NRL world rallies around Royce Simmons after Panthers legend shares sad update

Yahoo

3 days ago

The NRL community is getting behind the cause of Royce Simmons as the Penrith Panthers legend prepares for his fourth annual "Big Walk" next month to raise funds for dementia research programs. But the 66-year-old admitted this week it's "only a matter of time" before the disease completely takes over his life.
Simmons played 238 matches for the Panthers across a legendary career, as well as 10 State of Origin games for NSW and 10 Tests for Australia. He famously scored two tries in the 1991 grand final as Penrith beat Canberra to reverse the result of the previous year's decider.
In 2022 he revealed he'd been diagnosed with dementia, and immediately set about organising 'Royce's Big Walk' through his own foundation to raise funds and awareness. This year he will walk for 11 days and more than 200km from Penrith to Mudgee, beginning on August 13.
Accompanied by fellow ex-players including Terry Lamb and Luke Goodwin, he'll arrive at Glen Willow Oval in Mudgee for Penrith's clash against Canberra in Round 25. The Panthers and Raiders game will be a fitting destination for the hero of Penrith's inaugural grand final win 34 years ago.
Royce Simmons' sad admission about dementia battle
Some 433,000 Australians are currently living with dementia, and Simmons made the harrowing admission this week that it won't be long before it completely engulfs his life. At the moment, it can take Simmons half an hour to remember what he did the previous day as he lies in bed each morning.
But he's well aware there will be a time when he can't remember at all. "You wake up in the morning and you think to yourself, 'What did I do yesterday?'," he told AAP. "You lie there for half an hour and you think and you think and gradually you work it out. Then I suppose the stage comes where you don't."
Simmons said he despaired at seeing his mates go down a similar path, so decided to do something about it. "When I was diagnosed, I sat around whingeing, really frustrated and cranky with the world," he said.
"After I did that for a few months, I thought, 'get off your bum and get out and try to do something positive'. That's the reason why I'm in it now, trying to help out as much as I can before the dementia gets me any worse. I know it's only a matter of time until I go down that track."
New look, same big mission! 🏃The Royce Simmons Foundation is back with a fresh brand and the 2025 Big Walk.👉🏽 https://t.co/sfd5RNzLq8#pantherpride 🐾 pic.twitter.com/DqEMkSrok4
— Penrith Panthers 🏆🏆🏆🏆 (@PenrithPanthers) July 18, 2025
NRL world rallies around Royce Simmons' great cause
This year he's helped create a "virtual steps" program that allows donors to pay $30 to complete 30 steps "alongside him" for the Big Walk. "I'm not just crying out to Penrith fans, I'm crying out to all rugby league fans," he said.
The 66-year-old is hoping to arrive in Mudgee to witness another Penrith win, with the four-time reigning premiers currently on a six-game winning streak that has turned their season around. And Simmons said a fifth-consecutive premiership isn't out of the question for Ivan Cleary's side.
"They gradually just build their way into it every year, pick up some momentum, and things are looking positive again this year," he said. "But there's still a fair way to go."
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Peter Lang of The Western Weekender wrote on social media on Friday that Simmons is "just as inspirational off the field as he was on it." One fan commented: "Fantastic bloke, fantastic player. Keep up the good work mate." While another added: "Royce Simmons' determination is truly amazing."
with AAP