Re: This week’s disciplinary : Tue Feb 20, 2024 3:51 pm  

Wires71 wrote:

It's all to do with

1. Ensuring the RFL can get insurance to cover against potential head injury claims down the line.
2. Ensuring the RFL has a defence that "reasonable endeavours" were taken under their implied duty of care to the players.

The truth is RL is a brutal sport, and plenty of past players are hobbling around with limb/joint injuries and, sadly, brain injuries, which have arisen due to playing the game.

In the past this was known as an "occupational hazard" and players accepted the risks when they played and didn't seek to sue the RFL later in life.

In this modern era of "the blame", personal injury lawyers see a massive opportunity for undertaking "no win no fee" claims on behalf of past players looking for financial compensation. Perhaps even group actions.

It's a tough balancing act, but, in my view, the efforts being taken to "protect the game for the future" by zealous disciplinary committee members (P Cullen for example) will result in no worthwhile game left to protect.

The combination of the RFL making a pigs ears of managing the issue and the nature of the times we live in lead us to a real existential threat to the game we love/loved.

1. Ensuring the RFL can get insurance to cover against potential head injury claims down the line.

Surely some kind of waiver (if players agree to sign) can prevent this in the future.


2. Ensuring the RFL has a defence that "reasonable endeavours" were taken under their implied duty of care to the players

It has never been legal to tackle around the head, but the speed, strength and intensity of RL will lead to some head contact. I would argue, that a lot of the concussions actually are to the defending players so how to we avoid that - only allow players to jog into contact, only play touch?

I have said it on other platforms, but I don't see how Boxing, MMA, UFC can get insurance for their fighters, but RL can't.

Re: This week’s disciplinary : Tue Feb 20, 2024 4:15 pm  

Wires71 wrote:

It's all to do with

1. Ensuring the RFL can get insurance to cover against potential head injury claims down the line.
2. Ensuring the RFL has a defence that "reasonable endeavours" were taken under their implied duty of care to the players.

The truth is RL is a brutal sport, and plenty of past players are hobbling around with limb/joint injuries and, sadly, brain injuries, which have arisen due to playing the game.

In the past this was known as an "occupational hazard" and players accepted the risks when they played and didn't seek to sue the RFL later in life.

In this modern era of "the blame", personal injury lawyers see a massive opportunity for undertaking "no win no fee" claims on behalf of past players looking for financial compensation. Perhaps even group actions.

It's a tough balancing act, but, in my view, the efforts being taken to "protect the game for the future" by zealous disciplinary committee members (P Cullen for example) will result in no worthwhile game left to protect.

The combination of the RFL making a pigs ears of managing the issue and the nature of the times we live in lead us to a real existential threat to the game we love/loved.

...and there's going to be a large muriel (sic....see Hilda Ogden, c/o Coronation St) of said Mr Cullen within swearing distance of the stadium.

"Welcome to Warrington, home of the ridiculous 4 match ban!"

Re: This week’s disciplinary : Tue Feb 20, 2024 4:40 pm  

Mr Snoodle wrote:

...and there's going to be a large muriel (sic....see Hilda Ogden, c/o Coronation St) of said Mr Cullen within swearing distance of the stadium.

"Welcome to Warrington, home of the ridiculous 4 match ban!"

The wall will be one unholy mess as fans of other teams visit Warrington in turn, throughout the seasons and add their contributions.

Won`t just be the Away fans either..

Re: This week’s disciplinary : Tue Feb 20, 2024 4:54 pm  

Irregs#16 wrote: 1. Ensuring the RFL can get insurance to cover against potential head injury claims down the line. Surely some kind of waiver (if players agree to sign) can prevent this in the future. 2. Ensuring the RFL has a defence that "reasonable endeavours" were taken under their implied duty of care to the players It has never been legal to tackle around the head, but the speed, strength and intensity of RL will lead to some head contact. I would argue, that a lot of the concussions actually are to the defending players so how to we avoid that - only allow players to jog into contact, only play touch? I have said it on other platforms, but I don't see how Boxing, MMA, UFC can get insurance for their fighters, but RL can't. 1. A waiver is intended to inform the participants of an activity of the potential risk of harm. However, this doesn't mean they can be negligent or relinquish the duty of care they will have. https://www.slatergordon.co.uk/personal ... ill%20have. 2. I agree. It is part and parcel of the game. If you don't want injuries (even accidental) don't play RL. Don't request a change to the game. I don't know how boxing, MMA and UFC manage to keep a sport that involves purposeful smashing of an opponents head with no protection either.

