Stevie Ward

[M j M]

Doesn't think he'll play again.

Since 2017 Ward has consistently been one of the best players for Leeds - when he played anyway. And to be fair even in the final years of the great Leeds teams he was outstanding, I thought he was pretty much our best player in 2015.

But I think we've all known for a while now that what should have been a long and successful domestic and international career has sadly come to a premature end. Hopefully the club will continue to support him and he gets over the continual effects of the head injury he got earlier this year.

[Tommygilf]

There's several other tweets from Stevie tonight too along the theme. He's been hideously unlucky with injuries.

[Man of Kent]

Desperately sad, particularly as Stevie Ward is such a champion of mental health issues (I know that is not the same as brain injury but it doesn’t seem fair somehow).

[arcticchris]

Seems to be a really mature, decent person with so much to offer off the pitch.

 

I hope Leeds offer him a role in player welfare and mentoring the academy players.

 

Always sad when a career is cut so short.

[Chrispmartha]

Stevie could have been world class (well in fact he was on his day)

How cruel is it that his first game as Rhinos Captain (something he always wanted to be) could well be his last.

[Niels]

I met him at the local hairdressers.

He was polite, friendly and very modest and unassuming. 

A great player too.

[Gooleboy]

Very sad reading this, he could have been a great player. We can only hope he returns to full health.

[Ullman]

Really feel for him and wish him all the best in whatever he does next.

[Tommygilf]

The recent head injuries and subsequent tribunal decisions threads should be linked to this one. I really do worry that it won't be long until we face a lawsuit.

[DavidM]

Very sad , and worrying . All the best to the lad , hope he gets sorted  out and back to  full health . 

[Lowdesert]

1 hour ago, Tommygilf said:

The recent head injuries and subsequent tribunal decisions threads should be linked to this one. I really do worry that it won't be long until we face a lawsuit.

Time dependant but I think that’s 100% certain.  Not forgotten will be the people who knew he wasn’t right to play and allowed it, despite evidence.

[Harry Stottle]

Good player, never realised his true potential, all the best for the future young man.

[Hela Wigmen]

If he doesn’t play again, he’ll be a big loss on the pitch. If someone doesn’t keep him in the game in some sort of role, he’ll be a huge loss.

[Mr Plow]

2 hours ago, Lowdesert said:

Time dependant but I think that’s 100% certain.  Not forgotten will be the people who knew he wasn’t right to play and allowed it, despite evidence.

A lot more research needs to be done into head injuries. The HIA test should be in every contact sport. Everyone needs to take head injuries a lot more seriously 

[Old Frightful]

Really dreadful time for the lad, facing up to what looks like the end of his playing career when he should be in the prime of his RL life right now.

Let's hope he gets all the help he needs.

As for future problems following concussion, I know this won't make me popular with Saints' fans but it really beggars belief that LMS reappeared in the 2nd half v Les Cats last Friday, after seemingly being unable to stand on his own earlier on in the game and failing his HIA, according to the Saints live Twitter feed.

I hope there is no long term damage with him also.

 

 

[Kirmonds pouch]

Life is not fair, RL is not fair. He joins a long list of players who deserved far more. Must be incredibly hard watching some players rob a living from the game but as I say that's life.

[cookey]

And yet our two resident clowns still love a bit of bish,bash.

SL needs to clamp down a lot harder on high tackles,as RU has been doing for the past few years. Excuses like a lazy arm,off balance etc are not acceptable.

[Jinking Jimmy]

1 hour ago, Old Frightful said:

 

As for future problems following concussion, I know this won't make me popular with Saints' fans but it really beggars belief that LMS reappeared in the 2nd half v Les Cats last Friday, after seemingly being unable to stand on his own earlier on in the game and failing his HIA, according to the Saints live Twitter feed.

 

 

 

If this were to be correct then surely someone on the St.Helens coaching / medical staff should have some questions to answer. 
 

I hope Stevie Ward can get over his problems, return to full health and stay involved with Leeds.

[Old Frightful]

6 minutes ago, Jinking Jimmy said:

If this were to be correct then surely someone on the St.Helens coaching / medical staff should have some questions to answer. 

Plenty on here asked questions at the time.

I can only assume you didn't see the game as it was all too obvious what a bad state he was in when he was helped off. And if you check the match thread, someone posted the Saints' twitter note that he'd failed his HIA and wouldn't be returning.

[Hela Wigmen]

1 hour ago, Old Frightful said:

 

As for future problems following concussion, I know this won't make me popular with Saints' fans but it really beggars belief that LMS reappeared in the 2nd half v Les Cats last Friday, after seemingly being unable to stand on his own earlier on in the game and failing his HIA, according to the Saints live Twitter feed.

I hope there is no long term damage with him also.

 

 

It only beggars belief if you’re into conspiracy theories and accusing medical professionals of incompetence. 

[Tommygilf]

15 minutes ago, Hela Wigmen said:

It only beggars belief if you’re into conspiracy theories and accusing medical professionals of incompetence. 

The problem here its not incompetence, but a conflict of competing interests.

[Click]

23 minutes ago, Old Frightful said:

Plenty on here asked questions at the time.

I can only assume you didn't see the game as it was all too obvious what a bad state he was in when he was helped off. And if you check the match thread, someone posted the Saints' twitter note that he'd failed his HIA and wouldn't be returning.

I imagine that the person running their twitter account isn't the doctor who conducted the HIA, and thus passed him.

I can't imagine Saints would ever have put LMS back onto the field if he had failed his HIA, what's to gain from doing that?

[Tommygilf]

14 hours ago, Lowdesert said:

Time dependant but I think that’s 100% certain.  Not forgotten will be the people who knew he wasn’t right to play and allowed it, despite evidence.

I posted in another thread that we in RL seem to not be taking the Union route of banning anything over the shoulder or the NFL route of burying our head in the sand. It means we are recognising there is a problem, but not doing much about it.

There's so much going into this it really is a whole game issue. Coaches, referees, the player, other players, club doctors, directors, match commissioners - so much goes into these decisions and there is interrelated responsibility.

[Jinking Jimmy]

5 minutes ago, Click said:

I imagine that the person running their twitter account isn't the doctor who conducted the HIA, and thus passed him.

I can't imagine Saints would ever have put LMS back onto the field if he had failed his HIA, what's to gain from doing that?

He did appear to be in a bad way but it’s hard to believe that given the current attitude to head injuries he would have been sent back on.

[Click]

4 minutes ago, Jinking Jimmy said:

He did appear to be in a bad way but it’s hard to believe that given the current attitude to head injuries he would have been sent back on.

Indeed - he did look in a bad way when he went off, and I was surprised to see him appear after HT, but obviously the Dr was happy that he passed his HIA, and I like to put trust in the medical opinion. 

I could may be understand the viewpoint of Saints pressuring the Dr to clear him if the game was close, but it wasn't, so I don't see the gain from bringing him back if he had failed.