Very interesting programme - it makes you wonder if what we call entertainment is simply to physical for even well trained elite athletes and does the game need to change?

We see in almost every game a player with concussion continuing to participate in the game in which he has received the concussion.

Those who cry out for "bring back the biff" return of shoulder charges need to watch this and reflect on these players who suffer life changing injuries just for our "entertainment"

Thank goodness Gale has left - his use of these players as battering rams is an absolute disgrace.

I saw the programme. Incredibly sad for Stevie at his age, and with the immense talent he had. The condition is clearly incredibly debilitating, and I hope he makes a swift recovery.

On you post, I don't think making the sport safer and stopping 'the biff' should be mutually exclusive. If I were a pro player my brain is what I would be most concerned about post-playing rather than the routine, albeit serious, injuries players often incur.

I think the sport is not doing enough to stop high tackles, and the punishments are far too weak for high tackles. RU is far ahead in this area (I know people don't like the common red cards for high shots), but they have lowered where contact is allowed and it has lead to a more open game with more offloading.

We're currently a bit too obsessed with the wrestle in RL, and tackling players around their arms/shoulder height. The RFL need to get with the programme and ensure there's no hits above shoulder height at all, and liaise with coaches over changing techniques pre-season. I would say any contact where a tacklers shoulders are higher than the ball players shoulders should be deemed high.

Just to add, I'm well in favour of bringing back the shoulder charge, as long as it's not high contact. The intense physicality of the sport is what players and fans both sign up for, so that doesn't have to end. I worry that with the lawsuits coming in, if the RFL don't take the bull by the horns it could be the end of pro-RL.

I would be interested to know if more concussions occur while atracking or defending.

You can lower the contact area but that could mean defenders get knees or hips to the head whicb would be far more serious for players safety.

There is so much more research needed into this. The game is trying but theres a lot to do and as you guys have said the biff and shoulder charges have been removed almost.

Christ the hammer players like John Holmes used to take and all he got was a cold sponge on the back of his neck. How many concussions did he get?

Sorry for Stevie, clearly very worrying for him, and devastating for the club to lose such a talent.

More needs to be done.

I just worry that both codes of rugby can't continue. I watched some of the six Nations and the game is so sanitised, and players being carded for very little. The edge the game had is being taken away. A game like rugby is always going to have an element of risk, and there are punishments for infringements that are mistimed by milliseconds. I saw a lot of penalties and cards for dangerous play at the weekend, and most feel into this category. I'm not sure how the game goes forward from here. Massive focus at the top level, bit of your player these game at grass roots level people get site to the head week in week out and little punishment

Agree with these comments with the exception of the comment about gale which I don’t understand.

When I started watching in the early 70’s and for the next decade the 3 players who took countless late head shots were John Holmes, Roger Millward and Dave Topliss. They were all class and all played for a long time and Toppo and Holmes certainly played over 600 games, not sure about Roger. Millward only retired when he suffered a 4th broken jaw in a year.

Sadly, they all passed away too soon and Millward’s cancer started with a growth in his jaw If memory serves me right.

I’ve always thought the hammer they took had a huge impact on them passing too young.

The game is less dirty now but the regular impacts are far heavier and you can’t train to build muscle and protection around your brain.

Hope Stevie finds a new vocation, he’s got a lot to offer. He’s a good lad

Can’t bring myself to watch this as too sad......

Me neither

The collisions between players are so forceful these days as they are literally giants, their bodies must take a ridiculous amount of hammer. Whilst in days gone by there was dirty play, punching and occasionally worse, players usually knew it was coming and managed to avoid the worst of the contact.

I’m not so sure that they can do that these days when 100kg is flying towards you and you’re static trying to stop it…

That’s without going into head contact.

Good point. Maybe the only hope is a mix of tweaking the rules to reduce head collisions, and reduce the number of games to allow actual recovery time. Can't see the latter happening any time soon though.

Having thought long and hard I can’t see a future for RL.
Rule changes wouldn’t have stopped what happened to Stevie. Game us just too brutal now, as players are too big and powerful....,,,

It's about stripping out some of the more harmful aspects if this can be done, not eliminating risk entirely.
As parallels, the government could cut the speed limit to 30mph, criminalise smoking, ban wild swimming. As for reducing COVID transmission..
Of course the game has a future

Just tried to watch it. I honestly can’t. The kid just wanted to play for his hometown club.....

It really wasnt that bad.

He just don’t look good mate. Lost a lot of weight. I’ve seen people post concussion and know it can go on for years. Just feel so sorry for him as one of my favourite players, and incredible bloke to boot....

harrowing......