A players' poll by the NRL’s website has been published with some key questions relating to concussion redacted after a decision to have the controversial content removed.

Fairfax Media understands more than half the players who took part in the poll believed NRL clubs were abusing concussion rules by taking advantage of free interchanges while players underwent head injury assessments. However, the results will not be published.

Players' answers about concussion protocols being used for a free interchange were redacted from the poll. Credit:Jonathan Carroll

Several questions raised flags with the NRL and the Rugby League Players' Assocation, principally one about clubs’ use of free interchanges while players were having concussion tests.

The governing body’s website, NRL.com, published its first instalment of the poll results on Thursday. There were 117 players polled on the eve of the first match of this year’s State of Origin series on a range of topics. It is understood the poll was at risk of being dumped altogether until NRL.com, which is run independently of the NRL, decided to leave out the results to the concussion questions.