Risky NRL training cultures

[BOZO]

2017 and 2020 is 3 years.

Don't insult people by saying 77 years.

This is not an insult . This is a fact
Since 1947 our Legendary Manly club has trained over 1000 players
and we have had 2 very Unfortunate cases in 77 years
I hope you enjoy our win tonight feathered friend .

 

[mave]

This is not an insult . This is a fact
Since 1947 our Legendary Manly club has trained over 1000 players
and we have had 2 very Unfortunate cases in 77 years
I hope you enjoy our win tonight feathered friend .

2 cases within 3 years of each other, after 70 odd years of no reported similar issues.

That could easily be seen as a pattern, and it doesn't look good.

 

[Pete W]

2 cases within 3 years of each other, after 70 odd years of no reported similar issues.

That could easily be seen as a pattern, and it doesn't look good.

2 incidents overseen by 2 different football and coaching departments is by no measure defined as a pattern

 

[mave]

2 incidents overseen by 2 different football and coaching departments is by no measure defined as a pattern

With 1 owner......

 

[Pete W]

With 1 owner......

Yes I'm sure this has Scott Penn written all over it...not. Seriously mate lol? As much as we all despise the guy, attempting to tie these tragic and accidental incidents to some suit in NY is absurd - he wasn't even allowed into the dressing room when Des was here.

just a question, have you played or coached for the club in any capacity? Or maybe close to someone who has? Are you inferring that there is a systemic issue re duty of care to our players?

 

[lsz]

You need to read more than just the headline. Will leave it to more capable minds than mine but it is not as clear as the headline indicates



Former Manly player Keith Titmuss died after a training session which was “more likely than not inappropriate”, a coroner has found.

Deputy state coroner Derek Lee presented his findings on Friday at the NSW Coroners Court into the death of the rising rugby league star after almost two weeks of evidence from Manly officials, former teammates and expert witnesses.

Lee told the court Titmuss was “most likely suffering involuntary dehydration” when he entered a dojo, or wrestling gym, for a short and intense cardio session at the end of Manly’s first field session of pre-season training in November 2020.

Lee said a number of factors caused Titmuss to suffer from exertional heatstroke – in which a paramedic described his body temperature of 41.9 degrees as the “hottest they’d ever seen” – including his high body mass index and lack of aerobic capacity compared to teammates.

His recommendations included the NRL consider a graduated 14-day return to training program for players after extended breaks such as the off-season, individual programs for players given their characteristics and medical personnel on standby for sessions in which heat illness is a greater risk.

Lee denied a 70-per-cent narrowing of one of Titmuss’ arteries was a factor in his death, and described Manly’s legal team raising the issue, while highlighting the caring nature of the club at length during the inquest, as “incongruous with the themes described”.

“Agitation of this issue was a source of distress to Keith’s family,” Lee said. “The degree to which this issue was raised by Manly was surprising and rarely seen.”

The court heard Manly’s immediate response to Titmuss’ medical episode and the treatment by paramedics was appropriate.

The Sea Eagles honoured Titmuss by posthumously naming him their 623rd first grade player despite being yet to make his NRL debut when he died.

He collapsed inside the club’s Narrabeen gym and suffered a seizure, and evidence given to the court described his involuntary howls as he moved around the dojo. He was taken to hospital where he later suffered a cardiac arrest.

“It’s been an incredibly distressing time for all of us, but particularly the family,” Manly chief executive Tony Mestrov said.

“We want to make sure we’re thinking of them today and how tough that was. Obviously, we’ve willingly participated in this inquiry and inquest. His Honour has handed down the findings today and we intend to take the recommendations up.

“This can’t happen again in the game. We all understand that. We don’t want it to happen under Manly’s watch ever again.”

Former Manly coach Des Hasler, who was employed at the club at the time of Titmuss’ death but has since left the Sea Eagles, provided evidence at the inquiry alongside a number of Sea Eagles officials as well as Titmuss’ former teammates including Josh Schuster, Moses Suli and Ben Trbojevic.

A paramedic reported Titmuss’ temperature was one they’d never seen before despite the maximum temperature at nearby Terrey Hills not reaching 25 degrees on the day.

Counsel assisting the coroner, Adam Casselden, SC, told the inquest in March the training session was “unnecessarily and inappropriately tough” for a player of Titmuss’ aerobic capacity, who was found to record the lowest score of Manly’s players during a yo-yo screening test days earlier.

Hasler previously told the court he rated the training session a “six or seven out of 10” as GPS data found Titmuss only covered an average of 47 metres per minute over the course of the session.

Lee described Titmuss’ death as a “tragic and devastating loss”.

“Keith was doing what he loved and sharing the love with his close friends,” Lee said.

 

[frank stokes]

I preferred the original title thread personally…

 

[Keffola]

I think there is some relief that the inquest found Manly staff to have acted appropriately in their response. And the recommendations from the coroner make sense.

