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Paul Green - CTE

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I also question to what point a player has to suffer head knocks to be at risk. Green, Mario and Royce played in a different time when you pretty much had to be dead to not play. Is 1 or 2 bad hits enough? If so then I don’t play league but I’m at risk.

Now they have set protocols that govern if and when they play. Cordner and Wade are the 2 I think of as being most high risk in 20 years but it is his choice to play on.

I find it really hard to blame the nrl, they have probably done more than anyone in protecting players. Short of making it below the knee what are they supposed to do?
I may be wrong in my assumptions but can only go from my own experiences on a few occasions.
do you even need to get hit in the head to get concussed?
high impact tackles can leave you feeling pretty dazed with the jolting whiplash they can cause.

if they do then how does the league protect against that?
 

Quigs

Immortal
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When I was just a mere pup back in the dinosaur era the plot of the game for the big boys was to protect and stop your half back and 5/8 getting bashed by the opposition forwards so they could direct the game, hence you bashed their forwards first and tried to get on top.

The big games (just like the state of origin) were played under an unofficial set of different rules. It was called the twenty minutes softening up period. Gawd it was a joy to watch too.

Back in the day the Poms were experts at it and gave us aussies a lot of floggings.

But it was still a simple game, the working mans games. A game you could take the missus and kids to and it wouldn't / didn't cost you an arm or a leg.

And believe it or not each side only had the one kit, they actually wore the same jersey all season.

I've witnessed it (the game evolve) over time, from unlimited tackles (only just remember that) to four then six tackles and the subsequent four thousand two hundred and twenty six rule changes since then.

I can understand, and rightly so, the protection of the players well being but sheeze I miss the good old days when you went to watch a game knowing that it was going to be on.
 

Quigs

Immortal
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34,014
Over my long and lengthy competitive sporting days I have been concussed many times. A bloody lot really. Touch wood I believe I have come through unscathed but the records show that a lot have not.

Shit, one of my earliest concussions was playing junior soccer for the mighty Kirrawee Kangaroos. I think I was about 10. I was the left winger and was running up the sideline looking infield and a farcan dog ran in front of me. I was told that I went arse up over the mongrel and come down on my scone. I stood up and crumpled to the pitch.

Most of my concussions were from good old fashioned illegal league tackles, late play and confrontations with opposition fists and knees.

I put it down to character building, but seriously it is something in this day and age has to be looked into and controlled as the times have obviously changed.
 
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Chimp

Juniors
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2,461
Over my long and lengthy competitive sporting days I have been concussed many times. A bloody lot really. Touch wood I believe I have come through unscathed but the records show that a lot have not.

Shit, one of my earliest concussions was playing junior soccer for the mighty Kirrawee Kangaroos. I think I was about 10. I was the left winger and was running up the sideline looking infield and a farcan dog ran in front of me. I was told that I went arse up over the mongrel and come down on my scone. I stood up and crumpled to the pitch.

Most of my concussions were from good old fashioned illegal league tackles, late play and confrontations with opposition fists and knees.

I put it down to character building, but seriously it is something in this day and age has to be looked into and controlled as the times have obviously changed.
And in the professional game, that has largely been stamped out - other than the fact they’re bigger and faster, so collisions are bigger, you could argue the amateur game is much more of a risk for CTE, as headhunting still largely goes unpunished. So who’s accepting liability for those inevitable CTE cases.
Sport should not be covered under the same H&S legislation as everyday life - there needs to be specific legislation that protects the governing bodies. Other than the armed forces, there are no other professions out there where one of the primary aims of your ‘role’ is to physically dominate another human being/group of human beings. The very essence of the game of rugby league is a direct contradiction to everything that H&S legislation is trying to achieve. It’s like trying to judge wild animals by the same social expectations of humans, it just doesn’t work.
 
