The family of former Manly player Keith Titmuss hope the coronial inquest into his death will save lives, urging NRL staff and players to be further educated about heat-related illness.
On the seventh and final day of evidence into Titmuss’ death, his mother, Lafo Titmuss, delivered an emotional address at the NSW Coroners Court before deputy state coroner Derek Lee.
In her statement on Wednesday, Lafo described her family’s wish for her son’s legacy to be a greater awareness of the dangers of heat-related illnesses for athletes during training and in competition.
The inquest heard Keith Titmuss likely died of exertional heatstroke after he suffered a seizure during Manly’s first official pre-season training session in November 2020. He was taken to hospital where he had a heart attack. Titmuss was just 20 years old.
“We love to hear the NRL aims to prioritise heat-related injuries to the same level of importance as its spinal, cardiac and concussion policies,” Lafo said.
“We sincerely hope the recommendations from this inquest will be instructive, not just to the NRL, but to all sports codes across Australia and worldwide.
Keith Titmuss’ mother Lafo and father Paul leave the NSW Coroners Court on the final day of evidence.Credit: Rhett Wyman
“Our ultimate aspiration is heat-related illnesses will no longer be underestimated and lives can be saved. If it means we save a life, that’s it.”
The inquest heard from several witnesses, including former Manly coach Des Hasler and Titmuss’ close friends and NRL stars Josh Schuster and Moses Suli.
The Sea Eagles posthumously named Titmuss their 623rd first-grade player. The former rugby union schoolboy star was poised to make his NRL debut in 2021.
Before playing a video tribute to the court, Lafo described “Keithy” as “salt of the earth” and the family’s “paragon of virtue”. The statement was read before more than 20 friends and family who wore T-shirts honouring him.
Keith Titmuss likely died of exertional heatstroke after the first session of Manly’s pre-season training in November 2020.Credit: NRL Photos
“He continues to make us proud to call him our son and our brother,” she said. “We try to honour each day by living our best lives.
“Keithy loved Manly. He loved his brothers in arms on and off the field. He loved and respected the training staff. We loved that Manly honoured him with number 623, and it’s an honour this sits between his mates Josh Schuster at 622 and Jason Saab at 624.”
Earlier on Wednesday, the court was told the training session after which Titmuss died was “demanding” and he was at greater risk of exertional heatstroke due to having the lowest aerobic capacity of any member of Manly’s squad and a high body mass index.
University of Technology Sydney Professor Aaron Coutts agreed Titmuss’ pre-season screening tests would have been a “red flag” for heat-related illness.
Asked about the session in which GPS data recorded Titmuss covering 6.7 kilometres on the field before heading to the club’s Narrabeen dojo for a short conditioning workout, where he later fitted, Coutts said: “For a first session of the year, that’s a large-volume session.
“[It was] overarching. What struck me is it was a long session. It was over two hours and that’s only including the outdoor activity.”
But the inquest heard Titmuss covered just 47 metres a minute during the field component, with Hasler last week describing the workout as a “six or seven out of 10” for intensity.
The air temperature at nearby Terrey Hills did not reach 25 degrees on the day, but players and attending paramedics described conditions in the dojo as “hot and stuffy”. A dojo is a small hall used for indoor conditioning and wrestling activities.
Despite Coutts suggesting the 4.6 kilograms that Titmuss had put on during the off-season was “mostly fat”, the player’s mother and Saab said they had never seen him more disciplined with his diet and he continually trained throughout the break.
Another expert placed greater weight on Titmuss’ heart condition when giving evidence on Wednesday.
The court was told last week Titmuss had a “severe narrowing” of a main artery to his heart, which was first diagnosed in the autopsy.
“There is a 20-year-old who is very fit and well and died on a relatively mild day of heatstroke,” Dr Simon Quilty said. “There has to be a predisposition somewhere.
“What was rare for Keith is it was in this really critical location. Half of his heart muscle was potentially compromised from blood flow.”
The inquest is not a criminal trial and no Manly coaches or staff members have been accused of criminal conduct or wrongdoing.
Lee is expected to make formal recommendations about NRL training loads, the amount of medical staff attending sessions and education of heat-related illnesses.
He adjourned the inquest until March 22.
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