CTE

[Perth Red]

there are laws for driving a car, some possibly introduced to save really confident drivers from themselves, but obviously also to protect other drivers from the over confident ones. Athletes sometimes need protecting from themselves, it's what's said up here, and I agree.

so do I, and we have rules in RL for that very reason. What is stupid is saying contact sports will be banned because of the small risk of developing CTE in later life, or that somehow players should not have the right to make the choice to play the game they love and pays them a very healthy amount of money, or that the nrl is somehow responsible for outcomes of players choices to play the game if they have minimised risk as much as is reasonably expected.

 

[NSW Manly]

so do I, and we have rules in RL for that very reason. What is stupid is saying contact sports will be banned because of the small risk of developing CTE in later life, or that somehow players should not have the right to make the choice to play the game they love and pays them a very healthy amount of money, or that the nrl is somehow responsible for outcomes of players choices to play the game if they have minimised risk as much as is reasonably expected.

I don't think many are seriously suggesting rugby should be banned. Everything evolves, hacking used to be allowed in soccer and rugby, so as i said everything evolves or changes, and there will be law changes to rugby in the future. And as you said the NRL have been aware of this for some time and have changed things. I'm sure RL will be around in some form in 100 years time.

 

[BunniesMan]

As the experts get more data as more players donate their brains to research after they pass, and if it proves to be as prevalent as it has been in the NFL I can see more extreme rules. The game won't ever be banned but don't be surprised if the day comes when all tackles must be not just below the neck but below the shoulder.

There are virtually no intentional head hunter tackles anymore. The vast majority of the damage comes from blokes aiming at the shoulder or upper chest area and getting it wrong. A time could come when all tackles must be initiated below armpit level to be legal.

 

[Perth Red]

As the experts get more data as more players donate their brains to research after they pass, and if it proves to be as prevalent as it has been in the NFL I can see more extreme rules. The game won't ever be banned but don't be surprised if the day comes when all tackles must be not just below the neck but below the shoulder.

There are virtually no intentional head hunter tackles anymore. The vast majority of the damage comes from blokes aiming at the shoulder or upper chest area and getting it wrong. A time could come when all tackles must be initiated below armpit level to be legal.

be interesting to see the stats but I’d say anecdotally that majority of concussions are from defenders getting their heads hit in the tackle.

 

[siv]

Had a chat to officials today to see hiw the concussion sub wirks in NSWRL

Basically when a player fails the HIA

The concussion sub moves onto the bench

For him or her to come on it will be via one of the 8 interchanges

 

[NSW Manly]

be interesting to see the stats but I’d say anecdotally that majority of concussions are from defenders getting their heads hit in the tackle.

Reports from RU up here say that most head knocks occur to the ball carrier when he is tackled, however, it does seem that the more serious one off head knocks does happen to the tackler, but CTE is apparently caused by a large number of small traumas, not one or two serious concussions. This is where soccer comes in, soccer is at last taking this thing seriously up here...

 

[Basil Brush]

Today was a bad day for concussion knocks.

I am glad the nrl are taking them seriously.

I do some work in boxing, and they take concussion far more seriously than any other sport in our country

 

[seanoff]

if the nrl took the boxing approach there'd be very few people playing by halfway through the season.

https://cdn.revolutionise.com.au/cups/boxing/files/b1oebuh2sqpsqehr.pdf

 

[Perth Red]

Surprised to see Flanagan left on the field after a very clear concussion. How did the trainer not pick it up straight away?

 

[Knight76]

Thing with head knocks is, you don't have clubs taking it seriously. Oh they say they are, but how often do you see a guy clearly out of it, the trainer runs out and does the assessment, gives the thumbs up and 2 minutes later the player is subbed for a HIA!

Absolute ridiculous example this week I think, was a player get knocked senseless, to the point he tried to stand but lost his balance and collapsed to the ground, then got up again and started running diagonally that the opposition players had to grab him and hold him up. Trainer runs out, does the quick HIA test on field, thumbs up and this poor bugger goes back in to the line where luckily I think they were attacking by then. If they were defending and he took a second big whack to the melon god knows how that concussion could have been.

Absolutely reckless stuff by the trainer and by extension the club. This player should have been taken off immediately.

Then there is the concussions, minor enough not to be noticed in game, where the player runs it out. You see plenty of examples of this watching games. Or, how many concussions happen at training and are never reported to anyone. The NFL apparently train completely no contact to avoid this occurring.

Fox recently had a bit of a discussion about concussions and I think it was ennis who mentioned concussions at training to which Brandy responded something along the lines of we won't tell if you don't.

