News Rugby league legend Steve Mortimer reveals he is battling dementia

[wendog33]

True. The sudden impact still sends the brain bouncing around inside the skull.

Gridiron style helmets might be the only solution, but I'd hate to see us go that far.

Really when you consider the impact of running full speed into an opponent then bang, impact, and sudden stop, well there's a worry about brain trauma inside the skull even before every tackle?

 

[Chris Harding]

Really when you consider the impact of running full speed into an opponent then bang, impact, and sudden stop, well there's a worry about brain trauma inside the skull even before every tackle?

Only if you contact with your head every tackle.

 

[Malla]

Can't even imagine how tough this is for the bloke.

Good on him for being honest and upfront about it.

Hope we can get him a premiership soon.

 

[wendog33]

Only if you contact with your head every tackle.

Well I was thinking more the physics of fast motion in a direction and then a sudden stop. Not sure but I believe the brain keeps moving in a forwards direction then bangs up against the skull?

Of course thats applicable with all motion...not just rugby league

 

[Trafford10]

What a shame.
My favourite player of all time.
The last few times I saw him commenting on Rugby League he did seem to struggle to get his words out...makes sense now.
All the best to Steve "Turvey" Mortimer and his family.

 

[Natboy]

I heard him on a radio interview a few weeks ago. He had his son on the other line to answer alot of the questions and I knew something was wrong. It broke my heart listening to him speak - all the best Turvey.

He’s been like that quite a while unfortunately. It’s very sad and Turvey is such a lovely, genuine bloke

 

[wendog33]

At the same token, just on this subject, not all players show any indication of dementia or brain damage and do go on to succeed in the business world, media etc.

This disease affects all walks of life and all IQ's. You see doctors, scientists, labourers, retail workers, salespeople, whoever. Any one at all can be indiscriminately affected.

 

[Glenn L]

So sad to hear this. Turvey gave his all every time he took the field. Terrible he is now paying a big price. A giant of the club.

 

[Jai81]

Sad news
Maybe he just wants to forget he is a bulldogs supporter given how terrible we have been the last few years...

 

[Dogsville]

my boyhood hero, my favourite player. So very sad to read this news, my mother suffered from dementia and it is a cruel heart-breaking disease, the first step is to acknowledge something is wrong and Turvey has done that. I wish him and his family all the best , he is a fighter and a true legend

 

[D.O.W.]

What an absolute legend of the club and of the game Turvey was and is. God bless Turvs and if anyone can persevere though this type of adversity, it’s Turvs..

 

[wendog33]

my boyhood hero, my favourite player. So very sad to read this news, my mother suffered from dementia and it is a cruel heart-breaking disease, the first step is to acknowledge something is wrong and Turvey has done that. I wish him and his family all the best , he is a fighter and a true legend

We all sincerely hope it doesn't progress and he is spared that further degeneration.

 

[Hacky McAxe]

True. The sudden impact still sends the brain bouncing around inside the skull.

Gridiron style helmets might be the only solution, but I'd hate to see us go that far.

Early on in the concussion discussions in the NFL they looked into this. They found that helmets didn't reduce concussions at all. They reduce skull fractures but not concussions. In some cases they increase concussion because they provide a false sense of security.

I believe you could custom design a helmet that reduces concussions using a shock impact absorption material and effective bracing. But I haven't seen a design like that yet.

 

[fooch]

Top dog . All the best turvey loved by everyone

 

[Hacky McAxe]

Well I was thinking more the physics of fast motion in a direction and then a sudden stop. Not sure but I believe the brain keeps moving in a forwards direction then bangs up against the skull?

Of course thats applicable with all motion...not just rugby league

Yep. That's precisely what it is. It's primarily a sudden stop. The brain is effectively surrounded by layers and liquid and membrane. If your head suddenly stops, your brain keeps moving and impacts the skull.

When you're tackled low, your head keeps moving forward so it doesn't have that sudden stop. When something hits your head you don't have that same sort of slow down.

It's like with boxing where the main brain damage isn't getting hit in the head, it's cranking the head backwards. Hence why the main damage is to the motor control section of the brain at the back of the head.

 

[Bob dog]

Nothing worse than wrestling with sanity, hope he hangs in there.
With our game getting fitter and faster hope to see more headgear being used.

 

[flamebouyant]

This is terribly sad to hear, and my heart goes out to the greatest ever bulldog, and his family. Dimentia is all throughout society though, and is not only contributed to head knocks. Im not suggesting that his were not caused by the head knocks he suffered, but its also part of the game.
I do see the merit in what Vlandys is doing, but even if there is never another high tackle, players will still get concussion from attempting tackles and getting them wrong. So what next? Do we ban tackling and just turn the game into touch football?
If a players arm accidently slips off, or bounces up and touchesthe head, is it worthy of 10 in the bin?? Fuck no! It completely alters the balance of the game, and detracts from the contest that rugby league is known for.
If it is a blatant hard tackle, and the player is knocked out, sure, 10 in the bin. This is how it was only 3 weeks ago, and i really dont see why it needed to change. I think Vlandys is also starting to recognise this too. Just look at the ref inaction against Hetherington on sat, which i genuinely agree with.
3 weeks ago we were having 3 or 4 players sin binned in a game. Nobody wants to see this, not even the NRLol. So naturally, the rules have seemingly been relaxed since.
Accidents will always happen in a contact sport. Should we do everything we can to minimise harm to players? Absolutely. But punishing a team, and therefore the fans, for an accidental, and slightly high tackle, is just rediculous. Vlandys drew a line in the sand, but has surely realised it was an overreaction.
Imagine if boxing decided that head knocks were causing concussions, and tried to stamp them out? Or MMA? Some things in life are unavoidable.

 

[Bulldogsteve]

70% of concussions are caused to the tacklers.
So should they get rid of tackling too ?

I played for 21 years , and I got hit more in the head from defending then I did running with the ball

my point is any hits to the head is damaging, so if we can reduce them in any way it is good for the game and they players.

 

[wendog33]

Yep. That's precisely what it is. It's primarily a sudden stop. The brain is effectively surrounded by layers and liquid and membrane. If your head suddenly stops, your brain keeps moving and impacts the skull.

When you're tackled low, your head keeps moving forward so it doesn't have that sudden stop. When something hits your head you don't have that same sort of slow down.

It's like with boxing where the main brain damage isn't getting hit in the head, it's cranking the head backwards. Hence why the main damage is to the motor control section of the brain at the back of the head.

What's your take on the best way of protecting players from long term damage and still keeping the gladiatorial nature of league?

 

[Flanagun]

I'm all for getting the head high tackle out of the game... I just don't think you can have teams playing 13 on 11....it hurts the quality of the game. Time to consider allowing substitutions for sin binned players.....it would not be a free interchange and the coach would then have to make the call on whether his binned player would return to the game. Significant increase of suspensions for forceful high shots could also be useful. There's no doubt brain injuries are a huge problem, but having teams running around with 11 players is only going to tire players out and increase the likelihood of careless high tackles. The punishment should be predominantly centred on players...allowing interchanges for binned players and increasing suspension penalties is the way to go, IMO.

As far as Turvey goes, it's so sad to hear of his diagnosis.....one of the best two Bulldogs of all time and every time a past player is diagnosed at a relatively early age, it really hammers home the point the NRL needs to try and get high tackles out of the game....but it is a physical game and I don't think having players scaramble to cover for binned players is really the solution. Time will tell, I guess.