Victor Radley has shut down retirement speculation, declaring he has no intention of walking away from the game anytime soon despite mounting concerns over his concussion history and repeated head knocks.
The 27-year-old lock’s playing future has come under intense scrutiny following a concerning stretch of seven failed head injury assessments over the past four seasons — including five HIAs this year alone, two of which he did not pass.
His most recent setback came in Round 15 against the Newcastle Knights, where he was taken from the field and didn’t return, sidelining him for a month.
While the club continues to take a cautious approach to managing his brain health, Radley remains resolute, confident in his ability to perform at the top level and committed to pushing forward with his career.
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“I’ve got no worries whatsoever with my head,” Radley said while helping launch Saturday’s Beer, Footy, Food Festival at Henson Park.
“I know what work I’m doing at the moment, and it will put me in the best position to play for years to come.
“I spoke with ‘Nug’ [Jake Friend, the former Roosters co-captain forced to retire in 2021 because of repeated head injuries] about it. He had some really good advice for me. What he did was give me a lot of confidence that the end is not even close.”
The Sydney Roosters enforcer shared how he has been working with specialists, including top neurologist Chris Levi, to build his brain’s tolerance through specific training exercises.
“The specialists I’ve seen, 100 per cent, I’m not even near retiring. Chris Levi has been really good and really positive,” he stated.
“Your brain is like a muscle, and you need to make sure you’re working it and building that tolerance, so I don’t get a little knock and it gives me a daze.
“There are games you play where you follow a ball, and you have to remember where they move. There is also VOMS training, which I do around training.
“I’ve been advised to do [the exercises] morning and night. The biggest thing I’ve learned after seeing all the specialists is to keep working your brain.”
Radley is set to miss Thursday night’s clash against the Melbourne Storm due to a shoulder injury sustained late in the club’s Round 20 match against the Cronulla Sharks, which forced him from the field. However, he downplayed the issue, describing it as a manageable niggle he has dealt with for years.