The Saint: Double standards in brain trauma

Agitation at both professional and medical levels has been increasing over the past couple of years at the long term repercussions from head knocks - in professional rugby league.

Anything else barely gets a mention, even that other brutal footy game that's reportedly played in Heaven.

But these sporting risks pale into insignificance with the most brutal of them all - professional boxing in all its forms.

While head knocks are for the most part unintentional collateral damage in footy codes the name of that game is to belt your opponent senseless in boxing, kick boxing and the pure savagery of cage fighting.

Even women slug it out these days in an unedifying spectacle. Lovely stuff loved by baying rednecks.

Now you have the strange trend of high priced NRL players risking all with professional boxing bouts.

Just another cash cow and bugger the long term consequences.

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The NRL that these days seems to condone the risks to their on field investments so it's difficult to see just how genuine are the game days concerns.

Meantime an interesting new development with age restrictions looming for junior contact sport. Wait for the howls of protest.

HOW disturbing it is see the calls for family support at Christmas increasing year after year. With the state of the economy the increased stresses of the so called festive season will for many people be far from festive. This year the situation is reflected in the record number of support organisations organising appeals. Among them is the true survivor, the local motorcycling fraternity who have been doing their bit for a record 27 years with their Ulysses toy run. That's a record of community spirit hard to beat. This year's run from Portland to the State Mine Muesum is Saturday December 9 and donations of new toys (a Covid requirement), food or cash will flow through to Vinnies or the Salvos for Christmas distribution. If you're among the lucky ones who can afford it then do your bit. Dop off points are listed on the notice board at the Valley Plaza or give Darryll a call on 0428140555.

STUPIDITY on show for all to see once again when vandals turned their attention at the weekend to the maintenance work on the roadway across the Lyell Dam. In a brilliant display of intelligence this lot hurled road barriers, metal stands road cones and sand bags into the deep water at the dam wall. Council and Energy Australia have been collaborating on the work that involves road sealing and new safety fences. Some mothers do have ém.

KEEN observers of what goes on in the Lithgow CBD are wondering why the paint job on the Commercial Hotel was abandoned only part complete. The paint job was well under way until around what appeared to be a change of ownership some years back The result is all too noticeable on the streetscape and detracts from what is otherwise a well maintained and popular facility.

WE have a chronic problem in Lithgow with people parking too close (and very illegally) to intersections, forcing emerging drivers to fly blind when emerging. It's even worse when the parked vehicles are hulking great utes and 4WDs. Some of the most hazardous locations in the column's experience at least are the intersection of Peachman Avenue with Hassans Walls Road (outside QE Park playground) and where Bent Street enters Lithgow Street, just along from St Patricks School.