Exclusive: NRL or the NFL – Which Sport Is More Brutal? Roosters’ Captain James Tedesco Spills the Beans Ahead of Las Vegas Showdown at Allegiant Stadium

Get ready to mark your calendars because the NRL season is just around the corner! Starting in March and running through October, there’s going to be some serious rugby action. There’ll be 204 games spread out over 27 rounds, with each of the 17 teams battling it out in 24 matches. And guess what? This year, we’re kicking things off in Las Vegas on Sunday, March 3!

Before the games begin, NRL star James Tedesco of the Roosters conversed exclusively with EssentiallySports. And he answered a million-dollar question. Which sport takes his vote in this debate?

James Tedesco casts his vote for rugby

The question arises: which game is tougher – rugby or football? James, reflecting on the question said both games are really brutal and players are highly prone to injuries. “But again, that’s the risk we run and we know as athletes when we go out there that there’s that potential of injuries.”

But then if he had to choose only one, he said he would go with rugby. Tedesco stated, “Obviously, NFL have a lot more padding and protection, but there’s still a lot more injuries that they can encounter. I guess, yeah, we just don’t have the same amount of protective gear that they have.” But he did acknowledge that, “hitting in those helmets and those pads would hurt pretty hard as well.”

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Earlier during the conversation, he even gave his two cents on the hip-drop tackle move that’s been much debated.

Tedesco gives a diplomatic answer

When asked about the hip-drop tackle and the debates swirling around the NFL getting too soft, Tedesco chimed in with his take. And no, he didn’t give a clear cut response. He said that rugby was similar when it came to that particular move. If someone pulls off a hip-drop, it’s definitely a penalty, and that’s all about looking out for the players.

Tedesco highlighted that the NRL has its own set of strict rules to minimize player injuries. “We have implemented some rules to sort of protect our players as best we can.” He acknowledged the NFL’s efforts to safeguard their QBs, recognizing similarities between the two sports in player protection.

But he also agreed it’s a difficult job that the two leagues have to do. Spectators obviously want the game to be very physical. They enjoy the big hits, but player safety should be paramount. So, it’s all about what trade-offs the leagues are willing to make. After all, you can’t have the best of both worlds.