RLPA boss Clint Newton has admitted the statistics surrounding concussion reporting among NRL players is “incredibly concerning” following a recent poll.
According to data published in The Sydney Morning Herald, an estimated 60 per cent of male players have continued training after suffering a concussion.
The poll revealed that one in three male players didn’t report concussion symptoms they had experienced at training, while two thirds of male players players continued to train after suffering a suspected concussion.
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The league is attempting to crack down on head knocks suffered away from the field and the new report comes in the wake of Eliesa Katoa’s devastating brain injury suffered during the Pacific Championships that has placed his career in jeopardy.
While the vast majority (95 per cent) of both male and female players are confident in the steps being taken around concussions, Newtown is worried by the numbers.
Eli Katoa NRL Imagery
“The concussion data from our players is incredibly concerning, particularly because it has worsened year on year,” the RLPA chief executive said.
“We can point to various reasons for this, but based on these recent results, you can make a strong case that we are still not empowering players enough.
“We know rugby league is a combative, highly competitive sport and requires you to push yourself to the extreme. However, as a game, we need to do more to ensure we are creating professional, high-performance environments that can improve the detection of concussions at training and genuinely empower players.
“It will remain a damaging blind spot for the safety of our players and the game more broadly if we don’t make necessary improvements.”
One NRL player reported four suspected concussions within a 12-month period whilst at training, while one female reported three in the same time period.
The other key takeaway from the player poll is that 51 per cent of the game is now made up of Pacific Island players.