James McManus, the first Australian footballer to "take legal action against a professional sporting club over the handling of his alleged repeated concussions," said that National Rugby League side Newcastle Knights "should have forced him to retire from rugby league," according to Ford & Hall of the ABC. McManus "is suing the Knights for damages" for "permitting or requiring him to continue to be exposed to traumatic brain injury when they knew the cumulative effect could create a permanent impairment." In a statement of claim filed with the NSW Supreme Court, McManus said that he suffered "multiple head knocks and concussions during his time playing with the Knights during the last three years of his eight-year career." He said that his ongoing disabilities included "cognitive impairment, impairment of memory, mood swings, headaches, anxiety, depression, lethargy and sleep disturbance" (ABC, 6/21). In Sydney, Adrian Proszenko reported the statement of claim said that McManus was "permitted or urged to continue" his career despite displaying traumatic brain injury symptoms including "confusion, disorientation, memory impairment and balance disturbance." The former NSW winger "is seeking damages, costs and interest" after suffering from "traumatic brain injury," "post-concussive syndrome" and "chronic traumatic encephalopathy." According to the statement of claim, McManus' "issue with head knocks" began in '12, when he suffered one that resulted in a "fracture of his right maxilla" (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 6/21).
STEPPING AWAY: In Sydney, Robert Dillon reported McManus parted company with the Knights, "thereby ending the awkward situation of working for the club while proceeding with legal action against it." After his playing career ended, the Knights employed McManus as a corporate sales exec. He "recently resigned to take up a new role with QMS Certification Services" (SMH, 6/22).
