Controversy about cases of concussion following kick-offs won’t go away, and a floated rule change would not only lessen the risk of head injuries, but also open up the possibility of more creative play by the attacking and defending teams.

An NRL game traditionally begins with a soaring kick-off that has a hang time sufficient for forwards to sprint 40 metres downfield to trap the receiving team in its quarter.

Nelson Asofa-Solomona’s tackle on Lindsay Collins which forced the Rooster from the field on the first play.Credit: Nine

The ball is usually caught by a halfback who passes to a giant prop who is traditionally met by 200kgs or more of human bison.

The sight of Roosters prop Lindsay Collins playing the ball in the opposite direction after a collision with the Storm’s giant Nelson Asofa-Solomona in the opening seconds of last season’s preliminary final, as well as other cases, has raised the possibility of a rule change which would see any ball caught on the full inside the 20-metre line result in the receiving team awarded a seven tackle set on the quarter line.

However, after........

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