Jake Friend's future to be decided on Monday

[fletch]

According to Robbo in his presser today Friend saw the final independent specialist he was required to see a couple of days ago and on Monday Robbo/Friendy/Club Doctors will sit down and work out where things go from here.

[King Salvo]

Unless the Specialist or the Club advises him to stop playing then I would assume he will be back at some stage.Of course one more concussion same for Cords will be curtains on their career's.

Friends on a year by year contract and has a couple of businesses to fall back on post footy. Will have some sort of role with club as well I suggest like Cords will if forced into earlier than anticipated retirement.

Meanwhile, Robinson confirmed a meeting with co-captain Jake Friend, who is sidelined indefinitely after a recent concussion, was scheduled for Monday with the club to discuss his playing future.

[stringaz]

According to Robbo in his presser today Friend saw the final independent specialist he was required to see a couple of days ago and on Monday Robbo/Friendy/Club Doctors will sit down and work out where things go from here.

Both him and cordner. Get them back on the field if they are ok. Stuff what the rest of the league thinks.

[Steakface]

Both him and cordner. Get them back on the field if they are ok. Stuff what the rest of the league thinks.

Since when has Robbo given a shit about what the league thinks?

If they aren't right medically speaking, they wont play. If they are right medically speaking, they will.

End of story.

[stringaz]

Since when has Robbo given a shit about what the league thinks?

If they aren't right medically speaking, they wont play. If they are right medically speaking, they will.

End of story.

I posted before about media pressure. I'm not convinced they don't have us over a barrel somehow. I still don't understand why an entire off season plus half a season equates to a totally healed brain when previous scans have labelled it a pristine brain.

If he has chronic issues he shouldn't play again. The amount of time seems arbitrary. So what if he cops another 5 mins into rd 13? All over red rover? Or another 30 weeks?

[Lydon]

Wishing him all the best and the right decision made for his well being..

[Rooster_6]

For a bloke who has given his all for our colours I really hope he’s holding up alright.

Got a lot of love for this guy, has copped a lot on here over the course of his career but I doubt we’ve had a tougher player. Maybe plenty his equal but for a small guy, playing the position he does in the way that he does he deserves nothing but the best treatment from the club for his future.

[Easts75]

I have a feeling it's going to be over for Jake

[mattyh]

I have a feeling it's going to be over for Jake

for some strange reason , i think your right. he seems to have a career outside rl maybe moreso then cords. whilst im pretty 50/50 , i would be titally unsurprised if he was to pull the pin .

[mightyrooster]

The problem is it’s not whether the concussion has cleared and he’s now fit to play, it’s whether his history of concussions will come back to bite him years later when he’s retired. It’s so easy when you’re young to just worry about the now and the short term. In 20-30 years time though he doesn’t want to be looking back and regretting the choices he made a few decades earlier. It’s such a tough choice for him and his partner to make. They have a child now and probably more to come as well.

[BUDDY]

For a bloke who has given his all for our colours I really hope he’s holding up alright.

Got a lot of love for this guy, has copped a lot on here over the course of his career but I doubt we’ve had a tougher player. Maybe plenty his equal but for a small guy, playing the position he does in the way that he does he deserves nothing but the best treatment from the club for his future.

I can't remember another player who played SG Ball and then played NRL the same year.
So lucky Uncle Nick knew what we had when he didn't sack him but made him wash plates for a few months.
A true club legend.

[player 1]

I think times have changed. He has copped enough bad knocks, we know now objectively the long term effects of traumatic brain injury, and Jake needs to be looked after by those around him who should advise he retires. Our desperately bad injury toll has created needs that should be surpassed by the need to look after Jake, even though we will desperately miss what he brings to the table. The last knock was incredibly bad luck but was a real head shaker.

His age and the fact that he has already achieved all there is to achieve in the game just go to seal the deal.

I hope it goes this way.

[Easts75]

Not that they would publicly admit it but does anyone on here think with Keary being out for the season it may have an influence on what Friend & Cordner do for 2021 ?

[King Salvo]

The problem is it’s not whether the concussion has cleared and he’s now fit to play, it’s whether his history of concussions will come back to bite him years later when he’s retired. It’s so easy when you’re young to just worry about the now and the short term. In 20-30 years time though he doesn’t want to be looking back and regretting the choices he made a few decades earlier. It’s such a tough choice for him and his partner to make. They have a child now and probably more to come as well.

Friend and Cordner are at a much higher risk of developing Dementia and Alzheimers as a result of these concussions and also Neurodegeneration disease (CTE) - Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy- from repeated head injuries.

You can't diagnose CTE whilst someone is alive only post mortem - No Brain scan test as such for for Dementia or Alzheimers either - specialist run particular tests for any changes in thinking , behavior and movement as a diagnostic tool for signs of these.

Hideous Diseases as people virtually revert back to when they were a baby requiring 24/7 care.

[mightyrooster]

Friend and Cordner are at a much higher risk of developing Dementia and Alzheimers as a result of these concussions and also Neurodegeneration disease (CTE) - Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy- from repeated head injuries.

Yes exactly. When you’re young it’s easy to say that’s a long way off and it won’t happen to me. But it’s different when you’re on the wrong side of 50 and older. I’ve just lost two parents to cancer, my mum was too young, and she was robbed of more time with us and her grandkids due to an insidious disease. Dementia too is a terrible illness and my FIL is in the midst of it right now. My point is you see things differently when you’re older and death and all that stuff seems such a long way off when you’re only 30.