'Get a grip': Peter FitzSimons slams NRL star Luke Keary for saying concussions are 'just part of the game' after the NRL star suffered several huge head knocks last year

  • Luke Keary had five concussion in last 18 months playing for Sydney Roosters 
  • He also welcome the birth of his first child Huddy with his wife Amy in 2019  
  • Former Wallaby Peter FitzSimons said he should consider hanging up his boots 

By Brett Lackey For Daily Mail Australia

Published: | Updated:

Peter FitzSimons has bluntly told NRL star Luke Keary he should consider moving on from playing the game after suffering five serious concussions over the last year and a half. 

Keary recently welcomed his first child named Huddy with his wife Amy Keary in 2019. 

The 28-year-old has had a successful NRL career - being one of the Roosters standout players, the 2018 Clive Churchill medallist, and three-time premiership winner. 

In comments made to the media, Keary said this week that the concussions had not affected his playing on the field. 

Keary recently welcomed his first child named Huddy with his wife Amy Keary in 2019 (pictured at the 2017 Dally M awards)

Keary recently welcomed his first child named Huddy with his wife Amy Keary in 2019 (pictured at the 2017 Dally M awards) 

Luke Keary has had five on-field concussions in the last 18 months (pictured in 2018)

Luke Keary has had five on-field concussions in the last 18 months (pictured in 2018)  

'It's weird because it's concerning how many [concussions]. But it doesn't play on my mind.' Keary told The Daily Telegraph. 

'I've gone through all of them with professionals... They have all been big ones. Most of them haven't been my fault, they have been accidental head knocks, which are going to happen in our game.' 

'If I don't want that well then I shouldn't be playing. I understand it's a part of our game and it's always going to be.'  

In 2019 he was knocked unconscious on the field resulting in a serious concussion that sidelined him for six weeks and caused him to miss playing five-eighth for the NSW State of Origin team. 

Former Wallaby Peter FitzSimons slammed his comments on Friday saying if he is knocked out again he should consider hanging up his footy boots. 

'Mate? Get a grip. The arbiter of whether or not you are in trouble is not whether or not the contact was deliberate or accidental,' FitzSimons wrote for the SMH. 

Former Wallaby Peter FitzSimons said it does not matter if Keary's head knocks were deliberate or accidental

Former Wallaby Peter FitzSimons said it does not matter if Keary's head knocks were deliberate or accidental 

FitzSimons explained that in his day players seriously thought a footy boot to the head would not cause the same damage a boxing glove would. 

Increasing scientific research has shown, however, that repeated head knocks in any kind of sport can cause serious long term damage. 

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is understood to be caused by repeated head knocks in contact sports such as rugby, NFL, boxing, and ice hockey. 

Symptoms typically do not begin until years after the injuries and include behavioral problems, mood problems, and problems with thinking. 

FitzSimons took aim at Keary's comments that his head knocks were just part of the game. 

'In your case, what the hell does it matter if the concussions you're getting so frequently are accidental or deliberate? Do you think your brain knows the difference. All it means is, in your line of work, you're getting knocked out too often to be safe,' he wrote. 

'You're about to start this season. So be it. But if you get knocked out again, do the right thing by yourself and your family. Take up a clipboard, and move into a different part of the game.' 

Luke and Amy Keary pictured in 2018 after a victorious game with the Roosters

Luke and Amy Keary pictured in 2018 after a victorious game with the Roosters 

 

NRLPeter FitzSimons

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