ThePedigree
Blue Ribbon
- Joined
- Mar 7, 2006
- Messages
- 3,204
- Reaction score
- 596
Michael Hodgson, Bulldogs, NRL
By James Phelps
MICHAEL Hodgson has dislocated his shoulder eight times.
Has had it painfully snapped back into place eight times, too.
"But that's not even a real injury," said Hodgson.
"More of an inconvenience."
Welcome to the tortured life of an NRL prop, the most endangered species on a rugby league field.
The NRL's confidential injury dossier has unearthed the painful truth big units such as Hodgson have always known: prop forwards spend more time on the sideline than any other player.
The NRL Injury Surveillance Report for 2009, conducted by Sydney University Professor Donna O'Connor on behalf of the NRL Research Board, shows that for every 1000 hours of footy played last season, there were 104.8 injuries to props.
Back-rowers are next on the most-injured list (76.1), followed by outside backs (60.0).
That comes as no surprise to Hodgson, who has used his body as a human battering ram for 12 years.
"I have had both knee and shoulder reconstructions," said Hodgson.
"Three arthroscopes, too. I reckon I have been knocked out about three times ... and don't get me started on the stitches.
"One day I tried to tackle John Wilson from the Tigers and he kicked his boot back and took half my chin off.
"A doctor had to stitch it back on because it was gaping open.
"I have had at least 70 [stitches] in my face but that is all part of being a prop."
With $12 million worth of playing talent sitting on the sidelines, the NRL dossier reveals the full extent of league's injury crisis:
IN 2009, 71.9 per cent of all NRL players missed at least one game because of injury;
PLAYERS incurred a staggering 330 injuries last year, missing 1477 games as a result;
80 per cent of all injuries occurred during NRL games, with the rest suffered during training, trials or representative games;
IN TERMS of where players are injured, lower limb injuries accounted for 55.9 per cent with the most common (15.7) upper leg, followed by knee (16.5);
13.3 per cent of injuries were to the head and face;
LIGAMENT strains and muscular strains were the most common type of injury, accounting for 19.1 per cent of all injuries;
NEURAL injuries (5.5 games) and dislocations (4.3 games) were the most severe type of injury recorded;
THE tackle contest accounts for almost 57 per cent of injuries. A player being tackled contributed to 39.5 per cent of all injuries;
COLLISION or impact injuries only accounted for 9.6 per cent of injuries; and
WHEN injuries are suffered while players were being tackled, they will generally be to the knee (22.5 per cent) or ankle (21.3 per cent), whereas the shoulder is more likely to be injured making the tackle.
The comprehensive report was conducted by the NRL Research Board, which began collecting data in 2008 to uncover patterns that will help clubs keep their troops on the NRL battlefield.
"We are trying to uncover trends but we have only been doing it for two years so they really haven't developed yet," O'Connor said.
"There is some evidence of a spike at the start of the season but we need more data over a length of time to prove it. What we have found is that the injuries this year haven't been as severe [in terms of games missed].
"Clubs are much smarter as far as their training is concerned these days. They are training and preparing like professionals and most injuries are short in duration. In the figures, we have included players that might only come off for a period in a game, and then play the next week."
O'Connor played down talk of an injury epidemic amid fears that bigger, stronger and faster players were causing more damage.
"We have a better understanding of training loads and recovery," he said. "About a decade ago they didn't. Clubs know about the impact of a game and how to prepare and recover. We have a greater knowledge and understanding and I think the sports science expertise is balancing the increase in size and power."
But there is no doubting the brutality of rugby league. Just ask Hodgson, who is two weeks away from returning from his latest injury.
"A couple of years ago a doctor said, 'Have you ever thought what your body will be like in 10 years?'," he said. "But that is something we don't think about. Rugby league can be tough, but that is why we love it."
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...y-other-position/story-e6frexnr-1225853844639
By James Phelps
MICHAEL Hodgson has dislocated his shoulder eight times.
Has had it painfully snapped back into place eight times, too.
"But that's not even a real injury," said Hodgson.
"More of an inconvenience."
Welcome to the tortured life of an NRL prop, the most endangered species on a rugby league field.
The NRL's confidential injury dossier has unearthed the painful truth big units such as Hodgson have always known: prop forwards spend more time on the sideline than any other player.
The NRL Injury Surveillance Report for 2009, conducted by Sydney University Professor Donna O'Connor on behalf of the NRL Research Board, shows that for every 1000 hours of footy played last season, there were 104.8 injuries to props.
Back-rowers are next on the most-injured list (76.1), followed by outside backs (60.0).
That comes as no surprise to Hodgson, who has used his body as a human battering ram for 12 years.
"I have had both knee and shoulder reconstructions," said Hodgson.
"Three arthroscopes, too. I reckon I have been knocked out about three times ... and don't get me started on the stitches.
"One day I tried to tackle John Wilson from the Tigers and he kicked his boot back and took half my chin off.
"A doctor had to stitch it back on because it was gaping open.
"I have had at least 70 [stitches] in my face but that is all part of being a prop."
With $12 million worth of playing talent sitting on the sidelines, the NRL dossier reveals the full extent of league's injury crisis:
IN 2009, 71.9 per cent of all NRL players missed at least one game because of injury;
PLAYERS incurred a staggering 330 injuries last year, missing 1477 games as a result;
80 per cent of all injuries occurred during NRL games, with the rest suffered during training, trials or representative games;
IN TERMS of where players are injured, lower limb injuries accounted for 55.9 per cent with the most common (15.7) upper leg, followed by knee (16.5);
13.3 per cent of injuries were to the head and face;
LIGAMENT strains and muscular strains were the most common type of injury, accounting for 19.1 per cent of all injuries;
NEURAL injuries (5.5 games) and dislocations (4.3 games) were the most severe type of injury recorded;
THE tackle contest accounts for almost 57 per cent of injuries. A player being tackled contributed to 39.5 per cent of all injuries;
COLLISION or impact injuries only accounted for 9.6 per cent of injuries; and
WHEN injuries are suffered while players were being tackled, they will generally be to the knee (22.5 per cent) or ankle (21.3 per cent), whereas the shoulder is more likely to be injured making the tackle.
The comprehensive report was conducted by the NRL Research Board, which began collecting data in 2008 to uncover patterns that will help clubs keep their troops on the NRL battlefield.
"We are trying to uncover trends but we have only been doing it for two years so they really haven't developed yet," O'Connor said.
"There is some evidence of a spike at the start of the season but we need more data over a length of time to prove it. What we have found is that the injuries this year haven't been as severe [in terms of games missed].
"Clubs are much smarter as far as their training is concerned these days. They are training and preparing like professionals and most injuries are short in duration. In the figures, we have included players that might only come off for a period in a game, and then play the next week."
O'Connor played down talk of an injury epidemic amid fears that bigger, stronger and faster players were causing more damage.
"We have a better understanding of training loads and recovery," he said. "About a decade ago they didn't. Clubs know about the impact of a game and how to prepare and recover. We have a greater knowledge and understanding and I think the sports science expertise is balancing the increase in size and power."
But there is no doubting the brutality of rugby league. Just ask Hodgson, who is two weeks away from returning from his latest injury.
"A couple of years ago a doctor said, 'Have you ever thought what your body will be like in 10 years?'," he said. "But that is something we don't think about. Rugby league can be tough, but that is why we love it."
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...y-other-position/story-e6frexnr-1225853844639
