'Was a good ride': Ex Origin star opens up on life amid harrowing ...

Former Broncos and Cowboys star Carl Webb has opened up on his harrowing battle with motor neurone disease, which he was diagnosed with in 2020.

Speaking with Yvonne Sampson on Fox League’s Face-to-Face — which will air at 7.30pm (AEDT) Monday — Webb admitted he had to google what MND was when his specialist diagnosed him with it.

Motor Neurone Disease or MND is a rare disorder that steadily attacks the nervous system which in turn weakens the muscles. Other symptoms can include slurred speech, muscle twitching and swallowing difficulties.

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Webb, who said “strength had always been a big part of my game”, revealed he went and got checked out after struggling to do menial tasks.

“Just struggling to button up my shirt, holding a dinner plate and a cup to go back to the table for a meal,” Webb said.

Watch Carl Webb’s full chat with Yvonne Sampson on Fox League’s Face-to-Face at 7.30pm (AEDT) Monday on Fox League, or stream on Kayo.

“Initially I just thought it could be a back injury or something spinal, I’ll go check that out. Then I couldn’t even do 10 push ups, and strength had always been a big part of my game so I thought ‘that’s really odd.’

“That simple exercise was really tough, and I thought there is something really wrong here. I better go get it checked out.

The specialist said this could be MND. At the start I thought ‘what the hell is MND?’.

“It wasn’t until I walked out of the specialist office and googled it, and it was a baseball bat to the head. Everything was a blur for a couple of days. I was still hoping it’s not MND, and something more simple.

“Deep down I knew there was something wrong and after a few more tests it was confirmed.

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“It was so confusing and extremly confronting. To see the images and then just to read and educate myself about it, it would have been two weeks and I was just really getting around to telling my family.”

There is no known cure for MND. Webb describes the disease as a “systematic killer” which is “moving through to his legs” after beginning in the top half of his body.

“It is a systematic killer, which is why I’m grateful I can get ahead of it and at least keep my mental strength,” he said.

According to the Brain Foundation, MND affects over 2000 people in Australia with two diagnosed with the disease every day.

Asked by Sampson whether he had any regrets, Webb, who played 187 NRL games over 12 seasons including 15 Origins for Queensland, said he “wouldn’t change a thing.”

“I’ve got a lot of regrets in life and I will live with those and I’m quite happy to but if I didn’t have my journey I wouldn’t be where I am today,” he said.

“I’m happy. I’m cool with it, it was a really good ride.

“Life after football was great, I’ve had my wonderful children. If I didn’t do that, I wouldn’t have this.

“It’s a bitter pill to swallow but I wouldn’t change a thing.”

Watch Carl Webb’s full chat with Yvonne Sampson on Fox League’s Face-to-Face at 7.30pm (AEDT) Monday on Fox League, or stream on Kayo.

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