Injuries have become one of the major talking points of the 2026 NRL season. Several clubs have lost large numbers of established players, and more than 1,000 player games had reportedly been lost to injury by Round 17.

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The obvious question is whether the modern game has become too demanding.

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Interestingly, the available data does not clearly show an increase in the overall injury rate, or the rate of major injuries is substantially higher than in recent seasons. Rugby league has always had a high injury rate. It combines high-speed running, rapid changes of direction, repeated wrestling efforts and frequent high force collisions, many of which are impossible to predict or prevent.

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For medical and performance teams, that makes "injury prevention" an imperfect term. We cannot prevent every ACL rupture, fracture, concussion, or awkward tackle. The more realistic goal is to reduce the risk of preventable injuries and to try to build players who are physically prepared to tolerate the demands of the game. Doing less is not necessarily the answer.

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Preparing players for the demands of the game

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Appropriate physical loading is protective. Rugby league players need strength, power, aerobic fitness, sprinting ability and the capacity to repeatedly accelerate, decelerate and absorb contact. Research in rugby league has shown that less well-conditioned players can have a greater risk of injury, while players accustomed to consistently high workloads may tolerate match demands better. Training itself creates fatigue, but insufficient training leaves players poorly prepared for competition.

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Strength training is key, including specific work targeting the hamstrings, calves, quadriceps, adductors, hips and trunk. Regular high-speed running is also very important. Sprinting is sometimes viewed as something that should be limited because of its association with hamstrings injuries. In reality, players need regular exposure to high speeds to develop the capacity to tolerate them.

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For backs particularly, occasionally touching a high GPS speed is probably not enough. They need meaningful exposure to sprinting throughout the season. The same principle applies to contact. You cannot completely prepare someone for NRL collisions without exposing them to contact. The challenge is providing sufficient tackling; wrestling and collision work to maintain capacity without creating unnecessary fatigue.

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Managing workload across the squad

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Perhaps the greater risk is a mismatch between what a player has recently been prepared for and what he is suddenly asked to do. This becomes particularly important when injuries accumulate within a squad.

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When an established first grade player is injured, their replacement may have spent several weeks on an extended bench, played limited minutes or been playing in a lower-level competition. They may be fit and training well, but that does not mean that they are conditioned for repeated NRL matches. They may cope extremely well initially before their match minutes; high speed running and collision exposure accumulate over subsequent weeks.

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Another injury then pushes the club further into its squad. At the same time, remaining senior players may play longer minutes or assume larger roles. This is how an initial group of injuries can potentially create the conditions for further injuries and why we might see high injury rates within an individual club.

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Injury prevention must therefore extend beyond the starting 13, matchday squad or top 30. Potential replacements need enough football, sprint exposure, strength and contact conditioning to step into the NRL when required. Being available for selection and being genuinely prepared to play are not quite the same thing.

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Previous injury is a very important consideration and is one of the strongest predictors of future injury. An older player may have accumulated previous hamstring, calf, knee or shoulder problems, while younger players may lack years of conditioning and experience at NRL level. Rehabilitation should follow the same principle. A player should not simply return when his injury has healed. He needs to restore the strength, speed, running and contact capacity required for his position.

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Recovery and external demands

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Recovery is important. Playing a professional rugby league match play can affect neuromuscular performance for several days, with muscle soreness and markers of muscle damage sometimes persisting longer.

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State of Origin adds another challenge. Research has demonstrated that Origin is played at a higher intensity than regular NRL football. Representative players add another group of exceptionally demanding matches, travel and disruption to their club schedule, sometimes with limited recovery before returning to the NRL. Meanwhile, the players left behind may take on additional minutes and responsibility.

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Some risks also sit outside the individual player. Playing surfaces are one example. During the 2026 Magic Round, Suncorp Stadium hosted eight NRL matches and a women's State of Origin match across four consecutive days. There is no good evidence that Magic Round itself causes more injuries, but traction and surface consistency are legitimate safety considerations when that volume of football is played on one field, particularly in wet conditions. Scheduling, travel and short turnarounds all also contribute to the overall demands placed on players.

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What clubs can influence

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There will also be injuries in rugby league. No strength programme, GPS system or recovery strategy can eliminate the unpredictable consequences of high-speed collisions between powerful athletes. There is however a lot that clubs can influence. Players should aim to be stronger, have a consistent training load and be conditioned for contact. High-quality rehabilitation, including ensuring good sleep and nutrition, can prepare them for performance rather than simply medical clearance.

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Ultimately, good injury prevention in rugby league is not about protecting players from the demands of the game. It is about preparing them for those demands as well as we possibly can.