NRL head-high tackle rules: Why another crackdown in 2026 would set the game back

The NRL made big strides in 2025 by applying common sense to high-tackle rulings. Here's why another off-season crackdown could undo that progress and what the league should do instead.

The 2025 NRL season will be remembered for many things: a thrilling finals series, a classic grand final, and stars like Reece Walsh lighting up the stage.

Many have called it one of the best semi-final series in modern history. While the grand final's officiating inconsistencies around head-high contact frustrated fans, they should not overshadow the major improvements made during the second half of the season.

There were real changes for the better, both in refereeing standards and in how mitigating circumstances were applied. For once, the game struck a balance between safety and common sense.

Mitigating circumstances finally recognised
In the second half of 2025, referees were told to apply context when judging high tackles. If a player slipped, fell into a tackle, or made incidental contact without intent, they could rule accordingly.

The game finally accepted that not every head-high tackle is the same. Just as important was the new restriction on bunker involvement. The bunker could no longer overturn an on-field decision unless the act clearly met the threshold for foul play, meaning a sin-bin or reportable offence.

This limited slow-motion nit-picking and restored authority to the referees. It was a step toward consistency and fairness. But if the NRL wants to keep improving in 2026, it must resist the temptation to begin another crackdown.

The Reece Walsh and Trent Loiero example
The grand final highlighted how far the game has come and how far it still needs to go. In one key moment, Reece Walsh made contact with Xavier Coates' face as the third man into a tackle.

Coates was almost stationary on one knee when Walsh's shoulder collected him high. Despite the clear carelessness, Walsh was not sin-binned. The fact Coates' momentum had stopped saved him from a worse outcome, but it exposed an inconsistency. When a defender is static or holding position, the attacker generates the force.

In this case, the impact came entirely from Walsh. By comparison, Melbourne Storm forward Trent Loiero was sin-binned late in the match for a far more textbook case. Loiero launched upward and made definite high contact.

That was a fair sin-bin.

The contrast between those rulings showed that while progress has been made, consistency still needs work. Still, one poor example should not take away from what has been a major step forward. The introduction of mitigating circumstances has been one of the smartest rule adjustments in years.

The flawed logic of retrospective replays
Retrospective reviews might look like progress, but they do not protect anyone. Penalising or suspending players days later for accidental contact does nothing to prevent head knocks. It only manages perception, not outcomes.

Across every level of rugby league, from juniors to first grade, most head contacts go unseen. Matches without video replays have no way to penalise players after the fact.

Punishing NRL players by replay does not create safer technique; it only satisfies optics. No amount of post-match suspensions will stop accidental collisions in a sport built on speed, power, and split-second reactions.

The physics of rugby league: Accidents are inevitable
Rugby league is a collision sport. As athletes get faster and stronger, the margin for error keeps shrinking.

Many concussions occur not from recklessness but from the sheer physics of impact. Ironically, some rules brought in to prevent high contact have made things worse. The shoulder-charge ban, for example, forces defenders, especially fullbacks and smaller players, to wrap their arms around charging forwards rather than brace with the shoulder.

This often puts their heads in danger, increasing concussion risk. Data now shows that defenders suffer most head injuries. The game must evolve, but it must also accept that some accidents are inevitable in a contact sport.

Managing perception versus managing reality
Technology has created the illusion of control. Every week, fans see slow-motion replays exaggerate minor incidents until they look deliberate. Some players have learned to exploit this by staying down to draw penalties. Concussions will never be eliminated.

The real aim should be to minimise reckless or avoidable contact while maintaining strong, consistent medical responses when they occur. Prevention and education must always take precedence over punishment.

Honesty about what rugby league really is
The NRL needs to be upfront with players and fans. Rugby league is not just a contact sport; it is a combat sport. The collisions are fierce, the impacts real, and the consequences often permanent.

Fans love the toughness and physicality, and that is part of what makes the game great. Education must evolve alongside that honesty. Parents and players must understand the risks when they sign up.

Players carry the scars long after retirement: chronic joint pain, arthritis, spinal issues, and in some cases, cognitive decline or suspected CTE. Viliame Kikau's concussion at training in 2024 proved another point.

Many head knocks happen away from game day. Clubs simulate full-speed conditions at training, and those impacts are often under-reported.

A player does not even need a direct hit to suffer a concussion. Sudden deceleration alone can shake the brain and cause injury.

Rule adjustments that could make a real difference
The NRL's mitigation policy worked, but more tweaks could make the game safer and fairer. A one-on-one legs tackle could be deemed dominant, allowing a slower play-the-ball.

This would promote technical, low-risk defence. Each team should carry two concussion reserves, one forward and one back. If a player leaves for a HIA, the reserve replaces them.

If the injured player returns, the reserve exits and cannot re-enter unless another HIA occurs. After two HIAs, standard interchange rules resume. This stops clubs from exploiting the system.

Any player who stays down after possible head contact should automatically undergo a HIA unless clearly injured elsewhere. This discourages diving and preserves integrity.

All assessments must follow the same process, with accountability and transparency. Consistency across clubs and officials is key to trust.

Protecting the game from litigation
As the NRL strengthens concussion policies, it must also protect the sport from endless legal challenges. The league needs a framework that safeguards both players and the game itself.

Rugby league is inherently dangerous.

Injuries are an accepted part of participation. Every player should sign an acknowledgment of risk while still expecting their club to uphold modern safety standards.

Players and parents must receive proper concussion education before registration, including information on symptoms, risks, and long-term effects.

Knowledge and transparency are the best protection for everyone. The NRL should maintain league-wide concussion protocols, ensure every club complies, and publish annual data on head injury trends. Public trust will come through openness, not secrecy.

The petition and progress made
After a widely supported public petition called for reform around replays and concussion protocols, the NRL acted. The subsequent changes, including tighter bunker limits and clearer mitigating guidelines, have made the competition safer and fairer without compromising its edge.

The final word
Rugby league will never be a sport for everyone, and that is part of its beauty. It is fast, physical, and unforgiving. The players know the risks. The fans respect the courage. The challenge for the NRL is to keep players safe while preserving the game's identity. Education, honesty, consistency, and smarter rule-making are the keys.

The second half of 2025 proved that when common sense leads, the game thrives. The focus for 2026 must be on locking in what worked, not hitting the reset button again. Rugby league is still the greatest game of all. If decisions keep that truth at heart, it always will be.