Irregs#16 wrote: 1. Ensuring the RFL can get insurance to cover against potential head injury claims down the line. Surely some kind of waiver (if players agree to sign) can prevent this in the future. 2. Ensuring the RFL has a defence that "reasonable endeavours" were taken under their implied duty of care to the players It has never been legal to tackle around the head, but the speed, strength and intensity of RL will lead to some head contact. I would argue, that a lot of the concussions actually are to the defending players so how to we avoid that - only allow players to jog into contact, only play touch? I have said it on other platforms, but I don't see how Boxing, MMA, UFC can get insurance for their fighters, but RL can't. 1. A waiver is intended to inform the participants of an activity of the potential risk of harm. However, this doesn't mean they can be negligent or relinquish the duty of care they will have. https://www.slatergordon.co.uk/personal ... ill%20have. 2. I agree. It is part and parcel of the game. If you don't want injuries (even accidental) don't play RL. Don't request a change to the game. I don't know how boxing, MMA and UFC manage to keep a sport that involves purposeful smashing of an opponents head with no protection either.

Re: This week’s disciplinary : Tue Feb 20, 2024 4:57 pm  

Wires71 wrote:

It's all to do with

1. Ensuring the RFL can get insurance to cover against potential head injury claims down the line.
2. Ensuring the RFL has a defence that "reasonable endeavours" were taken under their implied duty of care to the players.

The truth is RL is a brutal sport, and plenty of past players are hobbling around with limb/joint injuries and, sadly, brain injuries, which have arisen due to playing the game.

In the past this was known as an "occupational hazard" and players accepted the risks when they played and didn't seek to sue the RFL later in life.

In this modern era of "the blame", personal injury lawyers see a massive opportunity for undertaking "no win no fee" claims on behalf of past players looking for financial compensation. Perhaps even group actions.

It's a tough balancing act, but, in my view, the efforts being taken to "protect the game for the future" by zealous disciplinary committee members (P Cullen for example) will result in no worthwhile game left to protect.

The combination of the RFL making a pigs ears of managing the issue and the nature of the times we live in lead us to a real existential threat to the game we love/loved.

Excellent post. There is a group action by over 200 rugby union players that's due in the High Court in April/May, I think. They are suing World Rugby, the Rugby Football Union and the Welsh Rugby Union over concussions and head injuries. The outcome of that case will have major implications for how rugby league moves forward.
But I agree with you that the game we love is in danger of disappearing. The whole 'head contact' thing opens up a can of worms regarding gamesmanship too. Any player who feels the slightest contact on the head is now going to stay down, causing the referee to stop the game, and the video ref to look at a slow-mo replay that makes the 'incident' look much worse than it was. Add in fans going "Oooooohhh" every time it's shown on the big screen, and the inevitable is going to happen. 2024: Year of the Disciplinary.

Re: This week’s disciplinary : Tue Feb 20, 2024 5:00 pm  

Boss Hog wrote:

The wall will be one unholy mess as fans of other teams visit Warrington in turn, throughout the seasons and add their contributions.

Won`t just be the Away fans either..

Christ don't get me started on the wall. This is so Warrington it's not even funny. Capturing and immortalising in brick paint for eternity the most uninspiring period of our times with a poor coach that blew 7 years of goodwill.

It's like seeing Brendan Rodgers murals over the streets of Liverpool.

Re: This week’s disciplinary : Tue Feb 20, 2024 5:01 pm  

The Speculator wrote:

Excellent post. There is a group action by over 200 rugby union players that's due in the High Court in April/May, I think. They are suing World Rugby, the Rugby Football Union and the Welsh Rugby Union over concussions and head injuries. The outcome of that case will have major implications for how rugby league moves forward.
But I agree with you that the game we love is in danger of disappearing. The whole 'head contact' thing opens up a can of worms regarding gamesmanship too. Any player who feels the slightest contact on the head is now going to stay down, causing the referee to stop the game, and the video ref to look at a slow-mo replay that makes the 'incident' look much worse than it was. Add in fans going "Oooooohhh" every time it's shown on the big screen, and the inevitable is going to happen. 2024: Year of the Disciplinary.

I never thought I would see Rugby League players feigning injury.

Re: This week’s disciplinary : Tue Feb 20, 2024 5:36 pm  

Wires71 wrote:

I never thought I would see Rugby League players feigning injury.

Did you miss Alex Murphy then?

Re: This week’s disciplinary : Tue Feb 20, 2024 7:55 pm  

https://www.rugby-league.com/article/62 ... s-tribunal

https://www.rugby-league.com/article/62 ... s-tribunal

Re: This week’s disciplinary : Tue Feb 20, 2024 8:47 pm  

Relaxing the rules for the world club challenge this weekend, you couldn’t write it, what a joke, run by clowns.