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

[drago brelli]

Seriously though how is this any different from blokes having arthritis in every limb by the time they're 50. Rugby League has long term health risks, everyone knows it. Ban running ffs

Difference is is that it's never been in the rules to hit other players in the head.

 

[BunniesMan]

Some of the views in this thread are incredibly short sighted, ignorant, naive and lacking any real world practicality. People having a go at Roberts simply for discussing brain damage are more f**ked in the head than he is, and unlike him you have no excuse for such sheer stupidity.

Some people have mentioned other codes.

Well this is an area where the NRL is indisputably leading the way. In the AFL you can still shoulder charge, even off the ball when a player is looking in a different direction and has no chance of bracing themselves. I wish the AFL followed the lead of Dave Smith and banned shoulder charges completely.

Smith should be applauded for his courage in making an unpopular but very necessary decision.

I also remember in the thread about the shoulder charge how so many people were saying this is an overreaction and how nobody was getting brain damaged blahblahblah. Well Roberts played in an era when the game was much slower and players were much smaller than they are now. Modern day players will have it even worse when they are 40 or 50 years old.

 

[man2iel_]

Paul Kent mentioned on Triple M that old soccer players in Europe are starting to look at suing FIFA for the old leather balls they used to "head" that has caused dementia (well that is the claim).

 

[eozsmiles]

Of course it's him. Attention seeking twat.
I guess his aspirations of being a Hollywood actor fell through and is now looking for another pay day.

Yep, big future in telling people you may have brain damage and suffer from a degenerative condition. First line on the resume.

 

[Danish]

Given Ian Roberts primary claim to game was being a thug who is to say that his brain damage wasn't caused by the countless already illegal fist fights he started in games, or other illegal elbows and forearms he copped as payback for cheap shots he had dished out?

He's also been retired for decades, in that time a documented victim of years of domestic violence. Could that have caused his alleged memory problems instead? That's not even getting into investigating if he has had any long term use of various ElephantJuice that could cause these issues

 

[Danish]

Yep, big future in telling people you may have brain damage and suffer from a degenerative condition. First line on the resume.

I don't know who showed you how to write a resume but you don't tend to include your medical history

 

[NrlCoach]

Some of the views in this thread are incredibly short sighted, ignorant, naive and lacking any real world practicality. People having a go at Roberts simply for discussing brain damage are more f**ked in the head than he is, and unlike him you have no excuse for such sheer stupidity.

Some people have mentioned other codes.

Well this is an area where the NRL is indisputably leading the way. In the AFL you can still shoulder charge, even off the ball when a player is looking in a different direction and has no chance of bracing themselves. I wish the AFL followed the lead of Dave Smith and banned shoulder charges completely.

Smith should be applauded for his courage in making an unpopular but very necessary decision.

I also remember in the thread about the shoulder charge how so many people were saying this is an overreaction and how nobody was getting brain damaged blahblahblah. Well Roberts played in an era when the game was much slower and players were much smaller than they are now. Modern day players will have it even worse when they are 40 or 50 years old.

Oh the poor player... Netball is that way --->. The AFL go hard at players that make head contact and it ends there. The AFL is using common sense. I dont think they will be following the NRL footsteps regarding the shoulder charge :lol:

 

[Ausguy]

Too much banging his head into a headboard I suggest.

 

[eozsmiles]

Seriously though how is this any different from blokes having arthritis in every limb by the time they're 50. Rugby League has long term health risks, everyone knows it. Ban running ffs

It isn't altogether different except that we're talking about brain injury (and that footy players get arthritis at 40). Which is why in every industry OHS is ballistic. Can't go on a work site without the right shoes, right headgear, bend your knees when you lift, wear a harness/goggles/whatever, all that stuff. Plenty of people get hurt or even killed at work but it's a lot less than it used to be because the normal workplace has a truckload of rules to protect the health of workers nowadays.

Footy has moved with the times in this respect to prevent injury. Less head contact, replacements/interchange, no spears, drink breaks, even had the "head bin".

Sports have to be thinking about their rules and reading these studies. Because the arthritis and bad backs are expected. Every footballer knows that they will likely have knees or hips replaced earlier than others. But I don't think people have been aware of the degree that their brains could get scrambled or the long term effect it could have. Might be one player, might be 100. We don't know until we sit back and let the scientists have a look. We shouldn't put all our eggs in either basket until all the facts are in. Plenty of people are eager to either dismiss or believe everything too soon.

And it goes without saying that there are issues with who has been responsible for making decisions on the players health.

 

[BunniesMan]

Oh the poor player... Netball is that way --->. The AFL go hard at players that make head contact and it ends there. The AFL is using common sense. I dont think they will be following the NRL footsteps regarding the shoulder charge :lol:

I'm sure they won't but they should.

Dave Smith and the NRL has done the right thing in doing everything possible to protect the game as well as players from themselves.

