Rugby league’s treatment of concussion and stance on player welfare will be a farce if Kevin Brown plays in the World Cup semi-final this Saturday.
Brown suffered a head knock in the quarter-final win over Papua New Guinea in Melbourne. He was brought off at half-time after the shoulder of a Kumuls player collided with his head, then he was hit by another player as he laid on the ground. Brown is in some doubt for the Tongan match, but at this stage has been named in England’s starting XIII.
England coach Wayne Bennett said today: “He's got to do a series of tests, he's not allowed to train with the team in the early part of the week but he's doing other stuff so he's on track, so it's all good. If he's going to be declared to play, he'll be able to train fully on Friday. I'm extremely confident. We'll bring another player in if we have to but I'm not planning on that.”
Getting concussed has been a constant theme in Brown’s career. The stand-off has been knocked out many times, at least more than 10, in his 15 years as a professional with Wigan, Huddersfield, Widnes, Warrington and England. He’s had two concussions already this year, which ruled him out for long periods. The 33-year old was knocked out in March in Super League against Leigh. Centurions forward Glenn Stewart was banned from the hit. Brown was also concussed when he was kneed in the face in a match against Hull.
In April he told the BBC about his history of concussions over the eyars and his fears.
“In the 2004 Challenge Cup final, I played in the centre against St Helens. I don't remember the game," Brown, who played on despite being knocked out twice, said.
“After the game, I had no idea what was going on. I missed the bus and I was walking round Cardiff with my tracksuit on. My team-mate Martin Aspinwall found me and took me back to the hotel because I was delirious and I didn't know where I was. But after those two concussions, I played again the week later.
“I only know I played a week later because I broke my leg at Wakefield. There was obviously nothing in place to protect you from getting a further head injury a week later, which they're saying now is the most dangerous. Getting concussed isn't dangerous, it's getting concussed again while your brain is a little bit swollen that can really affect you.
“That's been take away a lot now with the cogsport tests and the protocol. You're not allowed to play on a six-day turnaround if you have had a concussion. Also, I've been knocked out six or seven times when I've passed the ball and been shoulder-charged. The game stopped that tackle and started banning people, so people stopped doing it. It's good that rugby league took the stance and is looking after the players.”
It’s true that rugby league looks after the health of its players better than it did a decade ago. The protocols around head knocks has improved greatly. But there’s still no long-term studies or clear evidence about what repeated concussions can do to player’s health in the future. While studies have been carried out in the NFL, and the shoulder charge has been banned in rugby league, knowledge is still relatively limited. Horror stories from retired players, from Ian Roberts to Mario Fenech, Shontayne Hape and Lance Hohaia, are abundant.
Brown recounted to the Daily Star earlier this year about his 2017 concussions: “After the Leigh game I felt fine but after getting kneed in the face against Hull I suffered really bad headaches. I also lost the vision in my right eye and that scared me a little bit and I had to go to hospital. It’s never good getting back-to-back concussions and if you get a third it can be dangerous.”
Brown has been hit with three concussions in just seven months. You have to wonder when enough is enough? Yes Brown wants to play on, that is unsurprising. It is a World Cup semi-final playing for his country. It’s what dreams are made of. He has played very well in the victories against France and Papua New Guinea, and England losing him for the game would be a blow.
But some decisions need to be taken out of the player’s hands. The sport has a responsibility to safeguard the health of its players. No one wants to see Brown end up like John Atkinson or Graeme Langlands one day.
“The life I've had playing rugby has been unbelievable," the playmaker told the BBC.
"The opportunities it's given me, the enjoyment it's given me, far outweighs the negatives of the head knocks. Touch wood, I don't have any side-effects when it's finished."
