NRL 2021: Medical experts warn breakneck speed, fatigue trigger for explosion in major injuries

Major injuries have increased by a frightening 119 per cent in the past five years and now the blame game has begun. Phil Rothfield reveals the terrifying stats.

St George Illawarra's Zac Lomax leaves the field with a thumb injury. NRL Imagery

The NRL is facing its most critical injury crisis in the history of the game.

A News Corp investigation can reveal major injuries (five weeks or longer) have increased by a frightening 119 per cent in the past five years.

The game’s most experienced medico, Dr Nathan Gibbs, and NRL physio expert Brien Seeney are blaming the NRL’s new rules for creating the breakneck speed and fatigue that have sidelined 57 stars.

In the opening eight rounds, 38 players suffered serious injuries during games and 19 at training.

Concussion is by far the most alarming issue.

This year, players have already missed a combined 32 games from concussion — not including Roosters skipper Boyd Cordner (hurt in 2020) — compared with 40 games over the entire season of 2020.

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Luke Keary is just one of the NRL superstars sitting on the sidelines at the moment.

In 2018, there were only 14 games missed because of concussion. Games missed due to concussion between 2016-20 averaged 33 per season. Yet this year, it’s on track to be more than 100.

Superstars Luke Keary, Brett Morris, Zac Lomax, Mitchell Pearce, Addin Fonua-Blake and Lindsay Collins are among a $25 million casualty ward.

Nathan Gibbs has a simple explanation for the increased rate of injuries.

THE DOCTOR

Dr Gibbs, who has been involved in sports medicine for more than 35 years in rugby league and AFL, is now the Manly Sea Eagles doctor.

“There’s no doubt this relates to changes to how the game is being played,” Dr Gibbs said.

“More speed means bigger impact and creates more fatigue. That’s an equation for an increased injury rate.

“We have to find a balance between improvements in how the game looks on TV and the health and safety of the players.

“We all want a fast-flowing game but be mindful of the effect on the player.”

Despite Gibbs’ experience, the NRL has not sought his opinion on injury rate.

“The NRL needs to work closer with the club doctors,” he said.

Brian Seeney is worried about the long-term future of the game.

THE PHYSIO

Brisbane physiotherapist Brian Seeney runs the popular NRL Physio social media account.

He is now concerned about the long-term future of the game.

“I love the new rules and the game it has created, but if the risk of serious injury continues to increase, it could threaten the longevity of the game,” Seeney said.

“It’s hard to balance that extra excitement with the toll on the players. Guys are getting fatigued and putting their heads in the wrong spot in tackles.

“Among other things, they’ve got to start getting the tackle height down.

“If these current trends continue, changes may have to be implemented or rolled back in the name of player safety.”

Some believe the rise in concussion cases is a result of medical staff being more vigilant because of the long-term legal threat. This is not necessarily the case.

“I’ve spoken to medicos at five clubs and the indication was they are not treating concussion any differently to previous years,” Seeney said.

Bradley Clyde is concerned about the workload on players.

THE EX-PLAYER

Former Canberra Raiders superstar Brad Clyde is concerned about the workload on players.

“The training approach should be under scrutiny as much as the on field issues,” Clyde says.

“The expectations are far greater on our athletes than ever before. We’re pushing them to become bigger, stronger and faster than ever.

“I think some players actually take the field fatigued from all the training they do.

“Are they getting sufficient rest for them to be performing at their best?

“You look at the scheduling and short turnarounds. Players should always get two days complete rest. Sleep is so important in recovery.”

Ben Hunt was highly critical of the rule changes.

THE RLPA

The players’ union boss, Clint Newton, is wary of criticising the NRL because his organisation is funded by the head body.

However, St George Illawarra skipper Ben Hunt recently slammed the NRL’s rule changes.

“I personally think the NRL has gone too far in trying to speed up the game too much and that’s what’s creating a lot of misfortune in the game at the moment,” Hunt told Channel 9.

Newton wants to see more detailed data but admits he is concerned.

“It is an integral part of our role to continuously consult with our members while remaining vigilant on monitoring various game trends, particularly when it’s connected to injuries,” Newton said.

“Right now, based on the information we’ve reviewed, we are seeing an increase in the number of long-term injuries and the total number of players unavailable each week.

“That is obviously a concern, and it is something we all need to monitor closely because the safety and longevity of players are paramount.

“We are working with industry experts across high-performance, medical and data analysation to assist with assessing and scrutinising the information and will meet with the NRL to discuss game trends and year-to-date data.

“The reality is before we stand firm on any position, more information is required and we will rely on experts to assist us with determining whether changes are necessary.”

Andrew Abdo insists ‘player welfare is the game’s absolute priority’.

THE NRL

NRL CEO Andrew Abdo says he is closely monitoring the situation.

“Player welfare is the game’s absolute priority,” Abdo said.

“We collate and review injury data from every club, every week to spot potential trends or changes.”

Games are no faster this year, he says.

“We monitor the speed of every single game,” he said.

“In the first eight rounds, the average minutes of ball-in-play this year is less than last year.

“It’s 55 minutes and 48 seconds per game this year compared to 56 minutes and 20 seconds last year.”

He believes concussion cases have increased because of clubs treating it more seriously.

“The vigilance in spotting and treating concussion will naturally lead to players missing more games and I commend our clubs for the conservative approach they are taking,” Abdo said.