Rugby League: Data reveals stunning amount of injuries in NRL

Slade Griffin was part of the 88.6 per cent of NRL players who suffered an injury during the season. Photo / Getty

A stunning 88.6 per cent of NRL players suffered an injury during the 2018 season, according to statistics released by the NRL's Injury Surveillance Report.

That jarring figure came after the NRL looked at data from the 16 NRL clubs and 439 players who took the field during the season, according to the Daily Telegraph.

The most injuries were suffered by front rowers, followed by back rowers. Most injuries came while attempting to tackle an opponent - causing 31.3 per cent of all injuries, while the most common injuries were head injuries (23.5 per cent) and upper leg/thigh injuries (17.4 per cent).

The NRL's head of football Graham Annesley, a former top referee, told the Daily Telegraph that increased scrutiny on player safety caused the alarmingly high numbers.

"One of those reasons those numbers are as high as they are is that there is so much more observation of those things now and they're under so much more scrutiny than they ever were,'' Annesley said.

"We're already seeing that start to taper off and then hopefully then reduce because there's more things being done, particularly with HIA (head injury assessment) and next season we're introducing medical spotters in the bunker.

"There's also more training and qualifications of on-field trainers and education from the NRL about the impact of head injuries.

"We're not so much concerned an increase in the numbers, as long as we are in identifying those incidents, we're actually providing a safer environment for the players.''

The most dangerous ground was deemed to be Suncorp Stadium, with there being an average of 2.7 injuries per game at Brisbane's home ground. The Warriors' home - Mt Smart Stadium - was rated the third most dangerous.