Football star who suffered a series of horrific head knocks refuses to retire and insists THREE medical experts cleared him of having any brain injuries
- NRL star Boyd Cordner suffered a number of serious head knocks in 2020
- Plenty have called for Sydney Roosters skipper, 28, to retire for his own safety
- Cordner will sit out the first 12 weeks of the NRL season, but plans to return
- He was medically cleared by three leading Australian doctors in recent months
- Last September Cordner’s cousin Joel Park died following a footy head knock
Footy star Boyd Cordner is refusing to hang up his boots – despite suffering a series of horrific head knocks in 2020.
The NSW Origin skipper and Sydney Roosters co-captain will sit out the first 12 weeks of the upcoming NRL season following medical advice, but the 28-year-old has dismissed talk of retiring from the sport completely.
‘I’ll be ready to go again sometime in June and I’ll play like I always have. I’ll be as fearless as ever,’ Cordner told the Daily Telegraph.
‘I feel confident I’ve got plenty more to offer. I’ve still got goals and ambitions as long as I stay healthy.’
Footy star Boyd Cordner (pictured right) with his partner Jemma Barge, who he has described as his ‘rock’
Ever since Cordner suffered yet another concussion in Adelaide during the first State of Origin game last November against the Maroons, his career has been in the firing line.
A number of people close to the back-rower are reported to have grave concerns surrounding his long term health and well-being following repeated games in 2020 where Cordner was concussed.
Those fears were only increased when Cordner’s cousin Joel Park tragically passed away last September after suffering a head knock from a local rugby league game in Newcastle.
Cordner has won three premierships with the Tricolours, captained his state and country and is one of the most respected players in the game.
The logical outcome many believe would be to walk away immediately, but after he was cleared by Australia’s leading brain specialist, professor Chris Levi, as well as fellow doctors Andrew Gardner and Nathan Gibbs, Cordner will look to press on in 2021 and beyond.
‘Listening to the experts puts your mind at rest. The (major) scans were fine, the doctors all recommended rest more than anything else,’ he said recently.
Cordner is also thankful for the support of his partner Jemma Barge, who he has described as his ‘rock.’
The NRL recently praised the Sydney Roosters for showing a duty of care to their highly respected co-captain, as Cordner prepares to be ‘rested’ from March to June on medical advice.
Boyd Cordner of the Roosters (pictured left) poses with Gemma Barge at the Dally M Awards
Boyd Cordner of the Blues (pictured right) moments after another head knock during game one of the 2020 State of Origin series last November
Under the NRL’s representative laws, the club is entitled to a salary cap dispensation if a player is injured when representing their state or country and goes on to miss at least 12 games.
Cordner was injured on November 4 when Queensland’s Felise Kaufusi elbow smashed into his head, leaving the NSW captain in a daze in the series opener.
He later shocked many after returning to the field, but sat out games two and three.
‘We have received an independent report and we are very pleased with the approach the club’s taken around Boyd’s recovery and welfare and approach to rehabilitation,’ NRL CEO Andrew Abdo said.
‘When it comes to concussion protocols, we are continuing to engage with experts to ensure we are always acting in the best interests of players.
‘We want to make sure our (concussion) policy is setting the standard in contact sport across the world.’
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