Catterick is a member of the Australian rugby league team's training staff for next month's Anzac Test in Sydney, but under what Fairfax Media understands will be a significant change to the criteria for trainers as a result of the NRL's reform to player safety, he'll be a man in demand.

After banning the shoulder charge, introducing the concussion law and sending out an edict during the week warning any player involved in a dangerous lifting tackle could be charged, the NRL was poised to announce any ''orange shirt'' must have qualifications as a doctor, physiotherapist, paramedic or registered nurse.

While Catterick worked at the Parramatta Eels for 15 years, was appointed to numerous NSW Origin and Australian teams and was a member of Cronulla's staff last season, his experience in the state's health system as a trauma nurse is the reason the likes of Gallen trust him when they can't make decisions for themselves.

While he praised the current crop of orange-shirted trainers in the game, Catterick said they were under enormous pressures.

"The new rules make it interesting," he said. "In one way it makes it a little bit easier to take a concussed player off the field and replace him without being detrimental to the team.

"But, if you take them off when they don't need to be taken off then that player is scrutinised the next week.

"From the doctor's perspective there's a lot of work involved when a player is taken off the field because he has to do the scat test. He's under pressure too, the doctor has 15 minutes to assess the player and decide whether to put him back on.

"It makes the initial call to say 'you need to come off' important and the NRL has made it clear how serious they are by fining Canterbury this week."

Despite the pressure, Catterick, who served in the police force for nine years, said it wasn't a ''brave'' call to drag a player from the fray.

"But it requires confidence because it's a decision that could impact on the game, the team and the coach - and every trainer would know what I'm talking about," he said.

Gallen, who has known Catterick since he was a 14-year-old in Parramatta's junior representative teams, said knowing the team's trainer had the players' best interests at heart provided "confidence".

"Knowing [the trainers] are looking after us and doing all they can to ensure we're all right gives confidence," he said. "It allows you to get to the weekend as clear-minded as you can be."

Gallen supported the NRL's campaign to look after the players but said each team needed to buy into it.

"Player safety is paramount," he said. "The players are the product and we need to be protected. I think the idea of having someone like a Craig, who has a background in nursing, to make a diagnosis when a player is concussed or not is great.

"It's a pretty grey area. Some teams are doing it, some teams aren't - it's a bit all over the place."