James Graham Defiant About NRL’s Concussion Protocol

In the world of sports, rugby players are the real warriors. They do what NFL players do without helmets and padding. They have to have rules about eye-gouging and biting. What other sport has to worry about that? The men and women who play rugby are tough and not prone to saying ouch every time they get hurt. It stands to reason that a seasoned and experienced professional rugby player would be unwilling to stand down because of a few bumps to their head.

Meet James Graham, who is a forward for the NRL's St. George Illawarra Dragons. Graham also sees players dealing with concussion issues that the league wants to use to restrict them to the sidelines until they can satisfy them they are healthy enough to resume doing their jobs, like playing professional soccer. This is the kind of player a punter wants playing on the team they after finding a bonus at a site like freebonuscode.com.au and using that money to make a wager.

Graham has an interesting take on the whole concussion protocol concept. As a reminder, all major sports in America now have some kind of concussion protocol that goes into effect after a medical professional has diagnosed the possibility of a concussion. Graham was asked about concussions after Andrew Johns' admitted to the possibility all the head knocks could have contributed to his epilepsy. Johns expressed his own concussion protocol concerns during an interview with his brother Matthew on Fox League.

While speaking this past week to reporters, Graham made clear that based on the rules as they apply today, head knocks are simply part of the reality that goes with playing rugby at a high level. If the league and some of the players are really concerned about it, maybe it's time to look at changing the rules and removing the level of contact that is currently allowed. Of course, that's not what Graham wants. He loves the sport just as it is.

What he does want is the league to understand how he feels about it. He told reporters: "It's my life, I'll do what I want to... well, within certain realms. What's the alternative? I kind of like what I'm doing. The consequences of that are sometimes you get hit on the head. You've got to go and play Oztag if you don't fancy playing league anymore. But I wouldn't get paid and I probably wouldn't have as much fun."

He went on to add: "I do have children and I know the importance of them having a father but I'm protecting myself as best as I can; I'm doing my research and I'm not leaving it to anybody else. I've done my research, I've had my tests done and I know what's going on in my head and in my body. I'm seeing the appropriate people if there's something to do about that. I just get on with it and stick to the laws of the game."

James Graham has been, is and will always be a warrior.