The revelation of Mario Fenech’s health battle has shone a spotlight on concussion issues in rugby league.
And now, veteran journalist Phil Rothfield has called on players and the media to get on board with NRL’s fight to lower the risk of head knocks in the game.
Fenech has been battling early onset dementia and devastating details about his condition were revealed in a confronting story on Seven’s Spotlight on Sunday night.
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Channel 7 reported Fenech has little memory left and will soon need full-time care.
The rugby league cult hero conceded that his dementia is likely the result of numerous head knocks suffering during his 16-year career.
Speaking on Sky Sports Radio’s Big Sports Breakfast on Monday, Rothfield admitted he “shed a tear” while watching “one of the saddest” stories he’s seen on TV.
He also called on players, as well as other members of the media to get behind the NRL’s efforts to minimise concussions.
“Mario is a very good friend of mine throughout his career and to see him struggling in the manner of which he is, it’s really sad,” Rothfield said.
“I’m glad the story was covered so well, I’m glad its raised awareness.
“There are other footballers struggling in Mario’s position, Royce Simmons is not at that stage yet but Steve Mortimer the great Turvey Mortimer, George Piggins.
“I think that story last night was one of the saddest I’ve seen on TV. I think it’s a message not just to all of us in the media but the players and everywhere to really get behind the NRL’s attempts on the crackdowns and high tackles.
“Even for players like Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Felise Kaufusi, Victor Radley, Nelson Asofa-Solomona that maybe its time they did think about — they’re all great players, they’re all tough men — but to think a little bit more about how they play the game.
“I don’t think we can support the NRL enough on this.”
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Fenech’s family face an up-hill battle to provide the 60-year-old the care he needs, which is why Rothfield suggested the powerbrokers associated with the Rabbitohs — the club Fenech spent majority of his career at — chip in.
“I think one of the saddest parts of that story last night was the financial struggles the Fenech family is facing to get Mario the treatment he needs long term,” he said.
“You look at the onus of the South Sydney Rabbitohs, you know that Mike Cannon-Brooks is worth $20 billion, James Packer, Russell Crowe.
“I’d really like to see them do more to ensure that Mario and his beautiful family are well looked after with what is a deteriorating condition and he’s going to need a lot of help.”
The NRL has taken action to lower concussion. There was a crackdown on contact with the head last season which saw 14 players sin binned and three sent off during Magic Round.
That has been pulled back a bit but now there is an independent doctor that sits in the Bunker and can intervene during the game to send a player off for a head injury assessment if they show signs of a concussion.
If a player does suffer a concussion they must also pass necessary protocols to be cleared to play the following week.
However, Rothfield believes more can be done.
“It was a tough old game in those days and the NRL have done a great job to clean it up but I think there’s more to be done,” he said.
“The collisions compared to when Mario played because of the sports science, because of the athletes, the power of the game we now have is probably even harder than what we had back then.
“Mario’s state the care they need and I’m sure after the exposure last night that people in the game will rally for his family and as I’ve said it’s not just Mario, you guys know the Steve Mortimer story the Royce Simmons story.
“I’m really passionate now about getting on board and look it’s a great collision sport we’re never going to take out the contact and a lot of the things that happen on a rugby league field are accidents, but we’re going to lower the collision rate the harder we work on keeping tackles down.”
Rugby league legend Laurie Daley agreed but wants to see players sidelined for minimum seven days if they do suffer a concussion.
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“As a game to we need to look after and protect our players a little bit more in regards to we saw Mitch Moses last weekend knocked out against Penrith but then was allowed (to return against Canberra)… We allow players back seven days after they’ve been concussed,” Daley said.
“I think that needs to be changed as well.”
That is something that one of Australia’s leading brain injury experts — Chris Levi — supports.
“He is now suggesting, he’s a senior Adviser to the NRL, that there has to be an automatic one week stand down for any player that suffers a bad concussion,” Rothfield said.
“That takes it out of the doctors hands and you just miss one game and then you’re examined the following week to make sure you’re right to go home and that one week rest could mean everything especially from professor Levi.”
