logo
Family tragedy behind Thaiday's Mark Hughes Foundation push

Family tragedy behind Thaiday's Mark Hughes Foundation push

NRL legend Sam Thaiday reveals his brother in law died from brain cancer last year, as he gears up to support the Mark Hughes Foundation's Beanies for Brain Cancer round.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Andrew Moore, ABC Sport rugby league commentator, recovering after heart attack
Andrew Moore, ABC Sport rugby league commentator, recovering after heart attack

ABC News

timea day ago

  • ABC News

Andrew Moore, ABC Sport rugby league commentator, recovering after heart attack

ABC Sport commentator Andrew Moore is recovering in hospital after a heart attack. Moore suffered a heart attack and underwent a successful surgery on Wednesday. He is resting in hospital in Sydney and said he is grateful to his "amazing doctors and nurses". Moore will be replaced by Brett Sprigg for tonight's NRL grand final rematch between Penrith and Melbourne at Western Sydney Stadium. Moore joined the ABC from 2GB in 2015 and has been ABC Sport's chief rugby league radio caller ever since. "Andrew Moore is one of the most respected and loved broadcasters in the country," ABC Sport content director Tim Verrall said. "The ABC Sport team are enormously relieved that our valued colleague is getting the care he needs. "We look forward to welcoming him back when he's recovered and we send our thoughts to Andrew and his family."

‘Footy was getting in the way of what I wanted to do': Eels star explains decision to quit NRL
‘Footy was getting in the way of what I wanted to do': Eels star explains decision to quit NRL

Sydney Morning Herald

time2 days ago

  • Sydney Morning Herald

‘Footy was getting in the way of what I wanted to do': Eels star explains decision to quit NRL

While that honour ultimately eluded him, Lane hangs up his boots satisfied with what he has achieved. 'I'm pretty happy with how it all worked out,' said Lane, who has retired despite being contracted until the end of 2026. 'As a kid you dream of just being able to play one game in the NRL, and I managed almost 200. 'I've definitely no complaints there. I've got plenty of good memories I can carry for all my life.' Some footballers struggle to make the transition into life after football. Lane has been preparing for that moment for years. Already armed with a bachelor of health sciences degree and a graduate diploma in psychology, he and brother Brett have just opened Pro Era Performance, a firm that focuses on psychological and physical wellbeing for athletes. The 30-year-old also remains involved with the Eels, mentoring the elite pathways and NRLW athletes in the areas of mental skills and wellness. With all that to look forward to, it was a struggle for Lane to remain hungry during the final stages of his footballing career. 'In terms of losing motivation, I felt football was getting in the way of me doing other things in my life that I actually enjoyed more,' he said. 'I wouldn't say I was depressed or anything like that, but there are times when things happen in your career when you are down, you realise you have these unhelpful thought patterns … 'As with most people who decide to walk away from the game, they all confirm it's the same thing; you're completely run down, you lose motivation to want to perform every week. 'Your body doesn't recover in time for games every week any more. You roll up to game day and you're still sore from the previous week and think, 'How am I going to get through this?' 'Then you see your performances start dropping off. The expectations you put on yourself and hunger to succeed starts working against you. 'Suddenly it becomes deep frustration and a source of anxiety. You know you can't live up to that any more because physically you're just not up to it.' In a bid to assist others, Lane is open about his own mental health struggles. Last year he launched a documentary, Out of My Lane. In it, Lane spoke about the moment he overheard his father Jeff, who suffered from a major depressive order for most of his life, talking on the phone about wanting to end his own life. 'If you look at the statistics around depression, it's one in four people, and less for men, who have experienced an actual bout of depression in their life,' he said. Loading 'It's really serious stuff. The fact that I'm opening up and talking about it, as someone who is a role model and professional athlete that young men in particular look up to, hopefully I'm giving them validation that what they've gone through is ok and a safe thing to talk about. 'They won't be scrutinised for opening up about their own challenges. That's the first step in reaching out and getting some help to get on top of the things you need to. 'And for people not going through things, it's a common thing that other people are going through. If you're out there ragging off 10 different blokes a week, one of them is probably going through something difficult in their life at that time. It's not a hard thing to be kind to someone.'

‘Footy was getting in the way of what I wanted to do': Eels star explains decision to quit NRL
‘Footy was getting in the way of what I wanted to do': Eels star explains decision to quit NRL

The Age

time2 days ago

  • The Age

‘Footy was getting in the way of what I wanted to do': Eels star explains decision to quit NRL

While that honour ultimately eluded him, Lane hangs up his boots satisfied with what he has achieved. 'I'm pretty happy with how it all worked out,' said Lane, who has retired despite being contracted until the end of 2026. 'As a kid you dream of just being able to play one game in the NRL, and I managed almost 200. 'I've definitely no complaints there. I've got plenty of good memories I can carry for all my life.' Some footballers struggle to make the transition into life after football. Lane has been preparing for that moment for years. Already armed with a bachelor of health sciences degree and a graduate diploma in psychology, he and brother Brett have just opened Pro Era Performance, a firm that focuses on psychological and physical wellbeing for athletes. The 30-year-old also remains involved with the Eels, mentoring the elite pathways and NRLW athletes in the areas of mental skills and wellness. With all that to look forward to, it was a struggle for Lane to remain hungry during the final stages of his footballing career. 'In terms of losing motivation, I felt football was getting in the way of me doing other things in my life that I actually enjoyed more,' he said. 'I wouldn't say I was depressed or anything like that, but there are times when things happen in your career when you are down, you realise you have these unhelpful thought patterns … 'As with most people who decide to walk away from the game, they all confirm it's the same thing; you're completely run down, you lose motivation to want to perform every week. 'Your body doesn't recover in time for games every week any more. You roll up to game day and you're still sore from the previous week and think, 'How am I going to get through this?' 'Then you see your performances start dropping off. The expectations you put on yourself and hunger to succeed starts working against you. 'Suddenly it becomes deep frustration and a source of anxiety. You know you can't live up to that any more because physically you're just not up to it.' In a bid to assist others, Lane is open about his own mental health struggles. Last year he launched a documentary, Out of My Lane. In it, Lane spoke about the moment he overheard his father Jeff, who suffered from a major depressive order for most of his life, talking on the phone about wanting to end his own life. 'If you look at the statistics around depression, it's one in four people, and less for men, who have experienced an actual bout of depression in their life,' he said. Loading 'It's really serious stuff. The fact that I'm opening up and talking about it, as someone who is a role model and professional athlete that young men in particular look up to, hopefully I'm giving them validation that what they've gone through is ok and a safe thing to talk about. 'They won't be scrutinised for opening up about their own challenges. That's the first step in reaching out and getting some help to get on top of the things you need to. 'And for people not going through things, it's a common thing that other people are going through. If you're out there ragging off 10 different blokes a week, one of them is probably going through something difficult in their life at that time. It's not a hard thing to be kind to someone.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store