The game is taking steps to improve things, and this will continue. I have no problem with the tackle blow the shoulders rule. The intent of a tackle is to stop momentum, and stop offloads, then bring the player to the ground and roll them on to their backs to slow the play the ball down. This can all be achieved with a tackle below the shoulders.

Clearly recently took that run downfield and was hit high three times in the 1 run by tacklers going too high, the last one put him down, was penalised, but geez, 3 high shots in the 1 run.

 

[The Mad Hatter]

Canterbury should have to do a please explain in Lachlan Lewis staying on the field on Good Friday.

 

[Perth Red]

A free online course for anyone interested in this area is now available:

Understanding Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) MOOC (2021-06) | The Wicking Dementia Centre (utas.edu.au)

 

[wazdog]

Liam Knight is unfortunately an example of when taking the "she'll be right attitude" is not a good idea.

South Sydney prop Liam Knight has admitted he hid concussion symptoms and continued to train for two months before finally opening up to the club about the extent of his debilitating migraines last week.

In the same week Sydney Roosters’ co-captain Jake Friend retired because of too many concussions, Knight spoke for the first time about his struggles with the effects of a headknock suffered during the pre-season.

Knight, who has not played a game this season and has now stopped training indefinitely, clashed heads with teammate Tom Burgess at a Rabbitohs contact session.

Liam Knight has struggled the past two months with migraines.Getty Images

Originally slated for a round-two return, Knight has now been advised by the club’s medical staff and a neurologist to stop training altogether in a bid to finally overcome his symptoms.

Knight, 26, originally thought if he could ignore the migraines long enough they would pass, and even admitted to making the mistake of hiding his symptoms from teammates and Souths’ medical staff.

He only came clean last Tuesday when the migraines started after a gruelling field session last Tuesday.

“I tried to train through the pain but the more I trained the worse the migraines became – it was like it was stuck on repeat for weeks,” Knight told the Herald.

“It was my fault because I kept training thinking I’d be OK and didn’t say anything to anybody about the symptoms. I finally told the boys when it all became too much last week.

Liam Knight stares down Jared Waerea-Hargreaves after he was concussed at the end of 2019.Getty Images

“I now realise you have to do nothing to do something.

“I haven’t trained in a week. I can’t even lift weights. I just don’t feel right and feel fuzzy. I’d start training and I’d be fine, but the headaches would start afterwards.

“It’s now up to me when I train again. I’m waiting to be symptom free. I was putting pressure on myself to get back, but the club were like, ‘relax’, and told me not to rush.

“It’s been an awful time to be honest. It’s actually been a f---ing nightmare. All I want to do is train and play.”

Knight clashed heads with fellow front-rower Burgess during a training drill and initially thought he would only miss the Charity Shield.

Souths gave him extra time and even spared him the round-trip to Melbourne, but his condition did not improve.

Knights’ admission comes after a recent study of NRL players discovered one in five players had hidden a likely concussion from a team doctor for fear of missing matches or letting down teammates and coaches.

A paper published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine – and prepared by respected Sydney-based sports doctor Tom Longworth – claims 22 per cent of NRL players surveyed anonymously confessed to not reporting at least one likely concussion during either the 2018 and 2019 season.

The most popular reason for not reporting a likely concussion was “not wanting to be ruled out of a game or training session” (57.7 per cent) followed by “not wanting to let coaches or teammates down” (23.1 per cent).

The only previous concussion Knight suffered was a sickening blow against the Sydney Roosters in 2019, which saw Jared Waerea-Hargreaves charged, but he was later cleared at the judiciary.

Knight was excited for a big year and the chance to join the likes of Jai Arrow as part of an imposing middle-forwards rotation.

Knight said he felt for Friend having to step away from football but remains confident he will be able to fully recover with enough time to recuperate.

“You naturally feel very empathetic about that situation (Friend’s retirement), and nobody wants to see a player’s career cut short,” Knight said.

“I was thinking it was [all over] at one stage, but I spoke to a few boys who had gone through the same thing, and how it took them a while before they were sweet.

“I just need to be patient. It’s just hard when the boys are going so well because you want to be a part of it.″⁣

Knight is signed until the end of 2023 and ignored a bigger-money deal from the Gold Coast Titans because he felt Souths have the roster to win a premiership the next few years.

Bennett recently said about Knight: “He keeps getting mild headaches and things at the moment, he won’t be available this week, and I don’t think he’ll be available next week [for the Broncos] - we’re not sure how far he is away.

