Former Newcastle flyer James McManus' landmark court case against the Knights has left him without compensation as the stoush over the handling of head knocks has concluded.
McManus retired from the NRL in 2015 after 166 games with the Knights, a career that was cut short due to a string of concussions.
The 35-year-old had filed legal action against Newcastle four years ago, with the former NSW winger now walking away empty-handed.
McManus' battle was the first of its kind to see a former athlete take action against their former club in regards to the handling of concussion, however the case landed in favour of the Knights.
According to The Sydney Morning Herald, McManus' lawyer stated that his client had suffered at least seven concussions over the course of five months during the 2015 season, battling post-concussion syndrome, chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and frontal-lobe damage.
The case against Newcastle and furthermore the NRL has now been settled, with respective legal costs agreed to be covered.
The league released a statement in regards to the outcome of the case.
“The claim brought by James McManus against the Newcastle Knights, which was managed by the NRL, has been finalised with the NSW Supreme Court ordering judgment for the Knights,” the statement reads.
“The NRL is pleased that this long-running matter has been resolved in the Knights’ favour.
“The NRL was confident in its defence of the claim under the Civil Liability Act and we are pleased that the matter could be resolved without further cost and expense for all parties."
McManus was understood to be seeking in excess of $1 million in compensation, with loss of income and non-economic loss estimated to total $1,061,750.
