If you were the RFL.... : Sat Feb 24, 2024 3:02 pm  

I'll start by saying I am in disbelief at how the sport is going, however, I'm trying to see it from the PoV of the RFL. They are clearly in a pickle.

They have ex-players chasing them for compensation. They have insurance companies refusing to insure the players. They have brain specialists worldwide talking about the risk of head impacts and concussion.

How would you handle it differently? The players, coaches and fans are all clearly upset with the changes, but what else are the RFL supposed to do to ensure that the sport isn't sued to extinction?

Could there be a yearly disclaimer signed by players each year confirming they understand the risks?

Mandatory headgear? (Though I hear these don't protect the brain, just the skull)

Not just the Nu Brown incident last night, but the Powell shot on a falling player, the McIllorum red vs us. This is a contact sport, these things will happen.

Re: If you were the RFL.... : Sat Feb 24, 2024 3:34 pm  

Research in the NFL, dramatised in the film Concussion, suggests that significant damage to the brain of the athlete is caused by the whiplash-like effect of the challenge, father than direct head contact. The film shows an example of an apple in a jar, regardless of what you wrap the jar in, if you shake it it gets bashed around.

If you genuinely wanted to limit the impact of head injuries, that would be the focus. In practice, something that could be changed is the 10 meter defensive line, which in theory should reduce the impact of the challenge itself, although obviously in isolation won’t fix the issue, as RU have similar brain injury legacies. You could introduce a long-term plan to tackle at waist or below, but that would change the sport entirely (but would yield more offload opportunities, faster play the ball and less standing-wrestle.

For something less dramatic, there are anti-whiplash sportswear on the market right now, which could be enforced.

I completely accept the need to lower tackle height, but we have to look at the actual root cause to fix the issue, if it is genuinely long impact head injuries that we’re looking to prevent.

Re: If you were the RFL.... : Sat Feb 24, 2024 4:20 pm  

By the amount of Red and yellow cards so far, it looks like the new rules are not protecting head shots.

Contact to the head continues, the only thing the new rules are achieving is that contests are being ruined by players being sent off and fans are paying watch games with many star players sat in the stands with injuries and suspensions.

Re: If you were the RFL.... : Sat Feb 24, 2024 6:33 pm  

If I were the rfl I'd have every coach and captain in this week to thrash this out and find a compromise between safety (which is obviously much needed) and being able to play the game. Everyone should be able to air their issues and find common ground. Gives the rfl chance to make their case rather than just be a 'top down' directive that 'these are the rules, tough, you need to adapt'. I'd also rescind the red card from last night and apologise, because it was a joke and the game is teetering on the verge of utter disrepute.

Re: If you were the RFL.... : Sat Feb 24, 2024 6:56 pm  

As an aside has anyone got a link to this announcement from the RFL that the rules would be relaxed for the WCC? I've seen people saying this all week but didn't see it myself.

Re: If you were the RFL.... : Sat Feb 24, 2024 7:22 pm  

matt_wire wrote:

As an aside has anyone got a link to this announcement from the RFL that the rules would be relaxed for the WCC? I've seen people saying this all week but didn't see it myself.

I think they've agreed to go by NRL interpretations, but since it's a British referee I'm not sure if that makes sense. He'll probably let everything go tonight.

Re: If you were the RFL.... : Sat Feb 24, 2024 10:26 pm  

easyWire wrote:

I think they've agreed to go by NRL interpretations, but since it's a British referee I'm not sure if that makes sense. He'll probably let everything go tonight.

Like tries that weren’t and one on one ball strips that were, poor very poor

Re: If you were the RFL.... : Sun Feb 25, 2024 11:38 am  

Big lads mate wrote:

Like tries that weren’t and one on one ball strips that were, poor very poor

I would get rid of the on-field call. If the referee wasn’t in a position to see the ball on the line, there should be an option to hand all control to the video ref to make a judgement. Otherwise it looks silly when things like last night happened. If Penrith had been awarded a try like that there’d be outrage from UK fans.

Re: If you were the RFL.... : Sun Feb 25, 2024 3:22 pm  

On balance I'd get rid of the on field call but what frustrates me more is decisions like the Wardle one it was clear it was a no try it was textbook double movement and should have been overruled by the video ref.