“He is frustrated, but he is handling it and managing it as he has to. He doesn’t have an alternative.”

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/it...p-s-concussion-nightmare-20210406-p57gxs.html

 

[Apey]

https://www.newcastle.edu.au/hippocampus/story/2021/tackling-concussion

In 2001, Timana Tahu, the then leading try scorer for the Newcastle Knights, was in Bathurst representing NSW Country. True to form, the dynamic player scored a try in the 32-point thrashing of NSW City – a record that still stands. It was a memorable game for Timana, but not just because of the win.

“I got knocked out,” the dual-code international recalls. “The next thing I remember is sitting on the side line asking what’d happened. It’s a sickening feeling. I had a broken nose, headaches.”

It was the worst concussion of Timana’s impressive 16-year professional football career, which began with the Newcastle Knights in 1999 when the former Cardiff High School student made his debut at 19. He is convinced that his longevity had a lot to do with what happened on the field in Bathurst in 2001, the same year as his team’s National Rugby League premiership win with the Knights.

“I didn’t want to keep getting concussed,” he says. “I was thinking a lot about my safety.”

Timana became determined to avoid on-field head injuries. He began exploring different tackling techniques, inspired by a mate who competed in Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) with its focus on mixed martial arts. He felt strongly that the traditional “cheek to cheek” method of tackling - of targeting the ball carrier’s pelvic area - was contributing to the risk.

This technique requires the attacker to target the ball carrier’s pelvic area. Timana’s concerns were that the attacker’s head was vulnerable to the change of direction of the carrier as well as contact with pelvic bones. The attacker’s head is also lowered, which affects their ability to react to the carrier’s change of position at speed.

Timana believed the attacker should aim higher, targeting the more forgiving abdominal region. This would also provide a better line of sight and the attacker’s head wouldn’t be as low. To help bring about real change, he knew he needed evidence to back up his theory.

"I didn’t want to keep getting concussed...I was thinking a lot about my safety."

He spoke to former Knights doctor Peter McGeoch who gave him a phone number for Associate Professor Andrew Gardner, a neuropsychologist within the University of Newcastle’s School of Medicine and Public Health. Along with Professor Chris Levi, he leads the NRL’s concussion research .

Fast forward to 2017, and Andrew and Timana began the background work for a research project centred on tackling technique. Later that year Dr Suzi Edwards got involved and data collection began in mid-2018. A senior biomechanics lecturer based at the University’s Ourimbah campus, Suzi’s research at that point had focused on basketball injuries, but she knew Timana was on to something.

“What ‘T’ was talking about made perfect sense from a biomechanical perspective,” she says. “Most research looks into how big the head impact is. No one has been looking at how you can actually change the tackle technique to make it safer for all. Tackling is where all the injuries occur.”

The “cheek to cheek” technique is an integral part of the coaching “bible” and it is still being taught to children at a grassroots level. The University team of Suzi and Andrew, with the addition of Timana, is now working with the NRL on a review of its coaching manual using an evidence-based approach. “This is where we can have an impact,” says Suzi.

And the team has the support of leading coaches. Suzi and Andrew have shared their work with with former Wallabies coach Michael Cheika. "He said we were 'right on the money'," says Suzi.

A concussion is a traumatic brain injury that results from a bump, violent jolt or blow to your head that disrupts normal brain function. It can also be caused by a hit to your body that is strong enough to cause your head to forcefully jerk backwards, forwards, or to the side.

Concussion is a common injury in contact sports, but also happens with activity that has a risk of falls such as cycling, horse riding, skateboarding and skiing. People can also get concussion outside of sport, from a bang on the head from a fall, or from a sudden and vigorous movement of the head such as a whiplash from a car accident.

Concussions stretch and bruise nerves and blood vessels and cause chemical changes in the brain that result in a temporary loss of normal brain function. A single concussion usually doesn’t cause permanent damage, but a growing body of research involving retired rugby league and AFL players shows that multiple concussions over a lifetime may result in structural changes in the brain. Research is also showing that some people are at greater risk of slower recovery/longer term impact, including those with a history of depression, anxiety or migraine.

“Less than 10 per cent of those with concussion will lose consciousness,” says Andrew Gardner. “And there isn’t the same outcome for everyone so recognising the signs of concussion can often be difficult because they can be subtle. Sometimes the signs last for a couple of hours, sometimes it’s weeks.”

These subtle signs include blurred vision, vomiting, dilated pupils, confusion, drowsiness, memory loss, and behaving more emotionally or erratically. On the serious end of the spectrum is what happened to Timana in Bathurst in 2001.

