Manly coach Trent Barrett has described his side's horror draw as "unfair and dangerous" after copping four five-day turnarounds in the opening nine rounds of the season.
The NRL finally released the 2016 schedule on Friday, prompting a mixed reaction from the clubs. Parramatta were one of the big winners after securing their opening seven games in Sydney and guaranteeing themselves at least as many in the prime Thursday and Friday free-to-air broadcast slots.
However, their traditional arch rivals, the Sea Eagles, are raising safety concerns after the governing body lumped them with a physically taxing start to their campaign. Between rounds three and five, the club will be forced to play three games in a punishing 10-day period against heavyweights Cronulla, the Roosters and South Sydney. There is little respite as the club then backs up with short turnarounds against the Warriors and Eels in rounds six and seven and then again in rounds eight and nine, against the Knights and Cowboys.
"This club and its players and supporters thrive on adversity but the game is tough enough without having serious player welfare issues put in front of us by the NRL draw," Barrett said.
"Four five-day turnarounds in the first nine rounds of the competition is unfair and dangerous, according to our medical and health and safety advice. It is unfair to ask our players to undertake such a workload.
"Some clubs have extra hurdles placed in front of them and other clubs have none.
"This has to be addressed now – not after a player is seriously affected by the unrealistic workload placed upon them by virtue of a draw which smacks of dramatic inconsistency."
Sea Eagles chief medical officer Dr Luke Inman feared the short turnarounds exposed players to an increased risk of injury.
"It is difficult to quantify the risk of injury with shortened recovery time but we do know that muscle damage is cumulative," Dr Inman said.
"If there is inadequate recovery, which is possible for some players with this turnaround, then the additive loads will further increase the muscle damage, and cumulatively.
"What we can say is that with heavy loads and inadequate recovery there is an increase in injury risk, independent of the muscle damage scores, the injury risk is increased up to three our four weeks following the period of increased exertion."
Dr Inman has experience working with the Sydney Swans in an AFL competition that does not schedule five-day turnarounds. The former professional rugby player, who is writing a paper on muscle damage markers after receiving three seasons of data from Swans players, also believes five-day turnarounds will create havoc for concussed players.
"They will have next to no time to recover and pass the necessary test required," he said.
"The time frame for the short turnaround simply won't allow it."
Manly's rough draw comes at a time when the demands on players are increasing. The 2016 season will mark a reduction in the interchange from 10 to eight, while the game will be artificially sped up by the addition of shot clocks and quicker officiating following the introduction of the bunker for video referee decisions.
"Scientific journal articles on player load and recovery show how much a negative response on the body has for a period of three our four days post game," said Manly's head of physical performance, Dan Ferris.
"Muscle damage on the body is still at its peak three or four days post-game and takes a full five or six days to return to homeostasis.
"I believe three games in a 10-day period against any NRL opposition has zero player welfare attached to it.
"If the NRL are serious about their concerns for player burnout this type of demand doesn't show it.
"It should also be noted teams will play with two less replacements in 2016 which will further increase game demand load automatically for some players compared to last season."
The Rugby League Players Association has raised burnout concerns after the NRL scheduled 18 five-day turnarounds next year.
