Rugby League Players' Association CEO Ian Prendergast said that "it was inevitable that a player forced into retirement due to concussion would take legal action against a club or the code," according to Chris Barrett of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. The RLPA has "thrown its support behind" former Newcastle and NSW State of Origin winger James McManus after he launched a civil case against the Knights in the NSW Supreme Court "over the club's handling of the head injuries" that brought his National Rugby League playing career to a "premature end" midway through the '15 season. McManus, 31, said that there "could be some groundbreaking things" in his claim against the Knights, for whom he is still working. Prendergast said, "I think it was inevitable that we were going to see cases like this given the emerging information and the current levels of compensation that are available for [a] player that finishes football due to a career-ending injury." Another "high-profile" former State of Origin and Kangaroos int'l "has undertaken neuropsychological assessments and engaged the services of a Sydney lawyer with an eye towards possibly beginning a concussion-related legal action." Prendergast added, "When you're in that situation, the first question you ask is, 'Why me?' The second question is, 'Have I been treated fairly?'" If McManus' court case proceeds, former Knights doctor Peter McGeoch -- "responsible for game-day concussion protocols" -- and ex-coach Rick Stone "could potentially be key witnesses" (SMH, 2/26).
