Boyd Cordner: Former Australia captain retires at 29 because of concussions
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In what turned out to be Boyd Cordner's final game he was knocked unconscious while captaining New South Wales Blues in the opening game of the 2020 State of Origin
Former Australia captain Boyd Cordner has retired at the age of 29 because of a series of concussions.
At a tearful news conference, he called it "the toughest decision I've ever made".
The Sydney Roosters second-row forward said he had made the decision to quit following medical advice.
Cordner, who has captained the Roosters for 10 seasons, has not played since November after suffering from ongoing concussion symptoms.
"I'm proud that I've come to this decision. The easiest thing for me would've been to say nothing and play on," Cordner said, fighting back tears.
Referring to his body "breaking down like a two-door car", he said that head injuries were different and that he feared the consequences of another serious blow.
"Deep down I knew I wasn't 100 per cent fully recovered. I was at a stage where I was at full training with the guys and I was very close to 100 per cent," he added.
"But the feeling of going out and [thinking], 'what does the next head knock look like for me?'... I couldn't get that out of my head. If I ever did get another head knock I don't know if I could have lived with myself."
Cordner captained the Roosters 181 times and also skippered New South Wales. He scored the only try and was man of the match when Australia defeated England in the 2017 World Cup Final.
He becomes the second Roosters player to retire on medical advice over head injuries, following Jake Friend in April.
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