Why the NRL has ordered teams to use rectal thermometers on stars

Question

The NRL has introduced new guidelines around player safety during pre-season training that includes taking footy player's temperatures with rectal thermometers if they show signs of distress in the heat.

As NRL teams gear up for the 2025 season and return to the training paddock to get put through their paces, the NRL has introduced new heat check measures.

In 2020, Manly Sea Eagles star Keith Titmuss lost consciousness immediately after a 139-minute training session at the team's headquarters on Sydney's northern beaches.

The 20-year-old was ruled to have died of exertional heat stroke (EHS) after an inappropriately difficult training session.

EHS can happen when a player is pushed too hard while training in hot weather, raising their internal or core temperature to a dangerous level.

This can trigger an hyperventilation, vomiting, fainting, seizures, and in some cases, death.

In the United States, EHS is one of the top three leading causes of death in athletes during physical activity.

On Thursday, respected physiotherapist Brien Seeney - who runs the popular NRL Physio Twitter account - posted about the NRL's new measures around heat checks.




The NRL has introduced new guidelines around player safety during pre-season training



The NRL has introduced new heat check measures for preseason training in 2024/25:

- heat tests must be conducted before every training session
- compulsory cooling breaks in the shade
- ice towels, bokep misting fans & extra drinks available where possible pic.twitter.com/2nT8gcnX6Y

— NRL PHYSIO (@nrlphysio) November 13, 2024

 Seeney wrote: 'The NRL has introduced new heat check measures for preseason training in 2024/25:

- heat tests must be conducted before every training session

- compulsory cooling breaks in the shade

- ice towels, misting fans & extra drinks available where possible

- player moved into shade & rectal temperature taken if looking 'worse for wear'

- ice baths recommended method for cooling - can also lie player down on tarp, corners held & cold water/crushed ice poured onto player.'

Experts from America's respected Mayo Clinic medical centre say 'rectal temperature is the most accurate way of determining core body temperature and is more accurate than mouth or forehead temperatures'. 

The NRL reportedly made enquires last week over its concerns about new Broncos coach Michael Maguire's tough pre-season training sessions in the oppressive Brisbane heat.




The NRL is taking steps to protect players who get put through tough preseason training sessions on hot days (pictured, Latrell Mitchell at Souths training this month) 





The Broncos have dismissed NRL concerns around new coach Michael Maguire's grueling start to pre-season training (pictured, Brisbane star Payne Haas at training this month)



Maguire, a notoriously tough trainer, has had his players training in the middle of the day as he tries to lift results at Red Hill.

Players were recently seen sweating it up with vomit buckets near them - but the club says there is nothing to worry about.

'All our staff are well aware of the new pre-season guidelines,' Broncos CEO Dave Donaghy told News Corp.

'In fact, our staff did extra training beyond the NRL requirements to ensure our players would be looked after in the pre-season given the climate in Brisbane. We're also fortunate to have (former NRL elite performance manager) Troy Thomson on our staff.

'We test our players in the pre-season, but we also respect the rules and make their safety the utmost priority.'


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