Former rugby league enforcer Mark Carroll says the NRL should pick up the medical bills of past players who want tests for the impact of concussions.
Studies in the NFL showed last week 99 per cent of former players had developed chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a disease caused by repeated head knocks.
It was also revealed on Sunday 32-year-old Parramatta hooker Isaac De Gois has effectively been forced into retirement from a pre-season concussion, after the club banned him from playing on.
Meanwhile a News Corp Australia report also claimed that NRL players who are concussed twice or more in a season must seek clearance from an independent medical specialist before returning to the field.
It’s one of several moves made by the NRL to protect players in recent seasons as education around the issue has grown, including the banning of the shoulder charge and compulsory concussion checks after head knocks.
But Carroll, who played 185 first-grade games and represented NSW and Australia between 1987 and 1999, said he was concerned about former players.
“Any rugby league guy that has got concerns out there, if you want to go and get tested, go and get the tests on the brain, get some clearance and clarity for yourself,” Carroll told Fox Sports.
“But the league must pick up the bill.”
The latest developments come after another big year for concussion cases.
Former Newcastle winger James McManus launched legal action over the club’s handling of his concussion, before he eventually retired from the sport last year.
Three clubs, St George Illawarra, Gold Coast and Newcastle, were also fined a combined $150,000 by the NRL for breaches of the league’s concussion protocol.
Melbourne medical reports tendered at the judiciary this week also revealed Billy Slater forgot the previous two weeks of his life when he was knocked out for 2-3 minutes by a late Sia Soliola high shot last week.
Slater was ruled out of Sunday’s clash with Manly but is hopeful of a return next Friday night against North Queensland.
But Carroll, who suffered a number of concussions throughout his career, said even that could be considered too soon.
“I don’t know if it’s too quick,” Carroll said.
“I found myself concussions still stay in your body, it only takes a jab, accidentally, in training and my body will go into shut down mode.
“It’s just something, the concussions stay in your body for a long time.”