Wally Lewis CTE diagnosis: QRL and Brisbane Broncos’ pledge to Queensland legend
Queensland rugby league boss Ben Ikin said the organisation’s full support is behind legend Wally Lewis following his shock CTE diagnosis.
Queensland Rugby League boss Ben Ikin insists Wally Lewis will not be abandoned by the organisation as the NRL Immortal wages the biggest battle of his life.
Lewis’ revelation that he has been diagnosed with probable chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) comes almost a year to the day that another Queensland rugby league legend, Paul Green, tragically took his life last August.
Tests after Green’s death showed the Cowboys premiership coach was suffering CTE, a diagnosis which rocked Ikin, who was one of Green’s closest mates.
Now, as QRL CEO, Ikin is determined to ensure ‘The King’ Lewis, arguably the greatest contributor to Queensland’s State of Origin success since his debut for the Maroons in 1980, is given every assistance in his brain-trauma battle.
“I was shocked by Wally‘s situation and while it’s very sad for him, I have no doubt that all that toughness and courage he showed as a player he will take on with his latest battle,” Ikin said.
“The QRL, the FOGS (Former Origin Greats organisation) and the family of rugby league will be queuing up to ensure that Wally realises we are here to support him.
“That’s less from an organisational perspective and more on a personal level.
“Wally has such strong and deep relationships across the game here in Queensland and, absolutely, if the QRL can find a way to do something to support him, tell his story or raise awareness, then we are all in.”
Ikin said the sudden passing of Green, Lewis’ diagnosis and other league greats such as Mario Fenech and Ray Price revealing their battles with dementia underlines why the NRL must continue its crackdown on head knocks in the sport.
“It was a shock to me what happened with Paul,” Ikin said.
“The learning of his CTE diagnosis helped us make sense of what happened, but it‘s another example in our game of why we should be doing everything we can around the issue of concussion.
“I'm not a scientist or doctor, so I can’t speak to the whole CTE issue intelligently. But the more we learn, the more we are doing and the more we do, you will feel better knowing you are putting things in place to mitigate what is an obvious risk.”
Ikin lauded the influence of Lewis, who was crowned The Emperor of Lang Park after dominating NSW in his 34 State of Origin games for Queensland between 1980-91.
“For me, Wally was my hero,” Ikin said.
“He made me fall in love with rugby league and when Origin time came around as a kid, you were always excited about the game because you would have a chance to watch Wally Lewis play and normally win man of the match.
“Like anyone else in the rugby league family who has given so much of themselves to something bigger than themselves, which Wally did for a long time, to know what he gave to Queensland and rugby league has contributed to his current condition is tough to swallow.
“He said if he could have his time over, he wouldn't change a thing.
“It's a sad time for Wally, but it’s another reminder that this direction we are heading on as a game, that we are doing everything we can to minimise the risk of concussion is the right path.”
KEVVIE’S BRONCOS PLEDGE TO CLUB LEGEND WALLY LEWIS
-Robert Craddock and Brent Read
Shocked Broncos coach Kevin Walters said his club would rally around ailing legend Wally Lewis, fearing there will be more concussion casualties from the free-spirited era in which they played.
Lewis revealed on 60 Minutes on Sunday night he is suffering from a form of dementia (chronic traumatic encephalopathy) which was the result of sustained head knocks received during his illustrious career.
Lewis’ contemporary Chris Close sent a text to Lewis praising him for speaking out while Walters, who also played with Lewis, said he was shocked by the report and fully supported rugby league’s push to minimise the scourge of concussion.
“He was always great to me Wally, in Queensland teams and the Broncos,’’ Walters told this masthead.
“I guess it goes to show we are all not invincible and I think he said that on the show. But it is a sport we all love playing as well. He would not swap anything for what he has achieved in the game and in life so we just have to get around him and support him.
“I am shocked by it but I can also see how back in that era it was considered tough to stay on the field. That has all changed and rightly so. It is smart to go off now and look after yourself.
“I am sure Wally will not be the last from that era and even my era where we didn’t know what we didn’t know (about concussion).’’
