The NRL is preparing to make one of its most significant decisions to date in combating the concussion crisis as it weighs up whether to introduce an automatic stand-down rule for players who have suffered a brain injury.
On the eve of the new season, the NRL’s medical advisory panel is in the final stages of a process to decide whether to follow other sports such as AFL in enforcing mandatory rest periods for players diagnosed with concussion.
A decision is expected to be made before the opening round in a fortnight.
While players and medical officials have debated limits on contact training, the NRL has quietly taken advice from medical professionals over summer about whether players should be rested for a minimum of one match after suffering a concussion.
The AFL introduced a 12-day rest period – which means players automatically miss at least one match – for a brain injury in 2021.
The NRL’s guidelines allow for an 11-day rest period following concussion but fall short of automatically ruling a player out of the next game. The protocol has a clause which allows clubs to have players cleared by an independent concussion expert to return to the field of play within a week, theoretically meaning they can play the next round after a head knock.
Joseph Suaalii leaves the field on Friday night after taking a knock to the head.Credit:Getty
Panthers forward Spencer Leniu was part of Penrith’s grand final-winning team last year despite being concussed after a high shot from South Sydney’s Taane Milne in the preliminary final.
Leniu admitted to “not remembering much of the night”, but passed through the relevant concussion protocols and was cleared by an independent medic for the decider against the Eels. It was the first time he had been diagnosed with concussion in his NRL career.
If the NRL is to introduce a mandatory stand-down, it will be the biggest shake-up to concussion protocols in the game’s recent history.
The governing body last year introduced an independent doctor to help identify on-field concussions. The medico sits in the NRL’s remote inner-Sydney bunker and can access various camera angles before relaying information to on-ground officials, who can order a player to come from the field for testing.
Several NRL stars have had extended time on the sidelines as they battled lingering concussion symptoms in the last year, including the Roosters’ star Luke Keary and Knights captain Kalyn Ponga.
Wests Tigers star Alex Twal played his first game since June last year in the trial game against the Raiders at Belmore on Sunday afternoon. Twal suffered two concussions in three games and sat out the rest of the season.
Asked about the potential for a mandatory rest period, Twal said: “At the end of the day they’re professionals and whatever they think is right, we’re happy to abide by it. The club had my best interests at heart and I’m looking forward to the season ahead now.”
Roosters young gun Joseph Suaalii will need to pass concussion testing to be fit for the tricolours’ season opener against the Dolphins at Suncorp Stadium after being helped from the field after trying to make a tackle in the pre-season challenge loss against Manly.
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