Rugby league and its impact on a players body post retirement

[Bring it home Knights]

This is a thread that I put up on the knights forum, but I was interested in the information i'd receive from the NRL section.

There is no doubting the brutality of rugby league and its impact on a players body over their careers. I was just wondering who on here knows of ex knights players and how their bodies are fairing after retiring?

Watching the NIB ad that is now on TV, i gain the impression that Paul Harragon has had a knee replacement. I've been waiting for this day, as when he retired it sounded like his knee had next to no cartilage left and he had to sleep with a pillow under his leg. I was talking to a bloke the other day and he said the chief had the surgery 6 or 7 years ago which surprised me.

I also heard recently that Mark Glanville had a hip replacement not that long ago.

Mark Sargent came to my school in 1997 and I remember his fingers looking like a packet of twisties, lol.

Peter Sterling has had one or maybe two hip replacements.

Anyone got any info to share?

 

[Parra]

NFL has done some studies on this. Very interesting information about the long term effects of concussions. Short story - not good.

 

[hrundi99]

I remember seeing Pat Jarvis at Henson Park about 5 years ago and he hunched over when he walked. Premature arthritis? Not sure but he didn't look that crash hot...

 

[slipperykinchela]

I'm mates with a guy who retired two years ago age 31, he has arthritis in a knee and shoulder. As a builder he struggles to work, will need a knee replacement before he is 35.

 

[gUt]

NFL has done some studies on this. Very interesting information about the long term effects of concussions. Short story - not good.

The difference may be that because of the helmets they often lead with the head or at least make little effort to protect it and so concussive force still smashes through the brain on impact , several times per game, every game.

 

[innsaneink]

Remember reading about Ben Kennedy and what he had to go thru post game near the end of his career, up for hours 2,3 4am watching home shopping icing his knees - essential as he'd be unable to walk let alone run if not done

 

[Red Bear]

9-10x greater incidence of hip replacements apparently, along with a host of other issues

 

[_Johnsy]

I know John Buttigieg and his knees are cactus. Has been under the knife a few times & really struggles with them. I'd hate to be walking with his knees at any stage of my life, poor bugger.

 

[Hooch]

There is always a cost to continuing to play through chronic (degenerative) injury, it's one of the hidden stories behind the glory. I reckon cartliage damage then arthritis is probably the most common one.

A lot of guys play on until their knees and shoulders are completely flogged, and the club doesn't really give any duty of care or thought to their life after footy.

A lot of guys wont suffer any real chronic injury and chronic pain issues and related disability, and some others will be lucky enough to get osteoarthritis earlier just due to genetics, but i think its the guys who put their body on the line and play chronically injured all the time and block out the pain that really cost themselves when by rights they should retire... and that's the whole ethos of rugby league really.

 

[Hooch]

Then there's the other injuries, stuff like disc injuries... look at Daniel Conn... if there wasn't surgery his life would be stuffed, blown neck and constant severe nerve pain, and the surgery doesn't always work. Real bad lumbar disc issues seem to be less common but can be just as disabling.

Concussions, footballers migraine, still seem to be relatively uncommon..

Lot of dudes in the NFL seem to come out worse, due to practices like repeatedly injecting cortisone into an injury to allow a player to take the field. I hope they dont do that anymore but they probably do. The human mind is a powerful thing and perfectly capable of running the body into the ground.

Then some guys play the game hard as for years and have no real problems. Go figure.

And once you're pain disabled there's not a whole lot out there for you, financially speaking or otherwise. I dont think most of them get that bad tho. Mind you a guy like Harragon having a knee replacement when he's young, and he certainly seems to limp around on those ads, those prosthetics dont last forever. Just live while you've got it i guess, better to have quality of life, and perhaps retire a couple of years earlier and save the body.

 

[beave]

I know John Buttigieg and his knees are cactus. Has been under the knife a few times & really struggles with them. I'd hate to be walking with his knees at any stage of my life, poor bugger.

the extra 40kgs he is carrying around the lummocks wouldn't be helping though.....

 

[undertaker]

I'm interested to know if anyone on this forum, who used to play rugby league at any level, still experiences problems from injuries they may have sustained during their league career.

Also, which injuries do you think are the worst for a league player to get (in terms of the potential ramifications and effects when they get older)? Knee? Neck?

 

[Scott Gourley's Lovechild]

I'm interested to know if anyone on this forum, who used to play rugby league at any level, still experiences problems from injuries they may have sustained during their league career.

I played a lot of sports as a kid into my late teens. Not much skill, but loved playing and the competition. I have a permanent limp on my right leg as my knee cap cut away at the cartilage on the upper part of my lower leg. Not allowed to run any more since if I injure it again I have to go in for surgery. I try and play a few sports, but am overly protective of the knee and definitely feel it the day after (plus I don't look good with shaved legs since I have to strap the bastard pretty full on).

 

[undertaker]

I'm just a bit confused. Which injury is more serious between knee ligament damage (e.g. ACL tear) and cartilage damage?

 

[BunniesMan]

Anyone who thinks footy players are overpaid is a dumb f**ker. It gives me the shits when simpletons go "oh that bloke makes 200k/300k to play a game, hes got it easy". Yep having a broken body before your forties really is living the life...

 

[sensesmaybenumbed]

I'm just a bit confused. Which injury is more serious between knee ligament damage (e.g. ACL tear) and cartilage damage?

It can depend on a number of factors, but generally speaking, a one off ACL tear can be fixed pretty much good as new with surgery, time and rehab. Repeated damage and surgery to a joint such as Benji Marshalls' shoulders is not a good thing in terms of pain and mobility in later life.

As for cartilage, it regenerates extremely slowly, if at all, so as I understand it, knee (or any) cartilage damage is far more serious and becomes a chronic condition. You're stuck with it barring joint replacement.

To simplify, the ligament damage is from a one off impact and the cartilage damage is from years of wear and tear. Recovery times mirror the injury - in a way.

I'm in my 30's and have been pretty lucky to be in reasonable nick. A few ankle probs due to dozens of sprains could become worse as time goes on, but hey - I saw Michael Crocker in an off season while he was playing for Melbourne and the way he walked down the street suggested that just about anyone will be better off than him in 10 or 15 years time.

 

[some11]

As for cartilage, it regenerates extremely slowly, if at all, so as I understand it, knee (or any) cartilage damage is far more serious and becomes a chronic condition. You're stuck with it barring joint replacement.

http://forums.leagueunlimited.com/showthread.php?t=118365

An example of someone who opted not to get an ACL reconstruction and ended up grinding his cartilage away.

 

[sensesmaybenumbed]

http://forums.leagueunlimited.com/showthread.php?t=118365

An example of someone who opted not to get an ACL reconstruction and ended up grinding his cartilage away.

Yeah, any surgery carries risks. My comments were aimed more at the quality of life after football, but that's a great example of one problem leading to another. A stitch in time...

Another factor is the strength and fitness levels in the game today.
Players train harder and bash into each other with greater force for much longer periods of time.
The injuries, soft tissue, and chronic in particular, rise as a result.

 

[The European Polynesian]

Odell Manuel totalled over 900 in a Powerlifting competition.

 

[Big Mick]

I've been doing some research on this for the last few months trying to find evidence of cronic injury post playing and the impact on livelihood. Wanting to do a fairly long article about it by the end of the year. Still researching but what I've found is that while I've started focussing on the impact of brain injuries a lot of players have had nerve degeneration after playing as a result of impact to the body.

Most common are nerve issues to the shoulders and spine. Also a higher level of clotting than the common person.

Its all rough research but its coming along.