The NRL has announced an 18th man will be available for teams that suffer a loss of player due to foul play and the player is sin binned or sent off or the same team loses three players to HIA.

The player coming on as the fifth bench player must be part of the 21-man squad announced earlier in the week.

“Player wellbeing is a priority for the Commission and this additional safety net ensures players continue to be protected,” ARLC chairman Peter V’landys said.

“Our clubs are outstanding in the way they detect and monitor head injuries and the activation of an 18th player in rare cases of three failed HIAs during a game will ensure continued strict compliance throughout a match.

“We’ve also approved an 18th player to be activated when a player suffers a match ending injury because of foul play where the perpetrator is sin binned or sent off.”