A couple of key events have also brought the issue of concussion among athletes to the fore. In 2019, Canterbury Bulldogs legend Steve Folkes was the first Australian rugby league player to be diagnosed with Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), a brain disease linked to repetitive head injury. The premiership-winning player and coach died in 2018 of a heart irregularity at the age of 59 and CTE was discovered during a post mortem.

In February 2021, Victorian coroner Paresa Spanos found that CTE was a “potential contributor” to the depression that AFL great Danny Frawley suffered before his death at 56 in a 2019 car crash. Ms Spanos said there was a lack of knowledge about CTE in Australia and internationally, and more research was needed to determine how the disease contributed to brain dysfunction.

Cases such as these have elevated public awareness of sport-related concussion and increased focus on the importance of diagnosing and managing the condition promptly, safely and appropriately. Education across all levels of sport is essential and the University of Newcastle team is leading the way with this. Through his research, Andrew has developed the “three Rs” approach – recognise, remove, refer – which is being adopted by sporting codes from the community to elite level.

Timana Tahu never envisaged spending so much time in a university setting and he is adamant he could never be a researcher. “I’m not smart enough,” he quips. As he puts it, “I need them (Andrew and Suzi) and they need me. We work together because they have specialist research skills and I’m a specialist at being a professional athlete.”

Using the latest technology, Suzi has been able to capture the impact of various tackling techniques. To assist her, Timana has commuted back and forth from Sydney where he lives with his family and works with the NRL’s School to Work program, which supports Indigenous HSC students to transition from school to employment or further education.

The University’s biomechanics lab has some of the best resources in the world. Fitted with 16 3D motion capture cameras, similar to those used to create advanced videos games.

"Techniques and protocols filter down from the professional level to community competition, which is why it is important to educate across all levels and the elite teams and coaches lead the way"

This concussion research brings together the community, athletes, clinicians, and researchers via the Sport Concussion Clinic at John Hunter Hospital, Australia’s first public health clinic for concussed athletes. The SCC is open to athletes aged 12 and over of all abilities and disciplines – from junior teams to professional players.

Professor Chris Levi, Director of Clinical Research and Translation at University of Newcastle, heads up the clinic, which treats the University’s quidditch team to NRL players. It further enhances the research and optimises best practice in the local community.

Andrew and Suzi both emphasise that while they work with elite athletes, especially in regard to the long-term impact of concussion, their work also has relevance to grassroots sport and shapes protocols and policies.

“Techniques and protocols filter down from the professional level to community competition, which is why it is important to educate across all levels and the elite teams and coaches lead the way,” says Andrew.

For Timana, the goal is to make the game he is passionate about safer for all. “Knowledge is important and that’s where the University plays a role. I want parents and kids to have the best information available.”

 

[Perth Red]

Launch of CTE campaign at Parliament house yesterday. Wally Lewis leading the campaign to raise awareness.

Nine's Wide World of Sports, Match Results & Live Scores

Nine Wide World of Sports breaking news headlines, live scores and match results

wwos.nine.com.au

 

[taste2taste]

There's a large amount of evidence that if concussions are treated properly there is no long term effects.

Dr Graham Amen, who discovered CTE in Gridiron player's, talks about it in his book and Dr Peter Attia goes into great depth about it on a recent podcast.

It's up to contact sports to listen to the experts and CTE will be avoidable.

 

[JamesRustle]

There is no doubt, in my mind, that Parker has a brain injury... have you heard this merkin make noises from his mouth... the question for me is, was he born stupid, did he acquire a brain injury as a result of his own stupidity, or is it a result of him playing nrl footy?

https://www.news.com.au/sport/nrl/broncos-great-corey-parker-concerned-hes-showing-signs-of-brain-trauma/news-story/2a022d744518519ebbd91f37d3071ea7

Being Cory, I think he's positioning to join a class action to get a few bucks, regardless of cause.

 

[Wb1234]

https://www.news.com.au/sport/nrl/former-nrl-star-ethan-lowe-loses-legal-battle-with-insurer/news-story/bd2c9a8e0bdff88d1be0517c5ea1c229

Has to pay costs

judgements like that sure won’t help the ambulance chaser legal firms who have to fund any potential class actions

 

[Perth Red]

Great portrait

 

[Vlad59]

Lancashire rugby player reveals devastating CTE diagnosis aged just 31

Former rugby league player Josh Jones, from Leyland, has revealed a devastating CTE diagnosis aged just 31.

www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk