Simon Dwyer is League's Secret Shame

[BunniesMan]

While his injury isn't as horrific as Macca's, it's still having a massive effect on his everyday life and the fact no-one's even bothered to check in with him is f*cking disgusting. Obviously not every player whose career ends due to injury can't be given jobs for life, etc but a bit of decency wouldn't go astray. Such a shame, because Dwyer was a bloody good footy player and seems like a good bloke.

Nobody is saying jobs for life for every career ending injury. But jobs for life for disabled players. When playing our game makes a serious impact on what a bloke can do after his last game he should be taken care of.

 

[betcats]

While his injury isn't as horrific as Macca's, it's still having a massive effect on his everyday life and the fact no-one's even bothered to check in with him is f*cking disgusting. Obviously not every player whose career ends due to injury can't be given jobs for life, etc but a bit of decency wouldn't go astray. Such a shame, because Dwyer was a bloody good footy player and seems like a good bloke.

Agree with this, the NRL should be doing something for all players that have serious career ending injuries.

 

[Springs]

You're muddying the waters. Rugby League paid players a set wage (about 2 pounds per week) for every week they were injured in 1908-09

Once the Wallabies were paid, all players had to be paid & that changed the structure of the game. The money that once went to players to cover them for injuries, went to an ambulance fund to have medics & an ambulance at every game, as clubs didn't employ doctors.

So it was assumed (for lack of a better term, as there was no players association) that the money the players earnt playing, on top of their salary, would cover them for lost time via injury.

I'm talking about a major reason why rugby league came to be in the first place. I'm not saying it should be exactly the same today.

Well done to the Wests Tigers too.

 

[Danish]

This is pathetic. They come out in support of a disabled man who has been left out in the cold and because it's them you disagree. If they said something should be done to help orphans you'd disagree. Play the ball, not the man.

Whatever the motivation, that article is 100% spot on.

Left out in the cold how? He has a full time job with the Wests Tigers and the NSWRL have also seemingly given him a gig with the City side.

The telegraph interviewed him while he was working at a paid gig at an NRL event, yet claim that the NRL have abandoned him somehow.

 

[brooksy19]

Well the major reason rugby league was created was for compensation for injuries. Why isn't this covered under NRL insurance? Dwyer clearly can't work many jobs with one arm. This type of thing is why our sport exists in the first place, it's strange that it's like this. Disappointing.

Precisely, this is a big part of the reason we broke away from Rugby Union over 100 years ago.

Got to get a NRL ran and and funded Permanent Injury Fund up and running.

Shouldn't have to [ay a cent in medical bills and if cannot be gainfully employed they should receive ongoing financial compensation.

Could easily fund it with the #riseforalex round every year. 50% of all tickets sold goes to the fund..

 

[BranVan3000]

I don't think the NRL needs to go out of their way unless the injury is permanently debilitating. From my understanding of Daniel Conn, Richie Faaoso, Yow Yeh etc. they are able to lead perfectly normal lives, it is just high level rugby league that is out of the question now. The NRL should have done better for Simon Dwyer. But McKinnon is clearly on a whole different level from the rest of these guys.

If you get into talking about guys retiring with injury and potential loss of earnings. That is a huge can of worms.

 

[madunit]

I'm talking about a major reason why rugby league came to be in the first place. I'm not saying it should be exactly the same today.

Well done to the Wests Tigers too.

I know, but the game and its fundamentals have changed immensely over time, especially those first 3 years.

It pretty much nullifies your point.

 

[brooksy19]

Can't believe how much sense BunniesMan is talking in this thread.

 

[Everlovin' Antichrist]

I can't believe anyone doesn't have him on block.

 

[brooksy19]

MadUnit, i think that the spirit of that arrangement should still be in place, in a more advanced form... its 100 years on surely the game should have something in place by now instead of ad-hoc support it has now..

 

[brooksy19]

I can't believe anyone doesn't have him on block.

