Former NRL front rower Josh Aloiai has distanced himself from Saturday night’s controversial Run Nation event held at the Hordern Pavilion after he witnessed first-hand the danger of the shocking new “sport”.
Aloiai, who has 164 NRL games to his name, worked as a coach at Run Nation 2, at which several competitors suffered sickening knockouts.
The former Manly forward admits it was a mistake to sign on for the gig.
“After coaching at RNC last night, that’s not something I could ever be involved in again,” Aloiai said on Sunday.
“I’m not going to attack individuals, but last night, as someone who’s played NRL the last 10 or 11 years, and is in the coaching space now, I could not do that again.
“It feels like you’re preparing dudes to go and get their heads knocked off and get brain bleeds, then tap them on the back and squirt water on their face.
“This is no reflection of my perception of the athletes. They have my respect – they’re the toughest dudes.
“To get out there and do that, they’re insane and they have all my respect in the world.
“Before I got involved, my gut told me not to do it, so I’m the first one to blame. I should’ve listened to my gut and not got involved, but I did, I regret it and I feel like an idiot.”
Aloiai said everyone involved in the event did everything they could to make the event as safe as possible, but is adamant the activity itself is too dangerous to continue.
“With this concept, it’s impossible,” he said. “There’s just no way you can set the rules safe enough for these thing not to happen.
“If you’re running with the ball and you’ve got a 135 kilo guy off the ground, airborne pretty much, flying his shoulder at you, and they get it wrong but this much, it’s either your chest or your chin and you’re just flipping the coin every time.
“If you’re on the other end and someone raises their elbow, you’re getting knocked out.
“There’s too many things you can’t control, even with the ruleset.”
Aloiai attended to two competitors who were knocked unconscious in front a sold out crowd.
“There was moments where I was holding these dudes who’d just gotten knocked clean out, and they’re snoring in front of a whole stadium of people yelling and I’m like, ‘What the heck am I doing here?’” he said.
“Before I came in, I had a bad feeling about the concept, and they said they had heaps of stuff in place to look after the players.
“I thought I’ll give it a try, maybe the new rulesets will clean it up a bit.
“I’m really disappointed that I went and got involved. In the end, it went against everything I believe in. That’s why I’m disappointed in myself. I regret being involved.
“People are going to get angry with me, especially the people involved and I understand, and I’ll probably get backlash, but I have to get this off my chest.
“I hoped it was going to be different, but it wasn’t and I was out there promoting it as RNC staff and I regret doing that. I apologise.”
One competitor, Champ Betham – who proposed to his partner after his contest – admitted that the pay isn’t great when asked whether he’ll participate in future Run it Straight events.
Aloiai said the reward isn’t worth the risk of injury, or worse.
“Out of respect I’m not gonna talk about purses, but I do know, and trust me it’s not worth it,” he said.