Raiders’ Edwards plays down head knocks

Canberra NRL forward Joel Edwards says the Paxton mine tragedy puts his back-to-back bouts of concussion into perspective.

Edwards, who returns to the Raiders line-up for Sunday’s home clash with Melbourne after being sidelined last week, revealed on Wednesday that his uncle worked at the mine where two men died on Tuesday night.

The news cast a sombre feeling over a media conference announcing Edwards had re-signed with the Raiders until the end of 2017.

He played down concerns for his own welfare playing rugby league, saying risk was “part and parcel” of every workplace – and some more than others.

Edwards experienced a restless Tuesday night after discovering two men were trapped 500 metres below the surface at the Austar coal mine at Paxton – just outside his birth town of Cessnock in the Hunter region – following a wall collapse.

It wasn’t until Wednesday morning that his aunty advised him that his uncle was safe, albeit upset.

“It’s a real country town and I know they’ll be hurting,” Edwards said.

Edwards’ return to the paddock comes as another group of former National Hockey League (NHL) players filed a federal class action lawsuit alleging the North American league had downplayed the risk of head injuries.

It alleges the NHL put its players “at a substantially higher risk” of developing memory loss, depression, dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.

Edwards, however, doesn’t seem to share similar sentiments over the NRL and the Raiders.

He would have been back playing last week if he had his way.

He had passed the NRL’s new concussion tests, and was feeling great, yet was still held back from playing against his old club Newcastle as a safety precaution.

“It’s something that the club, and (coach Ricky Stuart), said was in my best interests,” he said.

Despite one of the head knocks being the worst he’s suffered in his career, Edwards – known for his no-holds-barred approach to defence – said it wouldn’t dent his confidence going forward.

“You get a bump here or there but it’s nothing to be concerned for,” he said.

“I’ve passed all the tests and am suffering no ill effects.

“The way I play is the way I play, and will continue to play.”

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