“All the clubs, the NRL, the NRLW and the clubs under that are all working in the same direction to make sure the health and safety of the players in at the forefront.
“Over the last three or four years things have accelerated heavily in favour of the players and their welfare more than anything else. The more we can do in that space the better.’’
Close told this masthead that rugby league must look forward not back.
“I am all about wellbeing and making sure we look after each other and I was absolutely saddened to watch the show with Wally on it,’’ Close said.
“One of the things I respect about Wally was that he stood up and got that information out there to help other people and that is what we should do.
“I didn’t realise it was that bad so I sent him a text of support. We cannot change anything that happened in the past and we should not waste time looking back.
“But we can change things for the future by protecting the head and if we can follow through with the laws with integrity and consistency then I don’t think we will have a problem going forward.
“We did things because we did not know any better. We all smoked back in the day as well.
“If we don’t learn from Wally’s message we are gooses and I don’t think we are. What he said was so important because he is still almost the most recognisable face in rugby league and he has not pulled on a boot for decades.
“I am particularly happy for the women’s game because they are starting afresh and can get it right first up and not have to worry about what happened in the past.’’
SMITH’S FEARS AFTER KING’S ‘SCARY’ DIAGNOSIS
Queensland legend Cameron Smith has admitted it is “scary” to see the battle fellow Maroons icon Wally Lewis is now facing after being diagnosed with probable chronic traumatic encephalopathy.
Lewis spoke about his fight on Sunday night, revealing concerns about worsening memory loss had prompted him to undergo testing on his brain. Those tests revealed that Lewis had the early signs of CTE, the brain injury caused by repetitive blows to the head.
Smith, who has worked alongside Lewis on the Nine Network, admitted it was concerning to see a colleague dealing with a debilitating brain injury.
“It is concerning,” Smith said on SEN radio in Sydney.
“You sit back and think about your own health of course and the guys you played alongside – not just the guys you played alongside, but all the players who were playing when you were playing the game at the same time and you saw some of the head injuries they sustained throughout their career.
“I think particularly about guys like Dallas Johnson, who I saw have some heavy head concussions in his career. Another guy like Ryan Hoffman as well.
“It is concerning. Watching the battle that Wally is now going through – and I see Wally a lot now up here in Queensland at different functions and games and things like that – it is scary to know someone so close to you is battling some issues with their brain directly from concussion and multiple trauma to his head from the game of rugby league.
“Like I said before, I was very lucky. I can’t remember ever being knocked out throughout my entire career.
“Sure there were some bumps but never was I ever clean knocked out, which I am very thankful for. But it is still quite scary to see someone battling an issue like Wally is at the moment.”
Lewis is regarded as arguably the greatest player in the games history, winning an unprecedented eight man of the match awards in State of Origin and captaining his state and country.
He was also the inaugural captain of the Brisbane Broncos. Lewis insisted he had no regrets about his rugby league career and had no interest in taking legal action against the game.
Smith praised the game for taking proactive steps to eliminate contact with the head in recent years, although he conceded some players may rethink their careers as the game gained more clarity over the causes and impact of CTE.
Lewis’ shock announcement comes less than a year since fellow Queensland league identity Paul Green took his own life. An autopsy found he was suffering one of the most severe cases of CTE.
CTE can only be diagnosed with absolute certainty after death.
Newcastle and Queensland fullback Kalyn Ponga is one high-profile player who has suffered a series of head knocks in recent years.
Ponga headed to Canada for further testing and was given the all clear to return. In recent weeks, he has inspired Newcastle’s push for a finals berth but Smith wondered whether he and players like him may consider the length of their careers given the concerns over CTE.
“When you think of a guy like KP, he is still a relatively young man,” Smith said.
“He has a lot of years left in him as an NRL player. What effect does that have on him? (Does he) start thinking about not playing well into his 30s?
“Does he think about possibly just playing another couple of years and then calling it quits? The positive about this whole situation is that the game has made some changes to high contact and protecting the player.
“We saw that on the weekend where any type of contact with the head is dealt with swiftly. I think slowly we’re seeing it moving from our game, the high contact.
“A lot of the swinging arms and all that stuff has almost disappeared out of our game entirely.”
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