Deaths in Rugby League

[Chook Herron]

That Iceland prop playing for the Sharks under 20 team suffered a stroke in a game in 2008 I think. There was also Dean Byrne who was playing for the Tigers or Souths a couple of years ago. He suffered a blood clot in his leg after surgery for a broken leg who almost died.

 

[Didgi]

In the NBA they test new players for heart defects, then apparently there is a pretty simple way to avoid it, dont know the truth of that though.

 

[Smithtown]

Who was the Balmain half back in the early 80's that broke his neck? Asian half back i think.

Dennis Bendall was an excellent attacking centre for Balmain in the late 70's, part Japanese I think, who broke his neck in a swimmimg accident in 1980 on a school excursion - if I remember rightly he was a teacher.

John Farragher, Penrith prop, became a quadraplegic after a scrum collapse against Newtown in 1978 - terrible time for all concerned but he has made an immense contribution to the Penrith community.

Apisai Toga collapsed and went into a fit during a pre-season run for Saints in 1973. He passed away a few days later. Toga had blood poisoning from an infection he picked up in Fiji and didn't have treated.

 

[Helen]

yep - Adam Ritson was also in a coma after a game for parra against Canberra when Lomax hit him high

The coma had nothing to do with the high tackle. The high tackle and trip to hospital for a routine scan found Ritson had a brain brain cyst.

You could say that high tackle saved his life.

 

[Noa]

Steve Matai' almost died on the field several times.

 

[Marshall_magic]

If he didn't retire, I think someone would've snapped Todd Polglaze in half by now

 

[Evil Homer]

They found that Leon Walker had a heart condition and could have died at any time, it wasn't really related to playing RL.

 

[Bring it home Knights]

If he didn't retire, I think someone would've snapped Todd Polglaze in half by now

Hahaha. :lol:

 

[Tom Shines]

That Iceland prop playing for the Sharks under 20 team suffered a stroke in a game in 2008 I think. There was also Dean Byrne who was playing for the Tigers or Souths a couple of years ago. He suffered a blood clot in his leg after surgery for a broken leg who almost died.

He's on the mend now, but took a bit of time to get over it, both mentally and physically. Good bloke.

 

[God-King Dean]

I think Valentine would be borderline brain dead now.

 

[mightybears]

A Centenary of Rugby League 1908-2008 by Ian Heads & David Middleton,
Page 207: 1938, Norths reserve grade winger Charles Broomham died after taking a knock that caused internal haemorraging while playing in a match at the SCG. Charles, a son of Ernest who was a brother to Albert Broomham the test player.

I thought a Balmain player died as a result of a match sustained injury [late 50's/early 60's?]

 

[bubblesunlimited]

James Matthews (Illawarra) and Geoff Selby (St.George) both died in car accidents, I think in the late eighties or early nineties.

 

[Moffo]

peter jackson died
ben alexander died

 

[DubaiSaint]

peter jackson died
ben alexander died

Peter Jackson - suicide long after his playing days

Ben Alexander - a coked up / drunk driver...

Neither of them related to actually playing the game.

 

[jono]

Whilst he was not the most famous of players nor ever got a chance to be, a friend of mine died when we were 13 , playing Rugby Union. He was accidentally kicked in the temple, finished the game, went home and collapsed . He never recovered from the coma and died three days later.
The entire school of some 700 kids held a memorial , to which attended members of the oppostion team.
It was ,I believe , the saddest day of my high school life.

 

[1 Eyed TEZZA]

Wasnt there a player who suffered from memory loss a while ago. I remember going to a game at Parra as a kid with my dad and he came on at half time.

 

[Slackboy72]

Not rugby league but a 26 yo defensive end from the NFL died yesterday from an enlarged heart.

My point with the original post is questioning if the game is getting too fast for athletes bodies to cope. Obviously there are always going to be head injuries in our sport but are we doing anything to check and monitor the aerobic strain on athletes?

 

[seanoff]

Not rugby league but a 26 yo defensive end from the NFL died yesterday from an enlarged heart.

My point with the original post is questioning if the game is getting too fast for athletes bodies to cope. Obviously there are always going to be head injuries in our sport but are we doing anything to check and monitor the aerobic strain on athletes?

most of the NFL players that die are big fatties that play on the line. being 6 5 and 180 kgs isn't actually healthy. lots (nearly all) those linemen are obese. there are quite a few articles on the net about that.

the guys taking the big hits have other problems. the big thing in the NFL atm is concussion. there are a lot of guys wandering around with serious mental health issues from being concussed regularly. way more than average.

this is more likey in the NRL than deaths from aerobic fatigue

TDF cyclists have a life expectancy 15 yrs less than average. but that event is brutal in a way that is stupid. those guys are on the limit of their physical capacity day in day out. NRL is once a week. TDF is roughly equivalent to a game a day for 3 weeks. no recovery the next day, no week off to rest, just rinse / repeat.


truly, do a study. you'll get a PhD.

 

[HoLLuS]

James Matthews (Illawarra)

He played for the Roosters, who now have an award named after him in memory.

 

[Loudstrat]

Anyone recall the Ambrose Morgan story from Souths in about 1974? I think he died after a head knock.

I remember Mum rushoing in to tell me about the Souths "star" player who died. I was thinking......Piggins?