Smith should be applauded for it. His tough stance on shoulder charges and fistfights will be highlights and iconic parts of his legacy that will be benefiting the game years from now.

In many ways just on these matters alone he has been a true visionary.

Because of him Greg Inglis and Ben Barba are less likely to ever have the same issues Ian Roberts is now facing.

 

[El Diablo]

looks like a hatchet job on RL from Fitzf**kwit http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...-says-he-has-brain-damage-20140309-34ez8.html

Asked by FitzSimons to recount how many times he had been knocked out on the field, Roberts said: ‘‘I would say probably about ten to a dozen."

Roberts agreed to undergo the testing with Dr Alan Pearce from Deakin University after being contacted by the producer of the Sunday Night program, who wanted to see how serious the problem was among former stars of Australia’s football codes.

looks like they picked one code, not all

 

[BunniesMan]

looks like a hatchet job on RL from Fitzf**kwit http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...-says-he-has-brain-damage-20140309-34ez8.html





looks like they picked one code, not all

From that link:

The program is a follow-up to one FitzSimons, who is leading a campaign about the dangers of concussion, filmed with Sunday Night last year that featured AFL great Greg Williams and former North Queensland forward Shaun Valentine.

There is no conspiracy. FitzSimons is a wanker for plenty of reasons, but he isn't part of some grand plan to destroy rugby league.

 

[God-King Dean]

Too much banging his head into a headboard I suggest.

:lol:

 

[El Diablo]

There is no conspiracy. FitzSimons is a wanker for plenty of reasons, but he isn't part of some grand plan to destroy rugby league.

read the idiots tweets

he bags RL incessantly you idiot

and he has never asked a Yawnion player on

1 AFL and 2 RL

 

[Red Bear]

Seriously though how is this any different from blokes having arthritis in every limb by the time they're 50. Rugby League has long term health risks, everyone knows it. Ban running ffs

Because there's a difference between living with arthritis for x amount of years and memory loss and dementia. You can still function with arthritis, there are various remedies (hip replacements etc) that allow increased function for a longer period of time.

You could be physically perfect but if you're suffering memory loss etc as a result of head trauma it's unlikely to ever improve, rather you'll face a long term decline where you struggle work, make ends meet etc because you can no longer function properly. Dementia and associated problems are horrible, and to be afflicted by them early is awful to think about.

I'd wager there'd be alot more out there suffereing similar problems. Gary Stevens who played for Souths in the 70's is another example who couldn't keep working because his mind was shot. I know dad has seen an ex-footy player we know and another one from around here taking a third out for a walk, because the third persons mind was basically shot.

If players want to sue for brain damage, then fine, don't take the 200-300k+ pay cheques each year.

Talk about wanting to have their cake and f**king eat it too.........

You don't think the employer has a duty of care towards their employees that they'll be looked after if they are injured at work? I'd suggest that extends to taking the utmost care if that injury is a concussion, not sending them back on the field to keep playing as has happened many, many times in the past.

Also, in dealing with the associated bills etc, 200-300K for 10 years isn't that much if you're unable to work beyond another 15 years. These guys get paid well, but not enormous amounts.

And in Roberts era they weren't getting paid near that amount.

I think it's poor that fans of the game bay for blood during the season and are happy to wash their hands of them when they suffer some of the unfortunate consequences of their on field efforts later in life. Thank god we've got great organisations like the Men of League around who help those guys that fall on hard times.

And Fitzsimons was
a - pretty praising of the NRL's new approach toward concussion this season, praising it for being ahead of the other codes
b - has previously dealt with an AFL star with similar (or possibly worse) symptoms.
He's been pretty consistent on this issue for quite a while now El Diablo. Stop looking for an anti-league angle when there isn't one.

 

[Hello, I'm The Doctor]

Paul Kent mentioned on Triple M that old soccer players in Europe are starting to look at suing FIFA for the old leather balls they used to "head" that has caused dementia (well that is the claim).

Fun side note....

Soccer is the second worst main stream sport un regards to brain injuries (only coning after boxing).

Heading a ball (and not even massive impacts that knock you out, just consistent impacts to your head) has been shown to do some pretty bad damage; much worse than any variation of rugby.

High and mightly Soccer mums can go f*ck'emselves.....

 

[Springs]

Oh he can't remember his lines the next day. Boo f**king hoo.
Here's a hint Ian, if you didn't want brain damage perhaps you should not have fought so much trying to inflict brain damage on others like Garry Jack. What a f**king hypocrite.

 

[DC_fan]

Im a tradie and my back hurts some days, all part of the job i've chosen. Muscle up Roberts you sook.

Big difference between a bad back and brain damage. If you had to make a choice of which one you had to suffer from I bet you wouldn't pick brain damage.

 

[DC_fan]

We might get a better idea of his problem if we watch the show tonight

 

[El Diablo]

there is footy on tonight

you wouldn't know that though