[Resurrected] The need for change thanks to Concussion.

[EOL now nesting on the GC]

Given the way the game is going in regards concussion and the HIA is it time to have a 6 man bench. The bunker is pulling players off left right and centre.
The game is bigger, faster and much more dangerous than ever before and a 4 man bench is just outdated.
Surely a 6 man bench with the same number of interchange as now would allow a much more level playing field.
There is no way a side should have to have 6 forwards on the grass and second rowers on the wing.
I wouldn't care if it was the roosters in the situation, same thing goes.
You could as a team run 3 forwards, one utility and 2 backs.
The game needs to adapt.

 

[Damien2812]

I agree that having key outside backs being ruled out for the majority of the match disadvantaged us tonight. Backrowers playing wing and centre limited us on our attacking options and was easily read by the Rorters defence. The game needs to change because handicapping any team of trying to win is wrong.

 

[Ohgeez]

Is the rule Faualo should have been allowed to come straight onto the field for Saab since it was an illegal hit that was put on report?

 

[Mals]

League is so outdated now with its small benches. Look at nearly all team sports now, you can have great variety on your bench to cover injuries but there are still limits to the amount of substitutions / interchanges you can make.

 

[Carl]

Is the rule Faualo should have been allowed to come straight onto the field for Saab since it was an illegal hit that was put on report?

Needs to be a sin bin or send off. No idea why on report doesn't count.

Or two ruled out; which is why we got it after they were both ruled out.

 

[Dion Johnson]

Given the way the game is going in regards concussion and the HIA is it time to have a 6 man bench. The bunker is pulling players off left right and centre.
The game is bigger, faster and much more dangerous than ever before and a 4 man bench is just outdated.
Surely a 6 man bench with the same number of interchange as now would allow a much more level playing field.
There is no way a side should have to have 6 forwards on the grass and second rowers on the wing.
I wouldn't care if it was the roosters in the situation, same thing goes.
You could as a team run 3 forwards, one utility and 2 backs.
The game needs to adapt.

Seibold spoke similar to this in his press conference, where a player can’t return cause of foul play, the opposing team should get some punishment, a penalty doesn’t cut the mustard when you look at the Saab one today.

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

6 man bench , I like that idea.

4 forwards , 1 utility , 1 back.

All mightn’t get a run , but yes , forwards out at centre is ridiculous.

 

[castle eagle]

6 man bench
only use 4 of the 6 unless player is ruled out for the game due to foul play & then could activate one of the remaining two.

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

Not NRL (but a brain is a brain and footy players have them )... cricketer Will Pucovski retires at age 27 after multiple concussions.
Sounds like he had pretty bad symptoms

“In the couple of months post that (last concussion) I struggled to get anything done, walking around the house was a struggle,” Pucovski said.

“My fiancée was annoyed because I didn’t contribute to chores. I was sleeping a lot.

“From there it’s been a tough year, a lot of the symptoms didn’t go away which has led me to this decision. The first few months were horrendous, but things didn’t leave me.

“I’ve only just turned 27, the space of concussion is very young. Speaking to a lot of specialists, this is a difficult space to deal with.

“The technology isn’t quite there to understand what is what. When you have symptoms for over a year and I’ve had others for numerous years, it can be quite difficult to see how can I get out to play professional sport again when I’m struggling to live my life how I want to.”

‘Things didn’t leave me’: Pucovski’s sad reveal as Aussie prodigy retires from cricket at 27

‘Things didn’t leave me’: Pucovski’s sad reveal as Aussie prodigy retires from cricket at 27

www.foxsports.com.au

 

[Cliffy's Jockstrap]

Poor guy. I am glad he has retired, a hard move but the right one. That stuff he is going through, doesn't sound great. Good luck to him.

 

[Tragic Eagle]

More players suffer concussion whilst making tackles rather than whilst being tackled. Concussion is a problem for NRL players and always has been. I don't believe any rule changes are going to ever eliminate this risk. I understand that the NRL are trying to be seen as protecting the players best they can and are trying to protect themselves against future legal and financial ramifications. But this is a tough contact sport. IMO the NRL are overdoing this. Frankly all I can see at present is that the high level of official intervention in games is having a significant effect on the outcome of matches. That is alarming.

 

[Ohgeez]

More players suffer concussion whilst making tackles rather than whilst being tackled. Concussion is a problem for NRL players and always has been. I don't believe any rule changes are going to ever eliminate this risk. I understand that the NRL are trying to be seen as protecting the players best they can and are trying to protect themselves against future legal and financial ramifications. But this is a tough contact sport. IMO the NRL are overdoing this. Frankly all I can see at present is that the high level of official intervention in games is having a significant effect on the outcome of matches. That is alarming.

I think if defenders were rewarded for classic tackles like Jake makes it would help out. A lot of the head knocks you see are people going high to try wrap the ball up & dominate the tackle with a wrestle to the ground.

 

[manly al]

R L is certainly not the only code having to come to terms with concussion issues , seems even more of an issue with A F L at the present time .
Also seems to relate to the same factors causing more problems for some time now , slightly bigger , stronger , more fitness enhanced players , higher impact and collision levels .
Protection of both defending and attacking players paramount of course and the best balance to at least try and get it right without reducing or diminishing the spectacle factor .
At least also if the emphasis is definitely on player welfare , should offer or provide pretty reasonable safeguards .
Then the ongoing matter of trying to make a code appealing and safe enough to the next generation of kids [ or their parents ]

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

But this is a tough contact sport. IMO the NRL are overdoing this.

anyone playing rugby league at any level can be injured (or killed, it's happened) and quite true that a lot of head injuries are from defenders knocking themselves or each other out - eg poor Tolu and Jake in the semifinal last year.

But that has nothing to do with rules to reduce injuries to ball carriers by high tackles. Your argument about affecting result of games is more about consistency of reffing. Which surely is simply an issue for all rules, not specifically just about rules aimed at reducing concussion injuries?