NRL latest set back club doctors set to quit comp!

[Swans4ever]

NRL just can't deal with the tough issues and as a result they are now having experienced medical staff leaving their organisation.

Leaving Wests Tigers: Donald Kuah, left. Photo: Tim Clayton
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The NRL has been hit by an exodus of sports doctors, led by Sydney Roosters medico John Orchard, amid a raft of concerns raised during a year in which the code has been turned inside out by the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority investigation into alleged doping.
It can be revealed the long-serving Orchard is set to quit his post at the premiers, still incensed that personal trainer Sean Carolan was introduced to the club in the pre-season behind his back. At least four other NRL doctors are also resigning, with some disturbed by the infiltration of sports scientists into clubs and others also fearing the potential for players to follow in the footsteps of NFL players in the United States by suing over past concussions.
Carolan's sports nutrition firm Nubodi was hired in December while Orchard was overseas and a month later promptly sacked by the Roosters when the doctor returned to find Carolan had conducted blood tests on players.
The results of the tests by Carolan, who has another company called Advanced Peptide Solutions, were discovered on the seized phone of a person with links to organised crime and showed six players with elevated readings of the banned substance human growth hormone.
The departure of Orchard will be the highest-profile resignation. Newcastle doctors Peter McGeoch and Neil Halpin are leaving their positions at the Knights, Paul Bloomfield is quitting St George Illawarra only a year after his move from Manly, and Donald Kuah is exiting Wests Tigers.
The NRL's chief medical officer, Ron Muratore, is also understood to be frustrated at being effectively sidelined by the code's administrators during the eight-month ASADA investigation.
Kuah and Bloomfield have told Fairfax Media they are resigning for family and personal reasons, while McGeoch is citing a desire to reduce his travelling commitments, having spent 22 years full-time with the Knights.
However, there is an undertone of serious trepidation among the game's community of sports doctors, who discussed the issues and their futures at a day-long meeting before the grand final.
Chief among the concerns is the proliferation into clubs of sports scientists and so-called supplements and nutritional experts outside their control and the treatment dished out to doctors David Givney and Bruce Reid at Cronulla and AFL side Essendon respectively.
Givney was sacked by the Sharks in March despite having warned coach Shane Flanagan when he heard about injections being given to players as part of sports scientist Stephen Dank's controversial supplements program at Cronulla in 2011. Reid, meanwhile, took the AFL to the Victorian Supreme Court after being one of four Bombers officials charged over their injections program last year. The charges were dropped in September.
Another talking point among NRL medicos is fears over potential legal action being taken by players who have been victims of concussion. In the US, thousands of former NFL players have sued the governing body over head injuries suffered, forcing a $US765 million ($808 million) settlement.
New Zealand Warriors doctor John Mayhew expressed his concern in July that players were being allowed to stay on the field after being concussed. ‘‘We are disappointed by the lack of apparent action by the NRL on teams that flout the concussion rules,’’ said Mayhew, a former All Blacks doctor.
Another NRL doctor told Fairfax Media that medicos were quitting clubs on a variety of grounds. ‘‘Different blokes have different reasons [for leaving],’’ he said. ‘‘Some are frustrated, some want to spend more time with their family, others feel sidelined, and some are worried about potential lawsuits ... You can lose your house and lose your family’s well-being. That’s a very real risk these days.’’
The damage that Givney and Reid have incurred to their reputations has left other doctors wondering whether it is worth continuing when they can earn in the range of $300,000 and $400,000 in private practice. ‘‘You can be found guilty by association rather than because you’ve done anything wrong,’’ said the NRL doctor, who asked that his name not to be published. ‘‘The classic cases are Dave Givney and Bruce Reid. These guys haven’t done anything wrong and they wouldn’t. That’s why people go behind their backs.
‘‘John Orchard resigning is a great loss to rugby league because he’s such a talented sports physician,’’ he said.
Orchard, who works with the NSW cricket team and has toured with the Australian side, is understood to be considering a consultancy role with the Roosters but is expected to quit the match-day job he has held since 1998.
It is believed Carolan was taken on board by Keegan Smith, the Roosters’ strength and power coach, and Lachlan Penfold, the head of performance and science.
Kuah, who spent 11 years as first-grade doctor for the Tigers and was last season’s clubman of the year, said he was stepping aside for family reasons. ‘‘I’ve got young teenage kids and want to spend some weekends at home,’’ Kuah said. Bloomfield said he was also quitting the Dragons for ‘‘personal and family reasons’’.

[Raiderdave]

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Is this all you've got captain racist ?

a few quacks moving on ?

there'll be hundreds lining up to take their places
wow

what a nothing story


from a nothing poster

[NRLCrap1]

A nothing story hmmm? Large numbers resigning at once with ASADA breathing down the NRL's neck.

You're the nothing poster, Dave.

[Stewie]

Who would want to be involved with that pathetic amateurish league in the first place? Good on the doctors for moving on.

[Raiderdave]

Who would want to be involved with that pathetic amateurish league in the first place? Good on the doctors for moving on.

:_<> :_<>

or
who'd want to be involved in a sport who's biggest game .........ended up 4th most watched for the year .... eh fuckwit ? :_<> :_<>

sounds a tad amateurish
a bit

pathetic really

[Raiderdave]

You're the nothing poster, Dave.

IM not

you are whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

[Fred]

Is that all Dave has lol. It's kinda pathetic.

[Swans4ever]

Yep keep burying your head in the sand RD - while RL burns !

[NRLCrap1]

You're the nothing poster, Dave.

IM not

you are whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Awwwww did diddums get a boo boo then? Mummy will kiss it better.....

[pHyR3]

Lol is that all you've got 4 doctors leaving their clubs after the biggest sports doping investigation in Australian history? I'm sure if someone kept a tab on doctor movements in the AFL they'd find 3 or 4 doctors leaving one year and make some headline grabbing article about it too. lol

And as for the Tigers one, Donald Kuah, he is not leaving the club he is looking after our 2nd grade side because he has too many other committments, Olympic and Commonwealth Game athlete committments, his own practice, and wife/kids.

Another one in the article "is looking to reduce travel."

this one, Givney, "was sacked by the Sharks"

another one "sacked by the Roosters"

And for all we know the rest who are leaving their clubs are just going to other NRL clubs or exiting the sport science world and doing something else. nice one.

[Swans4ever]

I didn't write the article merely posted it! But why do RD KE and people like you tell us AF fans that the AFL is a corrupt sport over the Essendon ASADA investigation but ignore the problem in your code? This article would indicate otherwise!

[NRLCrap1]

BINGO!!

[pHyR3]

so you just ignored what i just said where i completely smashed the entire premise of the article. alright then. oh noooooo doctors are leaving the NRL wahhhhhhhhhh



god you afl fans are dim witted. all the intelligence seems to be centred in afl management lol

[Swans4ever]

so you just ignored what i just said where i completely smashed the entire premise of the article. alright then. oh noooooo doctors are leaving the NRL wahhhhhhhhhh



god you afl fans are dim witted. all the intelligence seems to be centred in afl management lol

That's right keep ignoring the problem it will all go away!

[pHyR3]

some of you afl fans are stupid as fuck. can't i talk to ones with an iq of more than 90 like xman or something? jeesus.