Quote Sandro II Terrorista="Sandro II Terrorista"Isn't Puletua in serious contract dispute with Salford?
Really, really hope the Goulding rumour is untrue, but this concussion issue is a very serious issue that needs rapidly addressing, we don't need to be getting into an NFL scenario. The game seems to have evolved into more than a human body can take. I remember the first few games of 2007, it was the first time I'd watched close up top level RL for quite a while, my only other exposure being test matches where you're usually a fair way back from the action because of the stadia they're played in. The smack of flesh on bone was terrifying. We all like the physicality of the game, probably more so those of us who've played, but it's getting too much.'"
I read an article, maybe 2 or 3 years ago, in which proportion of games missed due to injury was higher in RL than in any other sport they looked at. It was both the severity and, even more so, the frequency of injury.
There always seem to be two or three SL teams managing a severe injury crisis at any one time now, after about round 8. I'm not sure 25 senior players is enough anymore - especially if injuries (and suspensions) happen to be focused in one area.
I understand why clubs wanted the extra guaranteed fixtures, and why that'd be cancelled out by bigger squads. But the gap from 19s to SL is too big to bridged quickly by anybody who isn't both an exceptional talent and an early physical developer.
Obviously, Rovers' current situation focuses the mind yet, and it is the same for all teams with similar resources, but you do wonder just how tenable it'll be for the sport in the medium to long term. Particularly around concussion.
