The NRL's concussion policy - a source of constant debate - is set for a major overhaul.
Up until now, all power has been left with club doctors to rule on concussions, with rulings at times leaving fans baffled.
Often, players will be left on the field, only to be dragged off minutes later following video analysis, while other times players are taken off immediately for what would appear to be a non-event.
Concussion experts have spent years in discussions with the NRL to remove all power away from clubs and put it into the hands of independent doctors, and that's exactly where the game will now go.
According to a report in the The Sydney Morning Herald, the new policy will see an independent doctor now take up residence in the NRL's bunker to monitor concussion symptoms.
The doctor will have the power to immediately rule a player out of the match from the bunker if they observe a player displaying Category 1 discussion symptoms, which are explained in the below video posted by the NRL Physio.
Big change in NRL concussion management - independent Drโs in a central โbunkerโ can now rule players out for the game if they display clear category 1 signs of concussion. Previously they could notify the club Dr of incidents, but only the club Dr could rule the player out pic.twitter.com/jA9RSMT7dS
— NRL PHYSIO (@nrlphysio) February 23, 2022
Club doctors will still have the right to take players out of the game for concussion tests if the symptoms aren't Category 1 in nature.
It's understood the NRL's independent doctors in the bunker will have direct contact with club doctors at grounds, and access to all camera angles in the bunker, as NRL video officials have in the modern game.
The report suggests that the new concussion policy has been recommended by the NRL's medical advisory committee, with the competition still working to cut out brain injuries, which have become more and more of a prevalent problem for sports around the world.
