PJ Marsh Retires

[pennywisealfie]

dont know if anyones posted this, but here it is anyway:

Brisbane Broncos hooker P.J. forced to quit rugby league with neck injury

By Peter Badel
March 14, 2010

Former Queensland Origin hooker P.J. Marsh says he is devastated as he comes to terms with the reality that his 10-year NRL career is over.

The Brisbane Broncos rake said that he was "in shock for two days" after a meeting last Tuesday with Gold Coast neck and spinal specialist Matt Scott-Young, who delivered the words Marsh wasn't ready to hear.

"It's all over for me," said Marsh, who will undergo disc replacement surgery in his lower back on Monday week.

"It's not the way I wanted it to end but it got to the point where it was affecting my life and I couldn't keep going on like this.

"I haven't been able to sleep properly for two years and there were days after training when I would need to stand under a hot shower for 30 minutes just to give me some relief in my back. I couldn't even play a game of backyard cricket with the kids.

"I'm really proud of what I've been able to achieve. The Broncos have been fantastic, they've said they'll help me out with my rehab so I just want to get the surgery done now and in three months' time I'll be able to live a normal life."

Marsh's career has been at the crossroads since February, when the former Parramatta and Warriors hooker was so paralysed by his back pain that he couldn't get out of bed while in camp with the Indigenous All Stars team.

Marsh, 30, and his manager, Jim Banaghan, met Broncos boss Bruno Cullen on Thursday to inform the club of his injury-enforced retirement.

A veteran of four Origin games, Marsh was off-contract at season's end, with his 2010 deal worth about $180,000.

The No.9 played just five games for the Broncos last season, but the club has promised to help Marsh financially and provide medical and rehabilitation services.

"One of the most comforting things P.J. heard when he found it was over is the Broncos saying, 'Don't worry about money, worry about your health, we'll look after you'," Banaghan said.

"He hasn't been able to play as much first grade as he would have liked, but they've treated him like they would a seasoned Test player.

"He's been in absolute agony, he can no longer put up with it."

Marsh played 158 games with Parramatta, the Warriors and Brisbane, featured in the Eels' 2001 grand final defeat, and showed enormous courage to return from neck surgery that threatened his career in 2003.

http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,865 ... public_rss

 

[Bucking Beads]

It is a shame Pj had the talent but his body wouldn't let him use it..

 

[Charmamba]

Shame for PJ but hopefully he can get on with his life and i wish him the best.


Congrats to the Broncos on being so willing to help him.

 

[Coxy]

Too bad PJ.

 

[Burg]

All the best PJ, sorry for you and for us that you never got to show just how good you really are.

 

[m1c]

Didn't he announce this weeks ago?

 

[Kaz]

Not his retirement.

He mentioned his injury.

 

[Hatchy]

All the best for your future PJ. Unfortunately not an ideal way to end a career but those things happen. It's just dissapointing that it was PJ, when he hasn't been able to show us his real talent.

 

[Jip]

Pretty sad. He was bloody good in his prime, and a very handy addition to any team. Sorry to hear about that injury, hopefully he can get the op, recover quickly and get back to a normal life with family and kids, so all the best to him.

 

[Jazza]

PJ was one of my favourite players back in 2002 before his injury. It was very courageous for him to come back, and he did play some good games for Parramatta. But he never had quite the same spark. Best of luck in whatever you decide to do now PJ.

 

[QUEENSLANDER]

Sad to see him go. I remember one origin match he was tearing NSW apart, til they put 2 headhighs on him and concussed him. Last really good game i reckon he played

 

[Treefrog]

This is horrible news for PJ. It is a shame that he suffered so many injuries in the later part of his career. Hopefully he can move onto better things now.

 

[pennywisealfie]

yeah sucks about PJ. i remember seeing his injury, playing for warriors against parra and it was nasty looking.

Do we now get that extra cap space?

 

[Treefrog]

Well seeing as his contract ends at the end of the season, the $180,000 will be available for next season. I'd say he will get the most of that payment this season. I guess this is another example of what Ricky Stuart was talking about in his article the other day how the NRL should be more lenient on teams where one of their top 25 players get injured during the early stages of a season.

 

[Kimlo]

yeah sucks about PJ. i remember seeing his injury, playing for warriors against parra and it was nasty looking.

Do we now get that extra cap space?

This was his last year anyway, so either way that cap space is free now cause I doubt he would of been re-signed.

 

[dukey]

Well seeing as his contract ends at the end of the season, the $180,000 will be available for next season. I'd say he will get the most of that payment this season. I guess this is another example of what Ricky Stuart was talking about in his article the other day how the NRL should be more lenient on teams where one of their top 25 players get injured during the early stages of a season.

PJ is different to John Mannah. John is still on the books at Cronulla and is more or less on leave. Having retired altogether I'd imagine PJ will be paid a percentage of what he was owed and removed from the roster, no longer counting against our cap.

 

[Treefrog]

Makes sense. Anyone know if that is what happened with Lance Thompson?

 

[ddd]

I really feel for PJ, he struck me as one player who would have set himself and his family up with a long stint in England, I hope he has something to fall back on, poor bloke.