Former Broncos captain Corey Parker has spoken of his head-trauma fears and called for every NRL player to undergo brain scans in a bid to combat potential life-threatening concussions in the sport.

A News Corp investigation last week revealed former Cowboys coach Paul Green, who took his life in August, suffered from a “severe form” of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), a brain disease caused by repeated blows to the head.

Green is the second known rugby league player to be diagnosed with CTE after the late Bulldogs legend Steve Folkes‘ discovery in 2019, and comes just weeks after James Graham revealed he has suffered brain damage.

Now Parker is the latest rugby league legend to open up about his brain concerns at a time when two NRL greats, Mario Fenech and Ray Price, have revealed their individual battles with dementia.

LEGENDS’ PLIGHT A FRIGHTENING REALITY

Parker is one of the most-capped players in the 114-year history of Australian rugby league.

Now 40, the Broncos ironman played almost 400 senior-level games, including 347 appearances for the Broncos, 19 Origin matches for Queensland and 13 Tests for Australia during a decorated 15-year career.

Parker, who now works as an expert commentator for Fox Sports, says he is not suffering any noticeable symptoms. But the revelations of Price, Fenech and Graham have opened his eyes to the risk of head-trauma incidents for the past and current generation of NRL stars.

“Do I have some worries that I may have possible brain damage? Of course I do,” Parker said.

“My mindset is the damage is done, I can’t do anything about it.

“Worrying will not change it or fix it. I can’t just take medication and start fixing stuff in my brain because the damage is done.

“If you have played in the NRL like I did for 15 years, there has to be some downside doesn’t there?

“I wouldn’t say I have any memory issues or signs. But it is a scary thing when you read about other players with CTE and you do worry about the unknown.

“You do think what is going on in my brain?”

PARKER’S GIFT TO FUTURE NRL PLAYERS

Parker says he is prepared to donate his brain to aid the NRL and medical research into CTE and head-related traumas.

“I have no dramas there,” he said.

“When I’m gone, I would happily donate my brain to help with any research.

“I would be dead by then, so hopefully it could help in some way.

“The landscape has changed a bit in rugby league but anyone my age or above, you know when you go onto a footy field that there is always a risk you could sustain some damage to your head.

“It is a gladiatorial, physical-style battle so there will always be risk involved.

“Do I worry? Yeah I guess I do, but what am I worrying about?

“Thankfully, I’ve never had any serious concussions. I never had any game where I was knocked out sleeping.

“But I did have countless incidents where I got stunned or dazed.

“I remember being stunned or dazed and I would buy time by staying on the ground grabbing my shoulder or my knee. I would pretend some other part of my body was injured so I didn’t have to leave the field.

“A lot of players from my generation had the same mentality. If you copped a knock, you just soldiered on. The competitor in you wanted to keep going.

“Now there is a lot more vigilance around head knocks.”

THE NEED FOR CHANGE

Parker believes every NRL rookie who enters first grade should undergo a brain scan, which can be used as a comparative tool if the same player suffers a series of head knocks later in his career.

The NRL currently requires every player to have two cognitive tests at the start of every NRL season.

All 510 full-time NRL players next season will have their brain-function results lodged with League Central, with club doctors able to assess the severity of a head knock based on individual cognitive scores.

“I think the NRL could look at brain scans for every player coming into the NRL,” said the former Queensland lock.

“Obviously there is a cost involved, I imagine it wouldn’t be cheap to have brain checks for every NRL player.

“For example, a guy like Luke Keary (Roosters playmaker) has had a few concussions in recent years.

“If we had scans of every player when they start out their careers, we would have a baseline comparison to see if there has been some brain damage during their careers.

“It should be compulsory for NRL players to have a scan when they start out and then on exit from the game, have another scan.

“I imagine that would provide some comparison on whether a player’s brain has deteriorated to any extent.”

‘WE LIVED FOR THE BIG COLLISIONS’

Parker played through a transitionary period where the code went from part-time to full-time professionalism.

The premiership-winning warhorse, who retired six years ago, is not convinced the Telstra Premiership in 2022 is more brutal than previous eras.

“I don’t believe the collisions today are greater,” Parker said.

“They talk about G-forces … there’s no doubt certain aspects of the game have quickened up, but the collisions were just as forceful when I played.

“In the mid-2000s, I saw some shoulder charges that are banned today.

“We lived for the big collisions.

“I remember being on the field when my teammate Ben Te’o shoulder charged Matt Groat (in 2012) and he hit him so hard I thought he had killed him.

“I thought, ‘Oh my god, this bloke is dead, he will not get up.

“Thankfully, he did.

“We have all woken up to the dangers of head knocks and it is good to see the game being more vigilant about it.”