Royce Simmons [Discussion]

[Curaeus]

Damn awful disease. Best wishes to Royce and his family in this very tough time

 

[Fade.To.Black]

Was listening to 2sm today..Pete Mortimer rang in to confirm rumours Steve has some very serious health issues,including unfortunately a very rapidly developing dementia problem
Gonna be ARLs biggest issue this year after Covid,and expect to see another crackdown on head tackles

Could be going down the same road as the NFL have in recent years. Potential for a lot of lawsuits.

Which I think is wrong. No-one forces any player to play the game, it's obviously a high risk sport and that fact is known by every player from a very young age. Same as combat sports, motorsports and the like.

That being said all the best to Royce and I hope he has many more years of quality of life. Sad news.

It might be wrong, but it’s the way of the world. People sue for things all the time that could easily come back to personal responsibility like burning their tongues on a McDonalds apple pie. I’m not a lawyer, but if the NRL are taking precautions now that they weren’t taking 30-40 years ago, that right there could be grounds to sue. You can’t really argue that the affects of concussions weren’t known back as far back as the 90’s because the evidence was out there.

People who have never played sport in their lives still get Alzheimer's and dementia.

And people who never smoked get lung cancer. What is your point other than not understanding relative risk.

My point is people who play high-rise sport know the risks associated. Risk/reward.

 

[earl]

My point is people who play high-rise sport know the risks associated. Risk/reward.

They probably know it but at that point in time they can't see it. I sort of agree with your point but at the same time those sporting bodies need to protect the athletes a bit.

 

[hank37w]

Royce is 61.

Fortunately I can still remember being 61 but you just don't know when something like this might get a hold of you.

I know a lot of people joke about it when they can't remember where they have left the car keys or even where you have parked the car in a shopping centre, but when you can't remember that you own a car or that you have a partner or kids it really is not a joke any more and scares the hell out of you just thinking about it.

Best of luck Royce and can only wish you the best of outcomes.

 

[crazycat]

Im over it.

Yes the NRL is doing small things. But this guy is in his 40's woth Dimensia !

Seriously they need to do a lot more then the Concussion bin. How about 5m instead of 10m between teams?
Unsure if head padding can work at all. I have heard people say it does nothing, it would need to Absorb a shock, so maybe disposable padding could work.

Either way if our sport is churning out Dimensia cases at 40yr old, thats horrible

 

[TCL]

I wish Royce and his family all the best.

Modern medicine is keeping our bodies going but our minds are wither away. Unfortunately it is not a case of healthy body healthy mind. The brain must also be exercised.

Wouldn’t wish it on my enemy. .

It’s a horrible disease. To watch a loved one go through it is heart breaking.

My father was diagnosed with it in 2018, today he is in a nursing home obliviousness to the world. He is 82.
.

 

[tig_prmz]

I think it's moreso about duty of care. No one is forcing them to play but they are surrounded by people they trust with their lives in doctors and physios. So I can understand if there was a lack of duty of care. If more people come with head related injuries and with long term effects of it, NRL will and should be blamed. If people who play Rugby League are more likely to have long term brain related illnesses, it would mean that this sport isn't safe, it isn't regulated well or the code has a pattern of a lack of duty of care.

 

[Fade.To.Black]

I think it's moreso about duty of care. No one is forcing them to play but they are surrounded by people they trust with their lives in doctors and physios. So I can understand if there was a lack of duty of care. If more people come with head related injuries and with long term effects of it, NRL will and should be blamed. If people who play Rugby League are more likely to have long term brain related illnesses, it would mean that this sport isn't safe, it isn't regulated well or the code has a pattern of a lack of duty of care.

Where do you draw the line though as far as Duty Of Care is concerned? High-risk sports are described as such for a reason.

100% don't want to degenerate this thread though, it's intended as a place of good wishes for Roycie and his wellbeing.

 

[diedpretty]

Sad news about Royce and Steve Mortimer. As an interesting side point it appears as though Alan Sullivan QC will be appointed to ARL Commission. The cynical view would be that the NRL may want a very learned barrister on the books when and if things do start to get ugly legally.

 

[gallagher]

Im over it.

Yes the NRL is doing small things. But this guy is in his 40's woth Dimensia !

Seriously they need to do a lot more then the Concussion bin. How about 5m instead of 10m between teams?
Unsure if head padding can work at all. I have heard people say it does nothing, it would need to Absorb a shock, so maybe disposable padding could work.

Either way if our sport is churning out Dimensia cases at 40yr old, thats horrible

Who's that? In they're 40s?

 

[hank37w]

I think it's moreso about duty of care. No one is forcing them to play but they are surrounded by people they trust with their lives in doctors and physios. So I can understand if there was a lack of duty of care. If more people come with head related injuries and with long term effects of it, NRL will and should be blamed. If people who play Rugby League are more likely to have long term brain related illnesses, it would mean that this sport isn't safe, it isn't regulated well or the code has a pattern of a lack of duty of care.

Where do you draw the line though as far as Duty Of Care is concerned? High-risk sports are described as such for a reason.

100% don't want to degenerate this thread though, it's intended as a place of good wishes for Roycie and his wellbeing.

Pretty sure that if guys like Royce and Turvey had their time over they would still play the game despite what has been discovered about concussion etc. in recent years.

People play the game because they love the game and it satisfies their competitive side and if they do okay financially out of it then that is a bonus.

 

[Tim Sheens]

Sorry to hear about Royce's health issue and having lost my Nana with it after watching her lapse my thoughts are also with @jirskyr @GNR4LIFE and @hammertime who had this condition affect those close.

As for sports, particularly heavy contact varieties, as the knowledge of the effects of concussion and particularly the frequency of them continues to grow, so too does the duty of care requirements of the bodies.

 

[tony soprano]

Wonder if he stayed coaching like Tim keeping mind more active would of had any help.

 

[batboy]

Wonder if he stayed coaching like Tim keeping mind more active would of had any help.

You say some dumb things.....
You reckon he's been sitting around staring at a wall for the last 10 years or something?

 

[tiger_one]

A sad tough journey ahead for Royce and his family.

 

[GNR4LIFE]

Wonder if he stayed coaching like Tim keeping mind more active would of had any help.

Look at Malcolm Young dude. Don’t think it discriminates.

 

[tony soprano]

Wonder if he stayed coaching like Tim keeping mind more active would of had any help.

You say some dumb things.....
You reckon he's been sitting around staring at a wall for the last 10 years or something?

See you bat boy

 

[Fade.To.Black]

Wonder if he stayed coaching like Tim keeping mind more active would of had any help.

Wouldn't have thought so. It's pretty much just the luck of the draw.

 

[Elderslie_Tiger]

I like what Royce said that rugby league was the greatest thing that happened to him in his life. Ch 7 news report

 

[Fade.To.Black]

I like what Royce said that rugby league was the greatest thing that happened to him in his life. Ch 7 news report

He most certainly would of made sure he had a good time during his playing years, both on and off the field👍. And he had probably the greatest fairytale finish in RL history with his 2 tries and a premiership in his last game!

Remember reading in some ex-player's book about a story featuring Roycie where him and his mates were being rowdy in some establishment and the bouncers kicked them out. Roycie supposedly said "don't worry I'll throw myself out", grabbed himself by his collar and his belt and proceeded to launch himself out onto the footpath outside🤣