Concussion crisis
Study shows one in four elite rugby players could have brain damage
Almost a quarter of professional rugby players may have brain damage, according to the first study of its kind conducted in London.
- by Adrian Proszenko
Latest
‘I was like a corpse. I was a shell of myself’: Papenhuyzen opens up on concussion hell
Speaking publicly for the first time since being knocked out in a sickening tackle during Magic Round, Ryan Papenhuyzen says the past seven weeks have been among the toughest of his life.
- by Christian Nicolussi
Opinion
NRL 2021
My advice for any former NRL player considering joining a class action
There are two likely winners out of class actions: the lawyers who act in them, and the litigation funders who plough millions in at the front end.
- by Darren Kane
‘He gave everything he had’: Concussion forces Greenwood into retirement at 32
At the age of just 32, after stints at North Melbourne and Collingwood, Levi Greenwood has called time on his playing career to prioritise his health.
- by Russell Bennett
Opinion
Australian rugby
DHP’s decision to keep playing despite the danger sends chill down spine
Only once before have I been brave enough to write a column suggesting a player should consider retirement, but the concussion factor is too serious to ignore.
- by Wayne Smith
Analysis
NRL 2021
High crimes and low misdemeanours: Why NRL’s crackdown misses target
The NRL’s drive to stamp out high contact fails to acknowledge that the tackler is nearly twice as likely to undergo a HIA than the ball-carrier. If the game is serious about player safety, it needs to realise this.
- by Roy Masters
‘I wish they’d listened’: Former Eels doc warned of concussion dangers 43 years ago
Dr Peter Manollaras publicly aired his concerns about concussions four decades ago. He wishes more had been done to protect players sooner.
- by Adrian Proszenko
Updated
AFL 2021
‘Rules will be adjusted’: Debate rages over Mackay tribunal call
Concussion campaigner Peter Jess has accused the AFL Tribunal of being negligent in its duty to protect players on a day Steve Hocking suggested a law change was imminent.
- by Jon Pierik
Opinion
The Fitz Files
Boyd Cordner’s brain was rattled for years on end. The damage is done
All the published exultations and broadcast burblings about how at least Cordner got out of rugby league at the peak of his powers with no damage done etc, are complete and utter nonsense.
- by Peter FitzSimons
Opinion
NRL 2021
The problem with telling NRL players to ‘act like a man’
Two versions of “acting” are presently pulling the NRL apart. One is, supposedly, acting like a man, and the other anything but.
- by Malcolm Knox
Opinion
NRL 2021
The NRL must stop using players like Cordner to sell head-high crackdown
Instead of making those who suffer from concussion poster boys for their cause, why not talk to them?
- by Andrew Webster