‘Is it unreasonable to strive for a safe workplace?’

Melbourne Storm captain Christian Welch has broken his silence saying player safety from a longer season is at the heart of the breakdown in talks between the RLPA and the NRL.

Melbourne Storm captain Christian Welsh: ‘I want these guys I’m playing with to have long lives and not potentially suffer the long term impacts of the game’

Melbourne Storm captain Christian Welch says players are demanding to know the risks of playing more games, specifically raising concerns about concussion and the brain disease CTE, as the NRL pushes for a longer season with more matches.

Welch broke his silence on the dispute to say player safety was at the heart of the breakdown in Collective Bargaining Agreement talks between the RLPA and NRL, which resulted in players imposing a media blackout until the issue was settled.

“We’re not asking for any more money than has previously been agreed” said Welch, but players wanted to be involved in the discussion about whether they should be exposed to more head injuries in a longer season.

“Am I being unreasonable in striving for the rights when it comes to CTE and concussion. Is it unreasonable to strive for a safe workplace? ’’

The NRL, which introduced a 17th team this season, the Redcliffe-based Dolphins, is in discussions to further expand the competition, which would inevitably result in more games.

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a brain disease associated with repeated traumatic brain injuries, including concussions and repeated blows to the head. NRL greats Paul Green and Steve Folkes were both found to have CTE post-mortem — while league superstars Mark “Spudd” Carroll and Robbie O’Davis recently revealed their brain damage.

The standoff comes after a new study reinforced concerns that “subconcussive hits” are more important than concussions as a cause of CTE.

Published in the prestigious journal Nature last month, CTE was found to be “significantly associated” with sub concussive hits. These are hits that did not meet the threshold for a diagnosed concussion, but are deceptively dangerous.

The study of 630 former NFL footballers‘ brains found that helmet accelerometer data measuring G forces on the brain, years of play and subconcussive hits were predictive of CTE not concussion.

This was “in contrast to the emphasis on concussions that is often discussed in the medical and lay literature” said the authors.

Welch said the NRL had done a “good job” in introducing the concussion stand down policy and the independent doctor, but the brutality of the game can’t be ignored.

“This is a violent and aggressive game” Welch said, pointing out concussions are on the increase and the speed and intensity of the game had never been greater.

“If you are going to be playing more games you are going to be more susceptible to concussions,” Welch said.

“I want these guys I’m playing with to have long lives and not potentially suffer the long term impacts of the game.”

“We are not saying no [to extending the season], but we are saying we would like to be included in the discussions around the extension of the season.”

“Players understand the risk of concussion but it’s now having that understanding of the added risk of playing more games…”

On Wednesday, the union sensationally called a player boycott on all pre-game, post-game and halftime interviews during NRL matches and next week’s State of Origin Game III.

Welch apologised to the fans and the broadcast partners for the player-led media black out but added the measure had to be taken after negotiations had stalled.

“I’d like to apologise to the fans and the broadcast partners, but we are just trying to get a deal done for the female and male players,” Welch said.

“We haven’t wanted to do this. We’ve tried not to take away from the game, we appreciated its funded by the fans who pay their hard earned money to go to the games - and by the broadcasters - but it’s 20 months we’ve been butting our heads against a wall. Go to an independent arbitrator - and we get back on with it.”

Welch rejected NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo’s claim that the CBA on offer was a “landmark deal” and that the players had been “listened to” .

Welch said if the NRL believed the players union were “overreaching” then the league should immediately sit down with the players and an independent mediator.

“If it‘s such a fantastic deal why won’t the NRL sit down (with us) and an independent negotiator?” Welch said. The Storm captain insisted the RLPA would accept the decision of an independent arbitrator, but so far the NRL had refused to come back to the table.

“The parties should really be invested in the wellness of the players,” said Welch, but relations between the RLPA and the NRL “lacked any form of trust.”

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Welch said he had serious concerns that the NRL women’s players did not have a CBA.

“Women are in the dark, the only thing we’ve ratified is the financial model, they’ve done it really thought, it’s unacceptable we don’t have a CBA for the women,” he said.

Welch pointed out the record crowds and TV numbers, that the game was thriving and that he wanted the same for relationship between the playing group and the governing body.

He said it was a “shame’ there was not a working relationship between the two and his “desire’ was to repair it.