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3,953
How many players get banjoed making a tackle as well, nigh on impossible to stop it happening as much as can be tried unfortunately
 

Chimp

Juniors
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2,461
How many players get banjoed making a tackle as well, nigh on impossible to stop it happening as much as can be tried unfortunately
Far more defenders get concussed nowadays than attackers - which is ironic, as they’re putting their head down by the hips as a result of having to tackle lower due to rule changes to protect against concussion.
I’ve been saying it for ages, banning the shoulder charge has increased likelihood of concussions - when someone like NAS is coming off the back fence from a kick off or drop out, attempting a low tackle is absolute kamikaze, all it takes is a slight mis-time, or late footwork and you’re getting hip or knee directly to the melon. Or tackle high in a ‘wrapping motion’ and you’re just as likely to cop an accidental head clash. The safest way is to meet with a cocked shoulder to take the sting out of the initial impact. Being forced to make a ‘wrapping’ tackle against someone that size, at that speed is negligent of the game IMO.
 
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3,953
Far more defenders get concussed nowadays than attackers - which is ironic, as they’re putting their head down by the hips as a result of having to tackle lower due to rule changes to protect against concussion.
I’ve been saying it for ages, banning the shoulder charge has increased likelihood of concussions - when someone like NAS is coming off the back fence from a kick off or drop out, attempting a low tackle is absolute kamikaze, all it takes is a slight mis-time, or late footwork and you’re getting hip or knee directly to the melon. Or tackle high in a ‘wrapping motion’ and you’re just as likely to cop an accidental head clash. The safest way is to meet with a cocked shoulder to take the sting out of the initial impact. Being forced to make a ‘wrapping’ tackle against someone that size, at that speed is negligent of the game IMO.
It's one of them things where you can see why it got banned which was obviously to stop mistimed ones that clobbered someone in the head, or outright thug players like sam burgess (sickening one on luke o'donnell's younger brother a few years ago for example.

But like you say there is sometimes no other option other than to use your shoulder first, more so in a bracing position than a full on steve matai hit, could only imagine the amount of stuff ups and favouritism applied by referees if it was left at their discretion and not blanket banned though.

Hopefully there is some sort of resolution in all this that keeps the sport tough and hard but the players aren't ending up brain damaged all over the shop.
 

Quigs

Immortal
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Ive been saying it and thinking it for some time now that I have been waiting for some poor soul to suffer really serious permanent injury with the returns of the kickoffs.

The impact most times must be similar to a head on car crash. I believe we saw a lot of it in the last State of Origin. Some crazy impact was on display.
 
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21,783
I read the article but I still don’t fully understand.

PG had CTE I got that bit.
They can only find it post mortem I get that too.

Does the science say that CTE causes People to be depressed easier and hence this is the assumption?

I kind of get the relief for the family but I also think that while CTE may have been a straw it wasn’t the bale.

the damage to the brain means that any depression you may have would be worsened,
but also your behaviour becomes increasingly erratic and your demeanour stranger etc.

Junior Seau (nfl linebacker) for example his whole personality shifted in the 2 years prior to his suicide

its not a one size fits all in terms of symptoms tho. really depends on the person.
 
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14,247
the damage to the brain means that any depression you may have would be worsened,
but also your behaviour becomes increasingly erratic and your demeanour stranger etc.

Junior Seau (nfl linebacker) for example his whole personality shifted in the 2 years prior to his suicide

its not a one size fits all in terms of symptoms tho. really depends on the person.
Michael Hutchence the same. After he was knocked out his whole personality had a major shift apparently. Then he did what he did.

In regards to the NRL and it ceasing to exist, it will be determined by mothers and fathers, and whether they let their kids play.
No juniors, no teams, well except if you are The Roosters or The Storm, they seem to be able to survive without them!!!!
(maybe even add in the Dogs as they look like they are copying the same model).
 

Frenzy.

Immortal
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47,936
I may be wrong in my assumptions but can only go from my own experiences on a few occasions.
do you even need to get hit in the head to get concussed?
high impact tackles can leave you feeling pretty dazed with the jolting whiplash they can cause.

if they do then how does the league protect against that?

No. That's why tackles which cause whiplash, such as borderline late tackles, are often penalised. The ones fans whinge about and cry "that's not late". No contact to the head is needed to get a whiplash and have your brain bouncing around in your head causing concussion.

I don't think current rules, processes and precautions are designed and implemented to avoid concussion. They are only there to reduce the incidence.

Probably to lessen the lawsuit as well.

 

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