Story on Taniela Tuaki

[Guest]

The NRL is to consider a rugby-style insurance scheme to protect players who suffer serious injuries

TANIELA Tuiaki still limps.

Why? He has no idea.

Five years have passed since an innocuous tackle shattered not only his ankle, but all hope of becoming the great NRL winger of an era.

Some weeks he shuffles around construction sites. Others, labouring as a concreter.

“But if I’m standing too long one day, yeah, the next I can’t stand at all,’’ Tuiaki said. “My ankle, it’s too sore to even move. And who wants to employ someone like that?”

Only five weeks after revealing the heartbreaking story of Simon Dwyer, the Tigers forward left disabled by rugby league, The Sunday Telegraph can now bring you the trials of another victim who has also been left broken and forgotten.

Once the most devastating winger on the planet, Tuiaki now floats between jobs, struggles to pay bills and wondering when the Tigers might provide that fundraising ­dinner offered three winters ago?

“I’m not a guy with many options,’’ the 32-year-old conceded. “With no university degree, I work on and off — labouring, concreting, factory stuff. But, with my ankle, I’m almost unemployable. It’s frustrating and there are times when you feel absolutely helpless.”

This is not the same man who played Parramatta in round 24, 2009\. No, back then, helplessness was felt only by those trying to stop him. A force dubbed ‘Tank’, he was leading the NRL in tries and linebreaks. And then … snap.

Hit in a tackle no different to thousands occurring each weekend, Tuiaki suffered a devastating ankle injury which, at first, had Tigers staff joking their biggest concern would be his weight, and how they kept it down while he was sidelined.

After three operations, plus another 18 months in rehabilitation, he was forced to retire.

“So I went to my manager, asked what was available,” Tuiaki said. “He replied, ‘Nothing’. It’s ridiculous. We give everything to rugby league, but, if you’re injured, nobody wants to know you.”

Which has us wondering how long before someone acts?

While Alex McKinnon has been promised a “job for life” by the NRL, others like Tuiaki and Dwyer are the forgotten victims.

As it stands, NRL players are not completely insured if disabled in action. An incredible scenario when you consider all 175 Aussies involved in Super 15 rugby have, since 2007, been covered for not only death and permanent disability, but career-ending injury.

If a Wallaby suffers the same spinal injury as McKinnon, he is guaranteed $1.5 million. Tuiaki would also have received a payout had he been with, say, the NSW Waratahs.

“Instead, Wests Tigers offered me a job as a delivery driver,’’ he said. “It was right after I’d retired. I still had the shits. So I knocked them back, disappeared to New Zealand for a while. I just hope no one else goes through this.”

The Sunday Telegraph can reveal the Super 15 insurance model will be presented next Tuesday when NRL officials meet with the Rugby League Players’ Association to ­discuss a national insurance scheme.

But what of those players already disabled?

While Dwyer, who remains in a sling three years after ripping nerves from his spinal column, is currently employed by Wests Tigers, the club still won’t guarantee him a gig beyond this season. They are hosting a fundraising dinner after his plight was revealed on these pages.

It is a situation that, truly, should strike fear into every NRL star. After all, if both Tuiaki and Dwyer played in the same team, how many more are out there?

“I rang Simon earlier this year for advice,’’ Tuiaki says. “Hoping he might have answers. But when I asked what avenues he’d taken, what options might be open for me, he said there was nothing. Said there’s no help for guys like us.”

 

[Masterton]

"wondering when the Tigers might provide that fundraising ­dinner offered three winters ago?"

This sort of thing makes us look dreadful. How can we be so stupid?

 

[cqtiger]

No different to park footballers I would think. If you take out your own personal injury insurance it wouldn't be cheap as it is a high risk of injury sport.

I am wondering why he didn't take the delivery drivers job? He admits to having no proper education or other skills. I believe a lot of ex footballers are drivers. I think Brett Kenny did it, too.

Which brings me to player managers. Why the hell don't they advise their clients on risk matters? Injury risk and financial risk. Why don't they put some money aside or arrange meetings with financial advisors?

Is it because they are all young men with the attitude of "I'll be right mate?" Won't happen to me.

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[Pokies]

The best option for taniela would be to get in contact with the men of league foundation run by Ron coote I'm sure they could help him find employment. They are a terrific organisation.

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[stevetiger]

This is not a good situation. I don't have the answers either however I'd like to think he could get a job as a delivery driver or something where he can provide a living for himself.

In saying that sport isn't something just for first grade rugby league players and injuries can happen to any of us.

 

[westTAHger]

As the injury was to his right ankle, could this be why he did not take the delivery job.
constant pivoting up and down on accelerator, as you have you heel on the floor and toes on accelerator pedal, and then leg pressure required to use when applying the brakes.
so he may have thought, if he has no strength in this area, that he did not want to be a risk to anyone.
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[jirskyr]

Telecrap is doing the right thing by bringing these stories back up - it is not just up to the club, but the NRL to insure these players who have careers ended.

If they do one a week I think they'll go for a while, not just Tigers players (I still think of Jody Rudd, worst-looking injury I've ever seen on a football field), but guys like Jharal Yow Yeh and even early retirers like Joey Johns, Tallis, Nathan Brown, Beau Ryan.

