Professor calls on rugby league to adopt non-contact training and players to donate their brains for CTE research

The death of Paul Green left everyone in rugby league heartbroken.

The former North Queensland Cowboys coach was a beloved figure in rugby league and it devastated people to see him pass away at the age of 49.

Now the medical examiner Australian Sports Brain Bank chief Professor Michael Buckland who studied Green’s tragic passing is calling for the NRL to move to non-contact training sessions to safeguard players from damaging their brains according to the Daily Telegraph.

He has also called for every NRL player to donate their brains to the Australian Sports Brain Bank.

“We would love the NRL to encourage every player to donate their brains to the Australian Sports Brain Bank,” Buckland said.

“There will be people who have religious or cultural objections to it, so it would be hard to force them to do it, but I would strongly encourage the NRL to do it.

“It would be incredible.

“The study of CTE is a numbers game. The more numbers we get, the more confident we can be in the risks rugby league players and athletes are being exposed to.”

It comes as over in the UK ex-players are bringing a lawsuit against the game over head injuries and their subsequent effect on later life.

Meanwhile, we have seen the likes of Leeds Rhinos skipper Stevie Ward forced into early retirement due to concussion, so it is a prevalent issue.