Crotty should use his head and quit game now

Ryan Crotty should call it quits. Someone had to say it. So there it is, as painful as it is. I’m no medical expert so this call comes without any relevant paperwork to back it up.

But gut-feel and instincts play a huge part in sport and, like most followers of the game, I have winced every time we’ve watched Crotty being forced off the field by repeated concussions.

This is the sixth time in 15 months it’s happened.

Surely the alarm bells can’t ring much louder?

Heavyweight boxer Joseph Parker just suffered the first knockdown of his professional career in 26 fights and some, even a former member of his inner circle, were instantly pleading for him to hang up his gloves.

Parker is going to box on. But where does this leave Crotty now?

It’s the repetitive nature of Crotty’s knocks that are concerning and the long-term effects that may come back to haunt him.

Each concussion is different and Crotty has bided his time with every one of them to make sure he has had the necessary medical clearances to carry on.

But the collective damage

must be causing some concerns.

When his sister publicly voices her worries, you know this is getting close to home.

The latest incident comes at a time when concussion and head injuries continue to be the game’s biggest issue which will only add to the focus on the gritty Crotty.

What we can be sure of is that Crotty will be getting the best medical advice. That comes with playing for the best team in the world. Nothing will be spared to make sure Crotty returns to full fitness.

And, as important as he is with a World Cup defence just over a year away, there will be no pressure on Crotty to continue against his wishes. The All

Blacks family doesn’t work that way. Health and safety are paramount.

At 29, Crotty has an incredible CV, winning virtually everything at provincial and international level.

A World Cup victory is a glaring absence after he missed out on the 2015 tournament in England, with Sonny Bill Williams and Malakai Fekitoa selected as midfield backups to the established pairing of Ma’a Nonu and Conrad Smith at the expense of Crotty.

That will be the huge temptation for him as will the healthy pay cheque that comes with his talent and the prospect of perhaps even bigger pay days

offshore in the twilight of his career.

But there can be no price placed on health.

He’s a sensible man who will take advice from everyone around him and weigh it up with the sort of balance that has seen him become one of the world’s best players.

He’s also one of the nicest All Blacks going around which just adds to the depth of feeling for him.

Only he knows deep inside himself how he feels and, ultimately, any decision rests with him.

But, looking from the outside, it’s getting to be very painful viewing.