Former NRL star James Graham believes he suffered from approximately 100 concussions in his career and revealed the huge toll repeated head traumas have taken on his life.
The former England international played 187 NRL games over an eight-year spell in Australia with Canterbury and St George Illawarra, forging a reputation as one of the toughest props in the competition.
By the time he retired at the age of 34 at the end of the 2020 season, Graham had played a combined 423 games in the Super League and NRL, with a further 53 caps for Great Britain and England.
Former NRL star James Graham has opened up on his mental health struggles as a result of repeated head traumas during his career in rugby league
And the former Bulldogs captain feels the collisions he suffered during his career have already had a major impact on his personal life.
‘After almost two decades and more than 400 games, I’ve calculated I’ve been through 18,000 collisions and, by definition, more than 100 concussions,’ he wrote in a column for The Australian.
‘That puts me right at the centre of the biggest issue in sport: head trauma and its long-term consequences.’
Graham admitted that following his retirement, he’s been facing with growing concerns over his mental health and ‘could not regulate his emotions’ and feelings.
Graham fears he may have developed CTE – a neurodegenerative disease linked to repeated trauma to the head- as a result of suffering from over 100 concussions during his playing days
One of the toughest props in the game, Graham played 476 games for club and country
‘I’ve dealt with confronting realities about my own behaviour, and mental health. I’ve dealt with depression and anxiety,’ he explained.
‘I’ve had to examine my own response to the normal stresses of domestic life with little kids.’
The symptoms of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) – a neurodegenerative disease linked to repeated trauma to the head – include memory loss, confusion, impaired judgment and problems to control impulse.
Significantly, CTE can also lead to depression and anxiety and, eventually, progressive dementia.
Graham captained the Bulldogs in their Grand Final defeat against South Sydney in 2014
And Graham, who was the first NRL player to donate my brain to the Australian Sports Brain bank, admitted he has often wondered whether he has CTE.
The former NRL star has launched a podcast with The Australian called Head Noise to investigate his own concerns and to shed light on the risks players face.
‘I have seen my teammates suffer. I know of their reckless and destructive behaviour, and I know more must be done to help them,’ he said.
‘I want to find answers and solutions, not just for me but for everyone who’s played a contact sport.’