Why did NRL wait until round three for concussion crackdown?

NRL clubs at the centre of the concussion crackdown are entitled to ask why it was left until after round three for Todd Greenberg to draw his line in the sand.

NRL clubs at the centre of the concussion crackdown are entitled to ask why it was left until after round three for Todd Greenberg to draw his line in the sand.

Everyone in the game wants player safety to be paramount.

But why wasn’t the get tough policy introduced before the season kicked off, or back in round one, even after round two?

MORE: Clubs ready to challenge NRL over fines for concussion breaches

Was it because there were no other serious concussion incidents last year, or in the opening weeks this season?

Or was it because the NRL was bowing to media and public pressure after the image of Josh Dugan was splashed across the back page of Monday’s Daily Telegraph with the headline JAW DROPPER?

Brendan Elliot is treated during the Knights’ clash with the Rabbitohs.

And if there were previous incidents, will the NRL now act retrospectively by handing out further fines?

Understandably, these questions were being asked in the wake of the record fines totalling $350,000 handed to St George Illawarra, Newcastle and Gold Coast.

Surely these medical and professional sport experts employed by the clubs deserved not to have their reputations questioned without warning.

These experts put their reputations on the line every time they choose to work in what is the toughest collision sport in the world monitoring player welfare.

LISTEN: The Monday Bunker crew dissect all the fallout from the Jason Taylor sacking plus review a massive weekend in the NRL.

Even on Monday at 5pm the clubs were awaiting details of the breach notices from the NRL, despite the fact Greenberg spoke hours earlier at his media conference.

You can only wonder if the boot was on the other foot and coaches and clubs came out and publicly questioned the NRL over some of their decisions, how the NRL would respond to issues relating to their staff’s integrity?