The NRL are looking to take further steps in their battle with concussion, with a reported mandate to require all clubs to provide footage of contact drills at training to the league.
In a bid to collect further data surrounding head injuries, the NRL is set to ensure all contact training, including pre-season drills, is captured on video, with recorded concussion issues to be reported to the league along with the necessary footage, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.
The mandate follows the announcement of an alteration to the 18th man rule, with two failed head injury assessments to allow the extra bench player to be added into the game, down from three HIAs.
Seeking to continue placing the health and well-being of players as a top priority, the new training protocols are another step in the right direction for the league.
Speaking to The Herald, NRL football boss Graham Annesley detailed the new measures that will assists the league's ability to combat ongoing concerns with concussion.
“We've put a range of measures in place to initially, in the first instance, treat head contact injuries at training the same way it is treated on game day,” he said.
“Clubs have to apply ‘spotters' at contact training sessions and additional training is available if needed. And any incidents of head contact where a player suffers indicators of a possible concussion needs to be reported. That has to then be reviewed by the doctor.
“We are requiring clubs to provide us with details of their contact training sessions and to videotape those sessions.
“So that when an incident does take place, we can review it medically. We are also requiring them to provide GPS data of their contact training sessions and we'll be collating all of that data.
“It might be that nothing has to change based on the data. But rather than just make a subjective decision on what someone thinks is the right amount of contact training in any given week, we want to do it on the basis of scientific data.”
The NRL has recently weighed up placing limitations on the amount of contact training during pre-season programs for clubs.
Annesley said a decision on capping contact training requires further data before making the change.
“Any decisions on limiting contact training sessions have to be based on scientific evidence and there hasn't been any wane, in any way, shape or form, for the upcoming season when it comes to contact with the head or neck," he added.
The Concussion Legacy Foundation has looked to sway major sporting codes to remove tackling in sports involving kids prior to the age of 14.
“Any decisions on limiting contact training sessions have to be based on scientific evidence and there hasn’t been any wane, in any way, shape or form, for the upcoming season when it comes to contact with the head or neck,”
Does that make any sense to anyone? Certainly doesn’t to me.