Secret probes clears NRL and Sydney Uni, families ‘appalled’

A National Rugby League investigation into allegations of research misconduct in its own brain injury study has concluded, with the league refusing to publicly comment on what it found.

Former Newcastle Knights player Robbie O'Davis says the NRL has not contacted him Picture: John Feder/The Australian

A National Rugby League investigation into allegations of research misconduct in its own brain injury study has concluded, with the league refusing to publicly comment on what it found.

The Australian can reveal that a separate investigation into the same research – this time by Sydney University – has also been finalised with investigators clearing the NRL’s researchers of wrongdoing.

Neither the NRL nor Sydney University investigators made contact with the former players and their families who raised the concerns via The Australian, nor have they been advised their complaints have been dismissed.

The families are “appalled” by their treatment by both the NRL and Sydney University.

Former Newcastle Knights hero Robbie O’Davis, who was diagnosed with a brain injury caused by football, and was part of study where his adverse brain scans were not disclosed to him, said he feels “lost”.

“No one has ever contacted me,” O’Davis said. “I just wish someone from the NRL would speak to the people that talk about their problems in the media….”

“I just need someone from the NRL to call me and ask; ‘how am I travelling?’ The last phone call I got from someone was asking if I can get my brain donated to them after I die … we just need help with our medical bills right now. ”

Following O’Davis and others going public with their experience as part of the NRL study, the Peter V’landys led Australian Rugby League Commission announced it would form a subcommittee.

It was “tasked with looking into the allegations and will make any relevant recommendations to the commission”. At the time an NRL spokesman said the matter was “board in confidence” and until finalised no further comment would be made.

Jordan Glanville, the daughter of former Knights great Marc Glanville who took part in the study, called on the ARLC to release the report.

“What did the NRL do to investigate?” Jordan Glanville asked. “What do they plan to do from here?”

Former Knights rugby league player Glenn Miller with his wife Sheree

Trevor Crow with wife Sandra in the 1980s

On Thursday the NRL again declined to provide on the record responses to detailed questions about its findings or any recommendations. The NRL would not provide a statement.

O’Davis said since going public with his story he has become a touchstone for his fellow former players and said he is constantly fielding phone calls from former teammates.

“I have players after players after players ringing me, week after week, needing help because they have brain injuries,” O’Davis said. “I am literally trying to hold those footballers’ hands. A couple of them are my old Knights’ teammates – the blokes who did all the hard work at the front – they are the ones who are really sick.”

“A couple of State of Origin players – they’re really struggling. My old teammates reach out to me … but I don’t even know how to help myself.”

The NRL’s brain injury research program, which is funded through an annual $250,000 grant, is led by Associate Professor Andrew Gardner, a neuropsychologist, at Sydney University, and expected to take 30 years to complete.

His co-researchers include Newcastle neurologist Professor Chris Levi and a number of United States researchers with close links to the National Football League.

In 2022 Dr Gardner received a $1.5 million from the National Health and Medical Research Council grant to study ‘Repetitive Neurotrauma and the Risk for Dementia in Former Athletes’.

Jordan Glanville, daughter of Marc Picture: Martin Ollman

Dr Gardner is on record stating there is insufficient evidence to say CTE is caused by repetitive head injury, and his research would provide that proof.

A separate probe into the allegations by Sydney University, where Dr Gardner’s research is now based, also found no wrongdoing.

“We have carefully considered the concerns raised, and established that Professor Gardner’s research received appropriate ethical approval and was conducted in accordance with human ethics requirements and our research code of conduct, with no breaches found,” a spokesperson said in a statement.

Sydney University declined to say why the families or former players had not been spoken to about their concerns, or told the outcome of the investigation

When quizzed on this issue Sydney University said they could not comment because of “confidentiality obligations” but they had “enormous empathy” for the participants.

“We have enormous empathy for our participants and their family members. We must also abide by our privacy and confidentiality obligations; if we receive any complaints they are carefully considered and addressed in line with our policies and as required under the relevant codes, and this process is considered confidential.”

However Sydney University’s research code of conduct states “relevant parties” include “participants in human based research whose interest may be affected” and they would be informed of findings.

Sheree Miller, whose husband Glenn Miller was part of the NRL study told The Australian she had heard nothing from NRL or Sydney University investigators “not even a whisper”.

Glenn Miller played for the Penrith Panthers and was part of the inaugural Newcastle Knights team from 1988.

Former Knights player Marc Glanville with his daughter Jordan in 1994

Last year Sheree Miller told The Weekend Australian she was “horrified” to learn in 2021 that Glenn had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease three years earlier – but the family had no idea. She claimed the diagnosis had not been shared with the family’s GP.

On the basis of his dementia diagnosis, Miller would have been excluded from a number of the NRL’s research projects which were examining anger and depression in former NRL players.

These studies concluded there was no link between concussion and anger or depression.

Sheree Miller said she recalled the day in 2018 when Glenn returned from Dr Gardner’s testing and she asked the ex-Knights player how it went. “Glenn said ‘they said my memory was normal for a 54 year old” Sheree said. “I recall laughing and saying, oh they need to spend a day in my life.”

“We are at the end of this shitty disease,” Sheree Miller said of her husband, now 60.

Sandra Crow – who’s rugby league player husband Trevor was part of the brain study – says she feels “beyond devastated” about the Sydney Uni and NRL.

“They haven’t bothered to investigate this,,” Crow said.

“They don’t care at all, they want to wipe their hands of all this … they just need to address the situation at hand, they know that people are suffering, they need to understand families are in turmoil and there are men whose lives are ending because of the game. Our dreams have been shattered – this life of growing into old age with my husband is all but gone – I am caring for a dementia patient because of the brain injury as a result of the game of rugby league.”

“I believe that the NRL should create facilities where these men who are suffering brain injuries because of football can be adequately cared for and families can be supported.”

“I don’t want the game to end, I just want them to look after the people that are suffering.”