Concussion, head trauma, whatever you wanna call it, it's the trendy topic in contact sports at the moment. We've seen former NFL players take legal action against the NFL, we've seen former NFL players take their own lives because of the damage done by multiple concussions and we're now seeing the impact that this has in our part of the world. The two biggest sports in New Zealand and Australia, rugby and rugby league, have also been under the pump as former players share details that the impact of playing their beloved sport has had on their lives after footy.

So, here's my 2 cents on the matter.

We've come a long way, as detailed by Matty Johns in his column for the Daily Telegraph. Let's get this clear, any contact with a players head whether it be an arm to the chin or an accidental shoulder to the face is illegal. Rugby league has changed significantly to where these rules have been put in place, it's not like players are still running around trying to knock a block off. Even when the shoulder charge was legal, contact above the shoulders was not and we've seen many players get punished for getting the shoulder charge wrong.

However, a lot of damage can be caused by an impact which makes ya head rock back and forth. I would imagine that the average footy player would fall victim to a few/many well timed hits that would cause their heads rock thus damaging the brain. This is not illegal, but still happens and can still cause considerable damage.

One thing that must be made clear and something that many media folk seem to ignore/forget/or just not know when using the NFL as an example ... these blokes lead with their heads when they tackle. Even in this video which demonstrates a new tackling technique being taught to youth coaches, they are going against everything I was taught when I started playing rugby ... cheek to cheek, get your head out of the way type of thing. Yes, they do have helmets, but we've seen that helmets do little to stop built up head trauma.

So where to for the NRL? Well, let's be honest, we see a concussion at least every round and maybe even more. They have taken steps to make the game safer - banning the shoulder charge, introducing this 5 step concussion test, etc. But they definitely need to go one step further and make sure that any player who leaves the field with concussion can NOT play the following week. I'm no doctor but I'd imagine that after a concussion, any little knock on the head (which is inevitable in rugby/league) is going to amplify the damage of the original concussion.

There is no other option but to take this stance, despite the fact that these guys want to be on the field every week. For mine there are added benefits to this as well, teams with greater depth will do well and there will be more opportunities for younger players. The fact is that these are contact sports and sports where damage to your head/brain is going to happen ... how you manage it is what will determine your future.

I can't really see many more steps that can be taken in either code. Contact with the head is illegal and has been for quite some time and they have introduced ways to assess a player instead of just waiting for him to come round and chuck him back out there. The difficulty lies in who is concussed and when it occurs. Say Greg Inglis gets a nasty one, Jarryd Hayne, Shaun Johnson, etc, etc. Coaches know how important these players are to their teams and I'd imagine there would be an emphasis placed on getting them back out there as quick as possible or if they don't come back out in that match, they would definitely be playing the next week if it is a big game.

This is where clubs have to do better. We have seen the NFL be very defensive on the matter as they know that they need to keep players, well ... playing. Below the NFL, there isn't a development system such as the NSW/QLD Cup and Under 20's competition ... there is just the College programs and take ya pick from Arena football, Canadian football or something like lingerie football. Clubs must take the time and effort to develop players so that when disaster strikes, there is no need to put him back on the field and they can give the player the rest he needs because they have a suitable replacement who can do a job.

Nearly all the rules and regulations are in place, now we just need complete buy in from the players and clubs. I imagine that the players have heard all the stories and don't want to go through what many former players have, but the responsibility must fall on the clubs who need to combine a desire to win with the best interests of the player.