Former Queensland State of Origin player Corey Parker has revealed he is suffering from the effects of CTE, and he is worried that the damage done by repeated concussions is already done.
Parker, who played over 350 games in the NRL before he retired, said he had no doubt he was suffering from the condition.
CTE has been diagnosed in several former professional football players, such as Paul Green, who was the coach of the Queensland Maroons.
Several players in the Australian Football League have also been forced to retire due to the effects of concussions.
This week, Wally Lewis, a legendary rugby league player, revealed his struggles with CTE at a Dementia Australia panel in Parliament House.
Parker noted that the word CTE has gotten used a lot, and he is aware of the symptoms of the condition he has experienced during his career as a professional rugby league player.
However, until post-mortem examinations are conducted, it is not possible to fully understand the condition.
Despite being able to manage various factors, Lewis noted that the damage caused by repeated concussions has already been done.
He said that there was still a long way to go before the issue of CTE could be solved. He has been working with a group known as the Concussion & CTE Coalition, which is focused on raising awareness about the condition.
We must teach our young athletes to be more cautious while playing the game.
We must equip parents and teachers with the knowledge and confidence to support them.
Another issue that needs to be addressed is the subconcussion risk. Despite the progress that has been made in reducing the impact of concussions, Parker noted that there is still a long way to go. He praised the sporting codes for doing what they can to prevent further head injuries. One of these is implementing rule changes that aim to prevent big hits to the head.
Despite being positive about the current state of the game, Parker noted that it was still very challenging to avoid the effects of playing rugby league. He said that the game’s governing body, the National Rugby League, has to take some responsibility for how it manages the issue.
Playing professional football for a long time can’t be expected to avoid the effects of concussions. Parker noted that he knew that he had been concussed several times during his career. He said that he would often buy himself time until his head was back to its original position before returning to the field.