Usually read the forum not logged in.. :lol:

 

[madunit]

I don't understand how this is a secret shame when:

• Everybody knew about this injury to Dwyer
• It wasn't a scandal or anything to that extent, it was an unfortunate injury
• When Alex McKinnon got injured, it brought the Rugby League community closer, it just proves that we rise together through tough situations!

depending on the seriousness of the injury.

None of this banding together happened when Dwyer got injured. Most people (other than Tigers fans) forgot about him a month later.

 

[Everlovin' Antichrist]

Usually read the forum not logged in.. :lol:

lol

Part of the reason I came back is that when I had the odd read, his barkings and those of a few other morons were readable, I couldn't handle that. Logging in does wonders for the quality of this forum.

 

[brooksy19]

The fact no one from RL has contacted him is probably the more disturbing thing, money is one thing but to b just forgotten about like that is pretty poor really, the NRL should be helping the Tigers to employ him as much as they can even if it's say a 50% subsidy.

I'd rather no GF pre match entertainment and instead that money filleted back to player welfare.

 

[BranVan3000]

I wonder which Simon would rather have had:

A dead arm but everything else functioning and having to make his own career prospects for the future
A broken neck, potentially in a wheelchair for the rest of his life, but the offer a job for the rest of his life

Simon still has autonomy to do almost anything he wants in life besides sports. I am very surprised that Men of League hasn't been there, isn't this what they are for? But I don't think the NRL needs to hand hold every player through these things

 

[Everlovin' Antichrist]

depending on the seriousness of the injury.

None of this banding together happened when Dwyer got injured. Most people (other than Tigers fans) forgot about him a month later.

Son had a chat to him at Macarthur Square a few weeks ago. He know that Tigers fans haven't forgotten him.

 

[cleary89]

What about Yow Yeh? What about Greenfield? 2 others in the past few years. Do the NRL employ them too? Career ending injuries happen, they always happen. Whether it's established first graders, fringe players, kids about to break into the big time, NSW cup toilers or even guys playing local a grade, at what point do the NRL need to not "employ them for life".

 

[brooksy19]

I wonder which Simon would rather have had:

A dead arm but everything else functioning and having to make his own career prospects for the future
A broken neck, potentially in a wheelchair for the rest of his life, but the offer a job for the rest of his life

Simon still has autonomy to do almost anything he wants in life besides sports. I am very surprised that Men of League hasn't been there, isn't this what they are for? But I don't think the NRL needs to hand hold every player through these things

So you don't think they should be compensated for their injuries suffered by a sport that receives a billion dollar TV rights deal etc ?

They're already underpaid for their duties this just tops it off nicely.

 

[madunit]

MadUnit, i think that the spirit of that arrangement should still be in place, in a more advanced form... its 100 years on surely the game should have something in place by now instead of ad-hoc support it has now..

I'm not opposed to that, but it's not very easy to implement.

How high would the premiums be for a few hundred NRL players to get injury cover, in an industry where players are engaged, several times in less than 2 hours, activities in the workplace that could seriously injure themselves?

The NRL isn't directly responsible. They are the governing body of one rugby league organisation, out of many in the country. It's the job of the body that governs the entire game in this country.

Not the NRL.

Every player, be it little Johnny in Under 13's playing for Tumbarumba or Cooper Cronk.

If this injury hadv'e happened in a test match, you wouldn't/couldn't blame the NRL.

It's a responsibility for the RLIF to implement and make law, so that every competition's governing body has a more adequate insurance system in place.

 

[brooksy19]

What about Yow Yeh? What about Greenfield? 2 others in the past few years. Do the NRL employ them too? Career ending injuries happen, they always happen. Whether it's established first graders, fringe players, kids about to break into the big time, NSW cup toilers or even guys playing local a grade, at what point do the NRL need to not "employ them for life".

Who's saying job for life?

* A fund for permanent injury
* Subsidise any available jobs at clubs
* A player welfare officer to call them once a month to see how they are going

It's not asking too much, in return for them putting their bodies on the line for entertainment/business.