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Rhinos star throws his weight behind head injuries battle EXCLUSIVE
SHAUN WANE is still hopeful for this autumn’s Ashes Series.
The three Tests against Australia look to be hanging in the balance because of the coronavirus lockdown.
Both the Super League and NRL seasons could now run into winter, which may mean the Ashes would have to be scrapped.
But new England coach Wane (below) admits he’s still mentally preparing his players as if the
Series will go ahead.
He said: “I want to get the Ashes on in October and win it and then the World Cup next year. I want the players to be obsessed with winning.
“It is not perfect but there are more important things going on in the world.
“Without a doubt this makes it tough but there is nothing we can do about it. The only way I look is forward.
“I am touching base with the players, telling them what I need them to do and how I need them to improve.”
GREAT BRITAIN star George Williams insists he won’t moan about massive NRL pay cuts.
Players Down Under are taking a hit of about 75 per cent after their season was mothballed.
The half-back, 25 (right) who left Wigan for Canberra Raiders, said: “It might be no pay depending on when we get back.
“It hurts but there’s a bigger picture to look at.”
STEVIE WARD wants to be at the forefront of vital research into the horrific repercussions of concussion for sports stars.
Leeds Rhinos’ skipper admits he was scared by how bad the symptoms were when he suffered a head injury in the opening game of the season.
The second-row, 26, has still not fully recovered nine weeks later but says he’s shocked to discover that he’s far from alone.
He said: “The symptoms can last for six months in some cases and it would be interesting to get more data and analysis.”
Currently players who have suffered a blow to the head go through an injury assessment where a doctor decides if they are fit to return.
But Ward doesn’t feel the tests go far enough. He said: “It is something I might look to research more through university because we need something that measures brain activity – imagery that shows how the brain is altered.
“There is also research into gum shields being used to measure G-force. interesting to see the results.”
Ward has learned how to cope with lengthy lay-offs, having had a catalogue of major injuries in his career.
He suffered so badly with depression during one of those lay-offs that he set up Mantality, an online magazine to help people with mental health problems.
Ward is finding there’s a growing demand now because of the stresses caused by coronavirus and is expanding his advice service in response.
But he admits his coping strategies failed even him when his concussion was at its height. He said: “It was hard because I’ve always used my head to get past the problems of any injuries.
“But if your head is stressed it’s a whole new challenge. If you’re injured your mind is all you have but if that’s off kilter it makes
life really hard. When I
It will be first got the injury it literally hurt my head thinking about stuff. I had disorientation, migraines, dizziness and slurred speech.
“One day you feel a bit better and two days later you feel almost back to square one and it’s very confusing.”
Specialists pinpointed his concussion issues as stemming from an inner-ear problem often seen in boxers.
Ward is now able to do some training in lockdown but still needs specialist clearance before getting the all-clear.
He’s also using the lockdown to encourage people to concentrate on their mental health, through his Mantality programme.
He said: “Make a checklist each day and set some goals that you want to go and achieve.
“Also experiment with stuff that you’ve always wanted to try – a new skill or
challenge.”