News Footy Legend's Kids Beg For Action On Concussion, CTE

"We can't wait" for changes to protect athletes from brain injuries, say the children of late NRL stalwart Steve Folkes, who are worried his former teammates may be at risk of developing serious brain injuries.
Folkes, who won four premierships with the Canterbury Bulldogs as a player and another while coaching the team in 2004, died unexpectedly in February 2018. After his death, he was one of the first rugby league players diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a degenerative brain disease linked to repeated head trauma.

America's National Football League settled a class action brought by hundreds of former players, paying out more than US$500 million as of 2018, with estimates it will reach over US$1 billion.

The link established between CTE and rugby league rocked Australian sport in June, when researchers from the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, NSW Health Pathology and the University of Sydney's Brain and Mind Centre identified CTE in the brains of two former rugby league players -- Folkes later named as one of them.


Folkes died unexpectedly in 2018. Image: AAP
The NRL has enacted safeguards in recent years, such as compulsory concussion tests for players after head knocks in-game. This week, the code announced a partnership with Harvard University for a new study described as one of the biggest of its kind in the world, with an initial grant of $250,000 for the Retired Professional Rugby League Players Brain Health Study.


READ MORE
NRL Teams Up With Harvard For Landmark Concussion Study
Speaking to The Sunday Project, in an interview to be aired on Sunday night, Folkes' children Hayley and Dan said they now thought back to what they think were symptoms linked to their dad's head injuries.

"He said 'nah, I'll be alright, I'll be right'... 'too many head knocks', he used to say," Hayley told Lisa Wilkinson.


His children have spoken to The Sunday Project about their dad and CTE. Image: The Project
His children said they didn't know much about CTE previously, but learned a lot after their dad's unexpected death.

"We requested the post mortem report from the coroner... it told us that he had an enlarged heart, that was his cause of death and that … contributing but not related to the cause of death was the CTE," Hayley said.

"When we did Google CTE, it made a whole lot of sense," Dan said.

Folkes' kids said they now worried about the other footballers their dad played with and coached over his long and storied rugby league career, which is why they decided to speak out.


Folkes was identified as one of two former players diagnosed with CTE. Image: supplied
"These guys that are struggling now may not die for 30 years. We can't wait 30 years until we get some answers," Hayley said.

"I’ve had messages from people saying that they’re really struggling and they’re young... like late 30s early 40s."

Watch the full interview on The Sunday Project at 6.30pm on Channel 10.

 

CTE will cause the death of NRL and most contact sports sooner or later. Insurance companies won’t cover any one and that will be that.

 

Folkes was tough as nails.. always punched above his weight...

Still sad hes passed..

May he RIP..

 

They'll take away kick returns in both general play and all restarts that involve a player running more than 10m from a set defensive line.

 

I think also participation rates for juniors will also drop should more information come out on the long term effects of collision sports.

 

Bloke literally had a big heart
RIP folksy

 

For sure I think that’s where it will bite first. A lot of parents didn’t like their kids playing league before CTE was even known that will just sky rocket now.

 

NFL is introducing new linings in the helmets to prevent concussion. It's likely to go one of two ways. They'll either stop all contact in NRL, or they'll introduce helmets.

 

Doesn’t matter, you can get severe concussions and serious, permanent brain damage from low speed impacts. It is extremely difficult to mitigate this in the current state of the game. Something will give sooner or later.

 

Would it be feasible that a rule change is made and refs only allow two tacklers and must be below the shoulders?

 

They have outlawed head high tackles and they still happen. The problem is it’s a contact sport you’ll never remove the contact aspect of it without completely changing the game.

 

Correct.

 

True for sure but I'm talking about proper application of the rules, with consequences....not the rorting discretion refs have.

Unless some changes are made to the way the players are tackled then the future of the game looks in trouble as some have already pointed out.

 

On a side note, I hope the NRL review the HIA rulings and make changes for the upcoming season. Burgess head high on Moylan - Moylan pretty much looked concussed yet still played on for another 10 mins before being taken off. We all saw it. Perhaps he was milking it, perhaps not. Fast forward 10 years and X player with ongoing trauma is taking the NRL to court for not pulling him from the field after a head knock. $$ not the point I know, player welfare is whats important.

 

Agree, either that or same sex married couples pushing their boys to play netball instead!

 

When I see the number of times James Graham is KO'd I worry that he will be a walking vegetable after he retires. It's a tough game, but some level of protection is needed.

 

Agree with you there Chris - I have the same concerns for Graham.
His last knockout in the opening minutes of the international was just one of many he's acquired over the years and I also fear that he'll have a number of 'problems' in the future.
Hope we're both wrong mate - he was a fine player for us and it would be tragic.

 

Right on the money with James Graham, lets hope that he'll be ok long term. Was a great Bulldog.

 

He was. Not a bad singer either.

 

But seriously - this is a tough one. Player welfare needs to be protected, we don't want the game to turn into a tickling contest and it doesn't seem like an NFL style approach of helmets and heavy upper body padding necessarily makes a difference.
What rule changes can really make a difference?