I have no doubt the NRL are "shite" scared of one word.....lawsuit. Concussions and long term head injuries have lead the power that be to go down this path. If they are seen as not doing anything then that leaves then very exposed to future outgoing payments.......many future outgoing payments. Not just at 1st grade level either. This permeates down into grassroots and even junior level.
However, the game is still the game, without "contact" it no longer becomes Rugby League. Yes, there are times when foul play occurs, mostly accidental, spur of the moment actions. Deliberate, well that's a somewhat 'rare' occurrence. With 'force'! well yeah, after all it is a contact sport with the objective of stopping the opposition player.
I sense that the future will be rife with clauses inserted into contracts, excluding future lawsuits regarding head injuries etc, and can you imagine an eight year old's parents having to sign a waiver for "every game'?
This is what it will boil down to.