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Former Kangaroos star Ian Roberts will reveal rugby league has left him with brain da

betcats

Referee
Messages
23,441
Why must it be mandatory though?


Surely someone's health is their own concern. No one else's .

If what Paul Kent said last night about the former nfl players lawsuit against the NFL about their head brain damage and other medical problems they are having as a result of head knocks is true then it might not just be the players concern.

Apparently the NFL offered 770 million to settle and the judge rejected it and said that isnt enough. Also worrying is the fact junior american participation is dropping since 2010 with one of the major reasons thought to be the concussion thing getting blown up.

Now thats the US and the NFL, it doesnt mean it will happen here but you can see why the NRL is being pro-active about the issue.
 

Canard

Immortal
Messages
34,147
Didn't Roberts say Fitzsimons misquoted him on something there?

Yep and even in follow up interviews he never claimed League was unsafe, he just stated that its OK to put your hand up as a kid, and say your not feeling 100% after a head knock.
 

Patorick

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
8,985
Yep and even in follow up interviews he never claimed League was unsafe, he just stated that its OK to put your hand up as a kid, and say your not feeling 100% after a head knock.
Coverage of which has been very selective.
 

Patorick

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
8,985
Not that I disagree with Fitzsimons in that CTE, concussions and post-concussion syndrome are very serious issues that need to have greater focus placed on them, but he's doing it in such an over-the-top, sensationalist tabloid 60 minutes way that he's coming off a little bit of a drama queen. Perhaps it's just the seeming focus on League.

Four weeks for every concussion? Even if they pass all of the cognitive tests. It really should depend on the serverity of the knock and the doctors assessment. Case by case.
 

Springs

First Grade
Messages
5,682
If what Paul Kent said last night about the former nfl players lawsuit against the NFL about their head brain damage and other medical problems they are having as a result of head knocks is true then it might not just be the players concern.

Apparently the NFL offered 770 million to settle and the judge rejected it and said that isnt enough. Also worrying is the fact junior american participation is dropping since 2010 with one of the major reasons thought to be the concussion thing getting blown up.

Now thats the US and the NFL, it doesnt mean it will happen here but you can see why the NRL is being pro-active about the issue.

The lawsuit is about covering up how damaging it can be, not about the actual damage.
We've been over this a thousand times geez.
The NRL is being pro-active because they are overreacting to the extreme. The NFL banned head-to-head contact. We've already banned that, plus any other contact with the head including arm, shoulder, knee and foot. The shoulder charge ban is a ridiculous overreaction. The concussion test rule is a good one, but 4 weeks out for any concussion would be another stupid one. I've never felt any ill-effects from one a week later let alone 4. At some point the players' safety has to be their choice. And if a player chooses to play a week after a concussion and then for some reason sues the NRL later in life then they are a hypocrite to the max.
 

betcats

Referee
Messages
23,441
The lawsuit is about covering up how damaging it can be, not about the actual damage.
We've been over this a thousand times geez.
The NRL is being pro-active because they are overreacting to the extreme. The NFL banned head-to-head contact. We've already banned that, plus any other contact with the head including arm, shoulder, knee and foot. The shoulder charge ban is a ridiculous overreaction. The concussion test rule is a good one, but 4 weeks out for any concussion would be another stupid one. I've never felt any ill-effects from one a week later let alone 4. At some point the players' safety has to be their choice. And if a player chooses to play a week after a concussion and then for some reason sues the NRL later in life then they are a hypocrite to the max.

The NRL is still open to a lawsuit if people start showing up with brain damage and other problems.

I agree that players safety should be their concern but the players and the courts might not agree.

I never liked the shoulder charge ban but I can see the reasoning behind it. I have no problems with putting concussed players in the hands of the doctors, four weeks is ridiculous though.

Its sad but in the world today big entities have to protect themselves legally cause there are always people looking for an easy buck, and brain damage can probably be turned into a fairly convincing argument in a court.
 
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El Diablo

Post Whore
Messages
94,107
according to news ltd it's only RL

what a disgraceful headline on their home page
 

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El Diablo

Post Whore
Messages
94,107
and the brief summary of the article excludes an important bit and adds it's own commentary

news summary http://www.news.com.au/sport/nrl/ma...oncussion-issues/story-fndujljl-1226854610964

THERE’S an absolutely fantastic column by Matty Johns in today’s Daily Telegraph which should be compulsory reading for every sports fan, parent and pretty much everybody, really.

The column is about concussion in rugby league, and about how Johns now feels every step must be taken to minimise its incidence.

what the news.com.au story leaves out http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...ys-matthew-johns/story-fni3fh9n-1226854212408

Thanks God the game has changed and boy didn’t it need to! Parents need to know, when they register their kids to play rugby league, that the welfare of the child will never be compromised for something as trivial as two points, regardless if he is playing under-6s or State of Origin.

so for those that read the summary on the home page you'd get the impression the RL does nothing and you should not let your kids play it
 

DC_fan

Coach
Messages
11,980
The lawsuit is about covering up how damaging it can be, not about the actual damage.
Its about both

The NRL is being pro-active because they are overreacting to the extreme. The NFL banned head-to-head contact. We've already banned that, plus any other contact with the head including arm, shoulder, knee and foot.
Neither the NFL or the NRL has been pro-active. Both sports have only done things now because of the worry of lawsuits and the fact that the public has woken up to how damaging to the brain concussions can be.

