The one thing that I really struggle with is when I watch the NRL and it is chalk and cheese. They're looking for contact with the head, of course they are, but there seems to be leeway to actually be sensible and not think everything automatically has to be a red card and a ban. It's the same sport and the same risk of litigation, so why is it so different? It seems like they are prepared to admit they cannot make the game 100% safe but we are not. I don't know what the answer is but we can't keep going down this path because the game is becoming less enjoyable and we cannot afford for that to be the case.

Could that not be explained by the legal action that past players are trying the take again the RFL? I don't think that it is a coincidence that we are seeing similar action and panic against head contact being taken by Rugby Union as they also have past players trying to take legal action against them.

I don't believe that the NRL are having these issues with past players, at least not publically or what i have seen. You could also make the argument that the NRL are far ahead of us when it comes to player safety from contact to the head. The bunker system is always looking out for any level of head contact and players are more frequently brought off the field for a HIA and this is mostly off the back of something seen by the bunker, not the referee. Players who would have probably played on in Super League if involved in a similar contact are going for HIA's in the NRL because the bunker is in place to spot these things.