In a troubling reminder of the long-term impacts of professional sports, another former NRL player has been diagnosed with Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), leaving him struggling with severe memory issues. The condition has become so debilitating for Brendan Hall that he can scarcely recall his children’s formative years.

Brendan Hall, a notable figure in rugby league, made his mark playing for the Sydney Roosters, known at the time as the Eastern Suburbs, from 1986 to 1995. His career was distinguished by 157 first-grade appearances, during which he scored 30 tries and kicked 44 goals, amassing a total of 208 points.

Throughout his career, Hall was a stalwart for the Roosters, establishing himself as one of the team’s most reliable players during the late 1980s and early 1990s. His dedication and performance on the field were admired by fans and peers alike.

However, the physical toll of the sport has left a lasting impact. Hall’s family has come forward to share that he is now battling CTE, a progressive brain disease linked to repeated head injuries, which is tragically all too common among athletes in contact sports.

Now, Hall’s family has revealed he is suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), a progressive brain condition caused by repeated head impacts or concussions.

Brendan Hall played 157 games for the Sydney Roosters from 1986 to 1995, scoring 30 tries and booting 44 goals for 208 points

Hall has now been diagnosed with CTE by brain experts. He is just 59 and is already experiencing shocking memory loss

It leads to a build-up of abnormal tau protein, which damages brain cells over time.

Symptoms can include memory loss, mood swings, depression, aggression and cognitive decline, often appearing years after the injuries occurred.

While CTE cannot be formally diagnosed until after death, the tell-tale symptoms that Hall is displaying have left his family and medical experts with no doubt.

‘We’ve been to see leading brain experts and they have diagnosed his condition as frontal lobe dementia and CTE,’ Hall’s wife Sue told Wide World of Sports.

‘They have told us there is simply no way to cure it and that it will only get worse.

‘The (Roosters) club are aware of his condition but we’re not after handouts and don’t want fundraisers or anything like that.

‘But we do want other players to be aware of the dangers and to get themselves checked out.’

Sue described the shocking symptoms Brendan was displaying and the heartbreaking impact it was having on the family.  

Former Canterbury NRL coach Steve Folkes died aged 59 from a heart attack and was diagnosed with CTE posthumously 

Former NRL star coach and player Paul Green also died after suffering from the impacts of CTE

‘It’s just a horrible illness without a cure and watching him go downhill a little more each day is heartbreaking,’ she said.

‘We had to sell our house in Sydney soon after he was diagnosed two years ago because he had to stop working.

‘Luckily we were able to move in with his parents down in Canberra – Brendan’s home town – and that has saved us financially.  

‘He forgets things, especially the recent past – he does remember some of his footy days and old Roosters team-mates like Trevor Gillmeister and Craig Salvatori are always checking on him.

‘He barely remembers anything about our two daughters growing up.’

Several former NRL players have been diagnosed with CTE after their deaths, with post-mortem examinations confirming the condition. 

Rugby league greats such as Steve Folkes, Paul Green and Mario Fenech have been linked to or diagnosed with the disease, sparking greater awareness of concussion-related damage in the sport. 

Folkes was the first confirmed Australian rugby league player to have CTE after his death in 2018, while Paul Green’s family revealed a similar diagnosis following his passing in 2022. 

Others, including Ian Roberts and Mark Carroll, have spoken about ongoing neurological symptoms and memory issues consistent with repeated head trauma, although they have not been formally diagnosed. 

The growing list of players affected has intensified calls for stronger concussion protocols and long-term brain health research within rugby league.