The concussion test rule is a good one, but 4 weeks out for any concussion would be another stupid one. I've never felt any ill-effects from one a week later let alone 4. At some point the players' safety has to be their choice. And if a player chooses to play a week after a concussion and then for some reason sues the NRL later in life then they are a hypocrite to the max.
Its the long term problems of concussions that we need to worry about. Not so much how you feel one or four weeks latter. If you have suffered a few concussions during your career lets see how you feel 20 or 30 years later.
 

Mr Angry

Not a Referee
Messages
51,764
Rashard Mendenhall NFL Running Back said:
Why I Retired At 26

So when they ask me why I want to leave the NFL at the age of 26, I tell them that I've greatly enjoyed my time, but I no longer wish to put my body at risk for the sake of entertainment. I think about the rest of my life and I want to live it with much quality. And physically, I am grateful that I can walk away feeling as good as I did when I stepped into it.
LINK
 

Plumplechook

Juniors
Messages
90
I thought Matty Johns mea-culpa in the Telegraph this morning was pretty damn compelling.

As for Fitzsimmon, he seems very focused on League. But the worst case I've seen of lack of player welfare was in Union last year when Wallaby George Smith was knocked senseless five minutes into a test match. He was in Disneyland and had to be helped off the field - jelly legs, vacant eyed. Five minutes later he was back on the field - clearly still suffering the effects. He had a shocker. RU is more culpable than League in this regard.

 

El Diablo

Post Whore
Messages
94,107
I thought Matty Johns mea-culpa in the Telegraph this morning was pretty damn compelling.

As for Fitzsimmon, he seems very focused on League. But the worst case I've seen of lack of player welfare was in Union last year when Wallaby George Smith was knocked senseless five minutes into a test match. He was in Disneyland and had to be helped off the field - jelly legs, vacant eyed. Five minutes later he was back on the field - clearly still suffering the effects. He had a shocker. RU is more culpable than League in this regard.


i still can't find out how this guys case went either http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/former-afl-player-seeks-compensation-20110330-1cgf7.html

only player of any code that i know of that has tried to sue
 

Springs

First Grade
Messages
5,682
Its about both

Neither the NFL or the NRL has been pro-active. Both sports have only done things now because of the worry of lawsuits and the fact that the public has woken up to how damaging to the brain concussions can be.

Its the long term problems of concussions that we need to worry about. Not so much how you feel one or four weeks latter. If you have suffered a few concussions during your career lets see how you feel 20 or 30 years later.

Ok I'll ask my dad. Oh, he feels fine. Amazing. Maybe I should ask my grandparents and uncles and great-uncles. What? They all feel fine and actually went on to coach kids and adults to play as well? Unbelievable.

The NRL have been plenty pro-active. I don't give a shit about the NFL but the NRL was doing great for player safety until this stupid shoulder charge ban.

Any player who sues because of damages sustained while playing rugby league after they chose to play deserves to have their case thrown out of court. It's as dumb as signing up for the army, being deployed in a war and then suing because I got shot.
 

betcats

Referee
Messages
23,441
Ok I'll ask my dad. Oh, he feels fine. Amazing. Maybe I should ask my grandparents and uncles and great-uncles. What? They all feel fine and actually went on to coach kids and adults to play as well? Unbelievable.

The NRL have been plenty pro-active. I don't give a shit about the NFL but the NRL was doing great for player safety until this stupid shoulder charge ban.

Any player who sues because of damages sustained while playing rugby league after they chose to play deserves to have their case thrown out of court. It's as dumb as signing up for the army, being deployed in a war and then suing because I got shot.

Or its like people who chose to work in a pub around second hand smoke then got cancer and sued.

Your just rambling now mate, your dad not having brain damage means f**k all.

Also a shoulder charge to melon from todays forwards is gonna do a lot more damage then a forward from even just 20 years ago.
 

newman

First Grade
Messages
7,207
I quit playing because I got my head rammed into the cricket pitch at Sutherland Oval. I had to get be assisted from the field all nauseous and jelly legged. I got forced back on to the field by the coach while I still had blurred vision because we were short. We were losing 48-0 at the time and lost by 70. I just remember thinking "f**k this".
 

seanoff

Juniors
Messages
1,195
holy crap.

a man that played at the highest level writes an article where he chronicles his own experiences with repeated concussions and people here are still in denial about the effects and bitch about the rule changes to mitigate the possible damage done.

not everyone is effected the same way or to the same extent. but i know guys who were hard as nails and bright, smart people. now they are not any of those things. they're dull and can barely lift a drink.

some will be effected more than others. but they all need protection, often from themselves.
 
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