copying them but then again I am biased. Maybe there is a glut of black sublimate printing dye on the market?

Is a try worth risking a severe neck or spinal injury?

I saw the highlights of the Newcastle Knights vs St George Illawarra Dragons season closer and Dominic Young scored a try that had the commentators screaming with excitement but all it had me doing was wincing and turning my eyes away. He came down, landed on his head and then his back. A couple of minutes later he scored with all his weight seemingly taken by his arm and there are regular examples of other players performing such feats; Dallin Watene-Zelezniak pops to the front of my mind.

Is it just me or is it concerning that these kinds of flying aerobatics are becoming the norm? Granted, the second example from the Knights’ game isn’t as concerning but surely the first is. The head and neck are very fragile… is it only a matter of time before a serious accident occurs? Running for the line and diving for it at speed must increase the risk of neck injuries and broken wrists and arms. While you can recover from the latter two, what about the former?

Only recently, there was a Daniel Anderson round to benefit the former Warriors and Eels coach who had a tragic accident while body surfing of all things. Am I being an alarmist and a killjoy, or should there be a conversation about how far is too far?