NRL world rocked by devastating death of Maroons enforcer Carl Webb at 42

Tributes are rolling in across the NRL world after the devastating news that former Queensland State of Origin enforcer Carl Webb has died at the age of 42. Webb had been battling Motor Neurone Disease (MND) for almost four years but as reported by the Courier Mail, he succumbed to the condition on Thursday night.

Webb played 187 first-grade games across stints with Brisbane, North Queensland and Parramatta. The second-rower played 66 games for the Broncos, 115 for the Cowboys and a further six for the Eels before he hung up the boots in 2011.

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He also played 12 State of Origin games for Queensland and one Test match for Australia. Webb adored himself to Maroons fans after scoring a memorable try on State of Origin debut for Queensland in 2001 when he barged through a number of Blues defenders to help his side to an upset win at Suncorp Stadium.

Webb opened up on his battle against MND earlier this year after revealing he'd been diagnosed with the incurable condition in 2020. MND attacks the nervous system and comes with a life expectancy of just five years.

The Queensland hard man described in April how the condition had worsened over the last three years. MND impacts nerve cells that control muscles, limiting the ability to move and speak, eventually affecting a person’s ability to breathe and swallow.

“At the moment I’m still quite capable and independent. However, I’m under no illusions about what’s to come in the future," the father-of-four told A Current Affair at the time. “Raising a glass or bottle to my mouth to drink, those little arbitrary tasks throughout the day, are quite challenging now. I maintain a level of strength, getting out of bed every day so you can keep, sort of, and realising that you’re kind of trapped in a body that’s not working so well.”

NRL world rocked by Carl Webb's death at 42

A close friend of Webb's described the late NRL star as an "absolute wrecking ball" and told the Courier Mail he was "the closest person I have ever seen to Mike Tyson" on a footy field. News of Webb's death has sparked an outpouring of tributes on social media, with fans gutted by the news and offering their condolences to his family.

Carl Webb's rapid decline amid battle with MND

The late rugby league player had spoken of his deterioration over the last few years and revealed that long walks saw him require the use of a powered wheelchair. Webb's fine motor skills defined his brilliance on the footy field but he required daily assistance in recent times and admitted his decline had been rapid and confronting.

“I can see a big difference in the past year. I have declined a fair bit,” Webb said in November 2021. “Getting dressed in the morning is a task. I struggle to button my shirts up and pull my trousers and shorts up.

“I can still walk, but my legs are starting to get a bit sloppy. I drag my feet a bit. If I fall, it’s a real struggle to get back up. I can’t push myself up. Strength was a big thing for me, I was always strong, but now my strength is gone. I am losing all muscle definition. It’s starting to waste away.”

Webb is survived by his four children and set up the Carl Webb Foundation two years ago to provide a better future for his children and other sufferers of MND. You can donate to the Carl Webb Foundation here.

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