 

[niccipops]

Tragic.
Poor kid and family.
His photo should be shown to all trainers before each preseason.

 

[Stuey Davis’s Socks]

‘No water’: Perrett takes step towards legal action against Manly over training collapse​

By Adrian Proszenko
September 18, 2024 — 3.45pm

Former Manly prop Lloyd Perrett has taken the first step towards a potential legal action against the club after requesting documents relating to the “serious injuries” he alleges to have suffered in a training session that cruelled his career and health.
Perrett’s plight came to light in May, when it was revealed he had engaged Brisbane legal firm Carter Capner to act on his behalf. The 29-year-old says he collapsed and had a seizure during a gruelling session in 2017 during which he was deprived of water.

Perrett claimed he has never physically or mentally recovered from the ordeal, which resulted in him becoming comatose at the time and suffering from ongoing complications. The former Bulldog managed to play in the NRL again – his last match was for the Sea Eagles in the 2019 finals – but he was never the same player or person.
Carter Capner sent a letter to the Sea Eagles late last week – obtained by this masthead – requesting preliminary discovery material that will help to determine whether a case should proceed.

The materials requested include:

• Perrett’s employment records, including contracts;
• Induction, health, fitness and performance assessments for his period of employment;
• All documents relating to a heat study the club arranged for Perrett and the stress tests conducted on him around January 2018;
• Statements from those who saw Perrett’s collapse;
• All materials relating to the training program in November 2017.

The letter to Manly states: “Our client believes that he may have a legal cause of action against you for compensatory damages for his injuries arising from your negligence by way of:

(a) requiring the training squad to conduct three consecutive 2 km time trials in quick succession in hot, sunny and muggy conditions;
(b) requiring the training squad to drink no water or other fluids during the time trials; and
(c) failing to monitor the health of members of the squad during the course of such training.”
Manly was given until September 26 to hand over the materials voluntarily, with Perrett’s legal team indicating they may take the matter to the Federal Court of Australia if the club doesn’t comply.
In an interview in May, Perrett said he decided to act after the coronial inquest into the death of former Manly player Keith Titmuss. The inquest heard the likely cause of Titmuss’ death was exertional heatstroke.

“It’s been an option for a long time but I avoided it because I don’t want to look like someone who is trying to get money,” Perrett said at the time.
“I’m not trying to get rich, nothing like that.
“I spoke to an occupational therapist and they said it’s survivor’s guilt. I was feeling really sad and upset [about Titmuss]. Not only did he not survive and I did, but he was my teammate and I knew him. He was only 18 years old when I was there … it was like a little brother type of thing.
“I feel I need to do this. It’s not about money, it’s not about me. I put my ego aside because I know people are going to tease me, they already are. They’re saying I’m just a wash-up, I’m not good enough, that I’m trying to get money and all that.
“But it’s about player safety. The RLPA [Rugby League Players’ Association] reached out to me and said the same thing: if it means a better outcome and better conditions for players for the game as a whole, then I’m all for it.”
None of the staff who oversaw the session in question remain at the Sea Eagles. The club declined to comment.
Perrett said he was taking the action to honour Titmuss and Benkato “Kato” Ottio, a PNG international who died during a training session. The likely cause of Ottio’s death was exertional heatstroke.
“Out of the three, I’m the only one who survived,” Perrett said.
“I feel responsible not just for those boys and their honour, but for future players. Young guys who will do whatever it takes to be an NRL player to impress their coach and win the trust of their teammates.
“This can’t happen.”

 

[MissKate]

Oh yeah, timed to perfection 😡

 

[Brookie Bob]

Correlation.............causation...............are they, in this case, the same thing?

Too many questions on both cases, with no clear answers, to speculate.

If court cases do eventuate, I'll be interested in the findings.

 

[globaleagle]

Oh yeah, timed to perfection 😡

I agree. It's so predictable and banal. (- not referring to the matter at hand.)

Those morons posing as nrl journos must really proudly sit around and circle jerk themselves into an anti-manly story every time there's a milestone moment. Pathetic.

Do they really go home to their family and proudly extoll what they've done during the day? Or are their partners simply embarrassed by the diatribe and the agenda driven click bait they clog the internet up with?

 

[HK_Eagle]

Do they really go home to their family and proudly extoll what they've done during the day? Or are their partners simply embarrassed by the diatribe and the agenda driven click bait they clog the internet up with?

Nah, there’s no repercussions when returning home. Granny just heats up their dinner while they head back down to the basement.

 

[Ranga]

I read this article about Spencer Leniu ending up in hospital in his first day of training at the Roosters and thought, why aren’t they being criticised for unsafe training practices?

Cooked Chooks: How Roosters recruit’s first day ended in hospital

Star Roosters signings Dominic Young and Spencer Leniu met their new teammates on an army bootcamp last summer. Thankfully, life at Bondi has improved for both of them since then.

www.theage.com.au