The game of rugby league may have changed forever following the new rulings implemented by the Commission regarding foul play.
Referees have enacted sweeping change to how head-high hits are officiated, and one of the main reasons behind the new stance is to make life easier for local participation.
Ultimately, parents want to know kids are playing a safe game, and the NRL has a duty to ensure player safety is paramount in a high-collision sport.
That’s even a concern for me, I have four kids that love the game, they all play a form of football.
In fact, my son, who’s 38kg, played against a kid on the weekend that would have been near enough to 90kg, a scary sight for any parent concerned for their kid playing league.
Even my daughters would love to play league, but having grown up without tackling, it is a recipe for disaster and a simple no from me.
Perhaps my biggest concern for my daughters is the densely populated field, hence why one of them plays rugby sevens where there’s more room to operate.
That got me thinking, with the way the sport’s played now, I don’t think I ever would have made it to first grade.
The playing field is more densely populated than ever, and the rise of Polynesian players who in many cases are superior athletes, probably would mean I wouldn’t get a shot at the top level today.
The Polynesian rise is a great thing for our game, we want to see it played by the best, but for players coming through like myself that may not be able to physically compete in today’s game, an NRL nines competition makes sense for the lighter, agile players, who aren’t as gifted Sam Walker or Ryan Papenhuyzen.
In particular, I think a further focus on nines football could increase participation at the grassroots.
Yes, we have things like touch footy, but kids want to tackle … just not against the world’s biggest humans.
Nines would promote a more agile sport, there wouldn’t be two or three pile into a tackle, it’s simply more one on one.
If it grew at the grassroots, who knows, it could become a semi-pro competition that’s played on Wednesday nights and broadcasted on Fox League.
I think the game needs to jump onto the opportunity of nines football. It’s a way for rugby league to boost its influence at and help remedy the issue of player safety at the local level.