The National
Spinal Cord
Injury Association

Disability in the News Archive

National Rugby League To Act After Second Neck Injury

Tuesday, March 31, 1998 -- The National Rugby League will investigate ways to minimise the risk of neck injuries after Cronulla's Paul Donaghy became the second player in as many weeks to fracture a vertebrae in his neck.

Donaghy was released from Royal North Shore Hospital in a brace yesterday after suffering a stable fracture to the C6 vertebrae, at the base of his neck, when he was tackled in Saturday night's match against Melbourne.

Melbourne's Rodney Howe was placed on report for the tackle but cleared by the match review committee on video evidence.

The committee's Graham Annesley denied the legal implications of a guilty charge played a part in the decision.

"From our point of view the rules are broken or they're not," Annesley said.

Donaghy's teammate, Craig Greenhill, is still in traction in Prince of Wales Hospital after suffering unstable fractures to the C5 and C6 vertebraes a week earlier against St George.

Manly doctor Nathan Gibbs yesterday urged the National Rugby League not to react too quickly to the neck injuries.

Worrying NRL officials is that both injuries occured in widely varying situations, although both players appeared to have been hit on top of the head while going into the tackle.

Greenhill injured his neck colliding with a teammate while making a tackle.

"It is fair to say that there is enough concern about it that we are looking at ways to see what, if anything, can be done," NRL spokesman John Brady said.

"But the fact is we have got two totally different situations. It is against every trend our research shows."

Gibbs believes an injury surveillance system, logged into a computer and similar to that used by the Australian Football League, would best help the NRL track down causes of injuries.

For instance, he points out that studies conducted by Royal North Shore Hospital and Royal Prince Henry Hospital, for the years 1984-1996, show the occurrence of spinal ord injuries in rugby league have slowed.

There were 21 spinal cord injuries in the nine years up to 1992, while there were just two in the four years that followed.

"Without doubt this is a concern [the latest injuries], but before any drastic rule changes are employed you have to look across the board," Gibbs said.

"You can't make rash decision after only two neck injuries. We need to continue the research and this new surveillance system will be able to help track injuries."

In many ways the NRL realises it is powerless to stop critical neck injuries.

"In any walk of life and in any sport there are certain things that can be safeguarded and certain things that can't be safeguarded," Brady said.

After Donaghy was hit in the tackle on Saturday night he immediately left the field and later had x-rays at Sutherland Hospital.

Further x-rays and a MRI scan at Royal North Shore on Sunday revealed the stable fracture, which effectively means the vertebrae has not fractured all the way across, leaving the ligaments that hold the bone together intact.

Doctors have told Donaghy he will be fit to resume his career in 12-14 weeks, although his family and the Cronulla club are seeking a second opinion.

Specialists have told Greenhill he should never play again but, in a bid to prove them wrong, he will undergo an operation on Friday to speed his recovery.

While the Storm's Howe escaped action, four players will answer charges after round three.

Canberra's Ricky Stuart was a late inclusion when he was placed on a grade-one reckless high tackle charge, an offence that carries 300 points.

North Sydney's Adam Muir and North Queensland's Andrew Dunemann will each face a grade-two careless high tackle charge (250 points), while Melbourne's Danny Williams will face a grade-three reckless high tackle charge (400 points).

The match review committee also sent letters to the Cowboys' Owen Cunningham, Balmain's Darren Senter, Canberra's David Atkins and the Gold Coast's Scott Sattler warning them to curb their tackling styles.

Steve Mascord writes: Brisbane winger Michael Hancock and Canberra hooker Luke Priddis each face three weeks on the sideline with shoulder injuries.

Melbourne fullback Robbie Ross now expects to miss just one week with a torn hamstring which, it was feared, would keep him out for three.

Storm halfback Brett Kimmorley's shoulder injury will be closely monitored in the lead-up to Friday night's Olympic Park clash with North Sydney.

And Gold Coast coach Phil Economidis "was mistaken" in claiming Canberra scored a try on the seventh tackle on Sunday, according to NRL referees' co-ordinator Michael Stone.

Back to Disability in the News Archive

Browse the News Room Archives