NRL needs more mental health care – Walters

Brisbane coach Kevin Walters has urged the NRL to offer more mental health support to players, coaches and staff following the sudden death of Paul Green.

The rugby league world has been in mourning since North Queensland’s premiershipwinning coach was found dead at his Brisbane home on Thursday morning.

Walters is among leading NRL figures finding it difficult to come to terms with Green’s death.

A former team-mate of Green’s at State of Origin level, Walters said more needed to be done. ‘‘It’s important that we check on each other each day, particularly with the mental health side of things,’’ Walters said.

‘‘It’s something I believe the NRL need to put more focus on, particularly around our players and our coaches and our support staff – everyone involved in the game.

‘‘We’ve just got to make sure that there’s someone there if you want to reach out.’’

Manly’s Des Hasler played against Green in the 1990s and coached against him.

‘‘He always struck me as very friendly, at coaches conferences or different times we caught up after the game, he was always available for a chat,’’ he said. ‘‘It’s a real shock.’’

The NRL offers a free and confidential counselling to its players and staff and also works with mental health organisations to offer specialist referrals.

Hasler said Green’s death had brought mental health to the top of the NRL agenda.

‘‘When it happens close to you, it brings that whole issue home,’’ he said.

‘‘It’s something that we need to be mindful of and the awareness and the community aspect are really important. We really need to be watchful and careful of each other.’’

When he arrived at the Sydney Roosters in 2013, coach Trent Robinson hired Green as an assistant, having been impressed by a CV that boasted two Queensland Cup premierships with Wynnum Manly and an apprenticeship under Wayne Bennett.

‘‘I still remember his first session,’’ Robinson said. ‘‘We were getting all of our systems in play but he got straight into the coaching.

‘‘He was really confident about his knowledge and he got into it in his own style with his forthright approach, and the players really loved him for that.’’

That season, Green relayed messages from Robinson to the team during games, scouted oppositions and worked with players in the spine on the run to the Roosters’ 2013 grand final victory. Green left the club after the premiership win to coach the Cowboys but remained close with Robinson and the staff at the Roosters.

‘‘He was just an amazing coach and an amazing guy,’’ Robinson said. ‘‘His humour and brutal honesty were important and his vision as a coach was special.

‘‘[Green’s death] highlights the personal side of what we do and the need for support. Sometimes, you need to reach out.’’

Meanwhile, North Queensland will hope to overcome an emotionally charged 48 hours when they run out onto the SCG for the first time in club history against a Sydney Roosters side gunning for some breathing room in the NRL top-eight.

The Cowboys were rocked by news of Green’s death as they prepare to enter their first finals series since his tenure at the club.

After four straight years neat the bottom of the table, coach Todd Payten has steered the high-flying Cowboys in 2022 to second on the ladder with four games remaining.

Payten said none of his players have opted out of playing in today’s contest following Green’s death and they’ll be inspired by the legacy he left behind.

‘‘There’s a fair motivation about what’s ahead of us this weekend and who we’re playing and what we’re doing,’’ he told reporters. ‘‘It’s been a difficult 24 hours as a club and as a group, we’ll just have to put our arms around each other.

‘‘But at the end of the day, I guess it’s a good reminder of how fortunate we are to do what we we’re able to do, and we’d like to perform well in Paul’s honour.’’

Their opponents will look to maintain or increase their two-point buffer ahead of Canberra in a race for eighth spot as the NRL season reaches its pointy end.

Robinson’s Roosters are on a four-game win streak and will look to further that against a Cowboys side they comfortably beat 28-4 in round four.

■ Meanwhile, coach Craig Bellamy will weigh up Cameron Munster’s fullback move on a week-by-week basis with the positional switch holding the power to reignite Melbourne’s NRL season.

A week after scoring a hat-trick in his first game back at fullback, Munster was again one of the Storm’s best in their 16-0 win over Penrith on Thursday night.

The Queensland State of Origin star impressed in both attack and defence, at one stage saving a try and busting downfield in the same minute to keep the Storm in control.

Melbourne’s season looked shot when Ryan Papenhuyzen went down last month with a year-ending knee injury as part of a fourmatch losing streak for the Storm.

But four weeks later and Melbourne are now back among the competition’s genuine contenders, with their attack looking dangerous again with Munster at the back.