Rugby League looks like a casualty ward this week, with some horror injuries to some star players. Newcastle were decimated in their match against the Eagles with injuries to the likes of Beau Henry- who was though to have a broken ankle, Cameron Ciraldo and Zeb Taia. Then there was Chris Lawrence's hip injury which could rule him out for the season and Lote Tuqiri's broken arm which will rule him out for about three months.
The AFL had its own injuries with a sickening facial injury to Lions Captain Jonathon Brown who suffered a knee to the head which required him to have hours of facial surgery. The string of concussions in previous years has forced the AFL to implement it's new concussion rule where players need to get passed by a doctor to continue playing after sustaining a knock.
So it got me thinking. There seems to be an awefull amount of injuries this early in the season? Are sports injuries just part and parcel in any sport? Is it worrying that kids are entering sports where more and more injury's are occurring? or do the positives out way the negatives.
Some may argue that the social skills, coordination skills, self esteem and physical benefits of a child playing a sport are worth the risk of injury. All codes attempt to protect players as best they can but at the end of the day it comes down to how hard the players themselves play.
It also doesn't only effect football.
In one of my favourite sports I have seen concussions, broken ribs, broken and sprained ankles, broken noses and fingers, and dehydration. The said sport mentioned, was good old Cricket. Playing A grade cricket meant that I have seen players at a very high level giving everything they had to beat their competitors and sometimes something has to give.
It seems nowadays that players are far bigger than what they were say twenty years ago and obviously this has come down to sport science and the training and recovery sessions that players undertake. Players are bigger, faster and are able to sustain a huge amount of impact. On some of the games i watched on the weekend there were times when i thought that a player had taken a big enough hit that they might possibly never get up, but they rose to their feet, shook it off and continued playing.
The NRL has been stricter on the head high tackle rule for past few seasons which is a concern for parents when they let their kids play the game, but can more be done? and if we protect the players too much will it make the game boring to watch?
I guess the reason that people like any sport is that you get to see the best of the best do battle against one another. Rugby League, Rugby and AFL fans alike will boast to their friends during season that their team is tougher, stronger and quicker. So by just accepting that injuries will come regardless of rule changes are we not protecting the game as much as the players?
I believe that all codes have found a great balance between rules governing the protection of players and the overall interests of the game. I see no problem with the new concussion law in AFL and think the NRL should adopt the same law. If you are watching two boxers fighting and one gets knocked down, generally the referee will get a doctor to inspect them. So why should other sports not do the same.
In saying that, I love nothing better than seeing a player give a huge shoulder charge or a player evade certain injury to score against the odds. I do like the fact however that Rugby league has deleted the rubbish from our game such as spear tackles, grappling and hitting players in the air.
One player that stands out in my mind when I think of head injuries is Adam Ritson. When it comes to high shots and knocks to the head sports need to avoid incidents like what happened to Adam. Sports have come a long way in ensuring that players have the best medical treatment to bounce back from severe injuries and it looks like the science of keeping players on the field will only get better.
So tell us what you think.
Are sports doing enough to protect the players? And if not what could they do better?
Good article as always Troy.I think alot of this injury malarky has to do with the Chaps being full time.Crikeys in my day we'd go down to the park do a few drills then head back to the Pub.Yes sport has come ahead light years since then,but so have the injuries that these kids suffer.Its a catch 22 situation and yes I agree that the "sport" is trying to protect players as well as it can.The solution?I dont think there is one,Elite Sportsmen and women will continue to suffer injuries,be it niggling or serious.
ReplyDeleteRegards
Ghost of Sir Joh
Injuries come from a majority of things, and one thing that really stands out is the pain threshold. When you're weightlifting, training, or anything to increase your performance, you're told to "push through the pain". What you're not told is when to stop.
ReplyDeleteThe same goes during the game. Many times have I made a sprint to the goals after a through ball has been slotted past the defenders, only to be cleaned up by the keeper, or another defender. Even if it hurts, I get up and play on- one for my own satisfaction, but also so that I don't appear to be weak.
The problem is, I may have a minor strain, and because I've learned to ignore it and just push through, I'll make that strain even worse, and possibly tear.
The sport itself is making the game a lot safer, however the demand on players to be harder, better, faster, stronger (no, no Daft Punk now.) is pressuring players to push themselves towards destruction.
When I go into the physio, I've seen every single player in there from the Raiders. It's amazing how much the team Doctor and team Physio actually work to keep these boys (and girls) fit to play.