By Dan Walsh
This article contains images and footage of an Indigenous person who has died.
Former Queensland Origin enforcer Carl Webb has died after a four-year battle with Motor Neurone Disease.
Webb, 42, passed away on Thursday night. During his 187-game NRL career Webb proved himself a fan favourite for his uncompromising play and reputation as a rough and tumble forward.
He represented the Maroons 12 times, scoring a try on debut during the famous 2001 series as part of a Wayne Bennett-led overhaul that stunned a star-studded NSW side.
Webb played one game for Australia in 2008 and represented the Broncos, Cowboys and Eels across more than a decade at the top of the game.
Webb was diagnosed with MND in early 2020 at the age of 39. During a recent interview with Fox Sports’ Yvonne Sampson, Webb said he held no regrets over his full-throttle approach to the game.
Carl Webb celebrates his famous 2001 Origin try.Credit: Fairfax Photography
“I wouldn’t change a thing,” Webb said in September. “I’ve got a lot of regrets in life and I will live with those and I’m quite happy to but if I didn’t have my journey I wouldn’t be where I am today.
“I’m happy. I’m cool with it, it was a really good ride. Life after football was great, I’ve had my wonderful children. If I didn’t do that, I wouldn’t have this.
“It’s a bitter pill to swallow but I wouldn’t change a thing.”
Webb was renowned as one of the most intimidating enforcers of his time thanks to an impressive boxing pedigree that delivered state championships, while his bench press records still adorn the gym walls at North Queensland and Brisbane almost two decades after he set them.
Cowboys CEO Jeff Reibel said Webb had played “a pivotal role in the transformational change at our club in the mid-2000s”.
His 2005 Origin tussle with Blues prop Luke Bailey – with Webb having shaved an unmissable ‘Q’ into his hair – has long been a fixture in State of Origin highlights reels.
“Anyone who has come across Carl’s battle will have been touched by his bravery,” ARL Commission chairman Peter V’landys said.
“He was a fearsome player and competitor and one of the toughest forwards to play in his era. He had a physical presence and aggression which was unmatched.
Nate Myles, Carl Webb, Matt Scott, Johnathan Thurston and Chris Walker together in 2021.Credit: NRL Photos
“He showed every bit of that toughness following his diagnosis with Motor Neurone Disease.”
Ben Ikin, CEO of the Queensland Rugby League, added: “I found it truly remarkable that a guy who made a living out of being so powerful and explosive could handle with such grace the debilitating effects of MND.
“Rugby league lost a true warrior this week and our condolences go out to Carl’s family at this very difficult time.”
In 2021, the Carl Webb Foundation was established to help fellow sufferers of MND - which impacts nerve and muscle control, limiting movement and speech as it worsens. There is no known cure for MND.
Webb initially realised something was wrong in early 2020 when he struggled with simple tasks like holding a dinner plate or completing 10 push-ups.
Earlier this year he told Nine’s A Current Affair that “raising a glass or bottle to my mouth to drink, those little arbitrary tasks throughout the day are quite challenging now.”
Former Broncos teammate Darren Lockyer acts as an ambassador for the Carl Webb Foundation and paid tribute to Webb’s perseverance as his condition worsened, with Webb still taking part in fundraisers in recent months.
“It’s been so inspiring to see the way he reacted to it,” Lockyer said. “It’s not about him, it’s about what he can do for others and that’s his family and other people that suffer from the same condition.”
Webb is survived by his partner Cassandra Jamieson and his four children.
The Broncos and Cowboys will dedicate both their clashes this season to his memory, with the Carl Webb Foundation and the MND & Me Foundation to partner as charities for the first Queensland derby on Good Friday.