Former Warrington Wolves man Ryan Matterson is currently facing a nervy wait to see if he can play the sport again, after suffering another concussion.
Matterson joined Wire in the second half of 2025, and made eight appearances in Primrose and Blue.
The nephew of former Castleford Tigers boss, Terry, the Parramatta Eels forward has had a number of concussion related injuries in his career, and concern is growing over the 31-year-old.
Matterson is currently seeking medical opinion on his future, as player welfare becomes paramount.
The Eels man was set to depart the club at the end of 2025, but a contract U-turn saw the club offer him new terms, as he looks to prolong his career in Australia’s top competition.
The forward’s concussion problems go back as far as 2018, when he featured for Sydney Roosters. Speaking to NRL.com at the time, a number of concussions in consecutive weeks took a toll on his health.
He said: “The last one was different, I got pins and needles down my leg and knew something was up. As the night went on it got worse and worse.
“I couldn’t leave to go anywhere. I was dizzy, I had sensitivity to light and noise. I was getting tired easily.
“With the head, it’s a touchy subject because not many people know about it and only me as an individual knows how I feel. I felt lonely sometimes because no one understood what I was going through.
“Mum and Dad live around the corner, my brother’s living with me and my girlfriend. I was very worried, started seeing neurologists, chiropractors… I was seeing everybody.”
Later in his NRL journey, he moved to Wests Tigers, but suffered a number of head knocks there, too.
He missed a number of games in 2024, as he dealt with dizziness and headaches once again.
Should Matterson be forced to medically retire, the Eels would be able to apply for salary cap compensation – however that will be the least of the club’s worry’s, with their main priority being the welfare of their back rower.
