sport news Wayne Bennett leads calls for Aussie men to speak up and not let the death of ... trends now
A chorus of big name NRL identities led by master coach Wayne Bennett have called for all men to speak up if they are struggling - and not let Paul Green's death be in vain.
Green was found unresponsive at his Brisbane home on Thursday and could not be revived. He was just 49.
The death of the charismatic former NRL player and coach has rocked the NRL community, but has also shone a light on a big problem in Australia - men's suicide.
ABS data shows that three-quarters of the suicide deaths in 2020 were men, with people in the 40 to 54 age bracket accounting for 26.7 per cent of those deaths.
Male suicide rates increased from 16.2 deaths per 100,000 in 2011 to 18.6 deaths per 100,000 in 2020. More than 25 per cent of the 759 suicides in Queensland in 2020 were men aged 40 to 59.
Bennett and Green speak to media ahead of their 2015 NRL all-Queensland grand final clash
Bennett said it was time to shatter conceptions that being a man meant suffering in silence and to provide support and assurance for those that are battling.
'The challenge for men is to let us know if you're in that [dark] place,' Bennett said to News Corp.
'Let us know, because when you open up and talk about your problems, you'll realise that you're loved and cared for much more than you give credit for. Talk to someone you trust, but please just talk to someone. Have that conversation.
'Men don't want to burden us with their problems, and Paul was a man.
'We don't want to be seen as weak and that's all men, not just footballers. There are a lot of guys who have done what Paul's done, unfortunately, and no-one knows about them.
'Men are vulnerable and it's okay to show that we are. You have to let us know so we can try to help.
'Because this [Green's death] helps nobody; this hurts us all.'
Brisbane Broncos and Queensland legend Wally Lewis said the first step to ask for help was the hardest, but support is available for everyone experiencing depression or suicidal thoughts.
'Among former footballers there was always this gladiator-type role that if they admitted they needed some assistance or were struggling, they saw themselves as being a bit weak,' he said.
'There's a lot of steps you can take to address mental health and the first one is often the hardest, that admission that you do need some help or some advice.
'There's a real opportunity to shine a light on it now and to understand there are people who are professionally