The one problem I have is the article isn't clear, and I don't think the rugby league community is clear, on what type of compensation the players have. If a brickie's labourer has workers comp, surely an NRL player has something like that too? There are minimum requirements by law.

Then, if the NRL has a 1 billion chest, forget just higher salaries, but higher benefits are required too, such as disability, death, loss of income insurance.

I work in an office but I have those types of insurance, I am not sure why footballers do not?

The last one is the grey area unfortunately - players are entitled to compensation if injured on the job, to get as well as possible and be supported, but are they truly entitled to damages for loss of career earnings? I compare to employees who work in other labour-intensive jobs; I don't think they get to claim career damages if they are injured and have to seek alternative work. It also isn't the employer's fault that the employee doesn't have many other skills or fall-back trades.

For example, I knew a bloke who wrecked his shoulder loading luggage for one of the airlines about 20 years ago. They found him another job, but he was never going to lift bags again. I don't know if he is still with them, or if the airline could have offered a job in the current economic climate. Is it the airline's fault if he has no other skills or doesn't want to take up another job? He certainly couldn't heavy lift again.

I feel for Tigers out of this too - rugby league is not a place where you can give people plush jobs; money is tight because it is the most competitive market in Australia. They lined up a job for TNT, who himself says he is "almost unemployable" and he knocks it back. Tigers can't have 12 blokes doing video review each week, and with due respect to Tuiaki (who I will always remember very fondly), his injury isn't as serious as Dwyer's or McKinnon's.

 

[Balmainboydug]

So you have a dodgy ankle ? That's ok Taniela here's a delivery job ?

WTF !! Come on its the same as offering Simon a waitressing job !!

They were / are employed by the WT and should seek compensation from the club and NRL.

Any mug can sue their employer and get something for work injuries.
As far as Simon I still struggle to this day on why and how he was allowed to walk off that fateful night unharnessed ?

Stand up Tigers and do the right thing by these blokes , they were loyal and have showed tolerance in dealing with their suffering. Shame.

 

[happy_tiger]

It was a delivery job , but wasn't it a chance to set up his own delivery business

I thought it was a franchise with Allied wasn't it ??

 

[southerntiger]

Cant blame the club. He was offered a job that was commensurate with his skillset. The club cant simply create jobs because they felt sorry for the bloke.

Players accept in playing the game that there is a risk of injury. The club is not responsible for his injury.

The dinner is different but I imagine there are reasons why this didnt occur, such as TNT flying off to NZ.

Insurance is a necessity but the premiums would be hideously high for football players, particularly as the game is doing nothing about tackles like that one from Reynolds in origin.

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[underdog]

It was a delivery job , but wasn't it a chance to set up his own delivery business

I thought it was a franchise with Allied wasn't it ??

I believe it was when we were/are in a sponsorship deal with them.

Hindsight is 20/20 though. He probably looked upon it as an insult, however he now probably regrets it.

 

[strrretch]

very sad
It seems there is no decent compensation scheme in place?
Unbelievable

 

[owley_girl]

It's difficult because of the cost of such insurance. Someone mentioned they have insurance at their office job. That's alot different to playing rugby league where terrible injuries (including career ending) are bound to happen regularly. In the eyes of any insurer, the risk is huge and therefore costly.

Hey, I'm not saying it's right, and I might sound like a dirty Liberal (which I'm not), but it's no surprise the NRL and the clubs have ignored it. Hopefully though something can be worked out.

 

[sheer64]

Boy I loved watching him play. I hope something good comes out of this for him.

 

[angry_ant]

It is a disgrace. The NRL signed a billion $ tv deal and they still don't have an insurance scheme.

I understand this injury was under the old tv deal but the game still made $100 million per year in tv rights alone.

I think the payments made to elite players is absurd but never the less, Taniela deserves to be paid compensation considering the injury was caused in his place of work.

If I was in his situation and was treated the same, I would be speaking with lawyers and ensuring that the club compensated me for any injuries caused and future income lost due to receiving a life changing injury whilst I was at my place of work.

Surely just like workers they can file a claim for compensation or start a class action just like the NFL players. Anyways Taniela and Simon time to start taking action, as much as I think it would hurt the team and League but they need to get their house in order for their future! http://www.workcover.nsw.gov.au/injuriesclaims/benefitsentitlements/Pages/default.aspx

 

[Illek]

I am a contractor and work with my hands and as result need to have my own work/income protection insurance incase I do any damage that puts me out of work. It's not cheap but at the same time, if something goes wrong I can afford to pay the bills. You may feel invincible but ideally managers should be advising players to get it to ensure no matter what they will always be supported financially if something does go wrong.

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[Cosimo_Zaretti]

As the injury was to his right ankle, could this be why he did not take the delivery job.
constant pivoting up and down on accelerator, as you have you heel on the floor and toes on accelerator pedal, and then leg pressure required to use when applying the brakes.
so he may have thought, if he has no strength in this area, that he did not want to be a risk to anyone.
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Easy enough to swap around if you needed to, my grandpa was missing his right leg so had his car modified with the throttle on the left.

 

[Goose]

An insurance model was put to the clubs as a group package associated with a superannuation program, not perfect but would have covered Dwyer and McKinnon.
The clubs wanted more, nothing happened.