There is hope a stricter policy on head knocks could prevent rugby league players from succumbing to brain diseases later in life.

Australian Sports Brain Bank senior neuropathologist Michael Buckland told Luke Grant the NRL has been slow to react to the risk.

However, he commended their decisiveness in instigating this recent and controversial crackdown on contact with the head.

“I think Peter V’landys has made a remarkably brave and insightful call on this issue.”

Concussions are curable, Professor Buckland explained, but the long term damage is “subtle and insidious”, and cannot be tested for.

In retirement, many sports stars develop a “degenerative brain disease that often looks like Alzheimer’s disease”, he said.

“At this stage, the diagnosis needs to be made at autopsy.”

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