Manly Sea Eagles head coach Des Hasler says Keith Titmuss will be "sorely missed". Photo / Getty
Manly Sea Eagles head coach Des Hasler says Keith Titmuss will be "sorely missed". Photo / Getty
The Manly Sea Eagles NRL club are still coming to terms with the shocking death of Keith Titmuss, and looking for answers as to how the tragedy happened.
The 20-year-old forward finished a 90-minute pre-season training run in Northern Sydney, before collapsing during a stretching session.
Titmuss had complained of cramps following the non-contact session. After collapsing he was attended to by a doctor at the scene before an ambulance was called. He was conscious when he was first taken to hospital, before getting progressively worse and dying.
Manly Chief Executive Stephen Humphreys told The Sydney Morning Herald the entire club is in shock.
"We are also without answers about what has happened," he added. "I wasn't present when it happened."
Humphrey said he was actively seeking out more clarity on the situation.
Titmuss was touted as one of the club's rising stars, being named Manly Jersey Flegg Cup Players' Player in 2019 and scoring the winning try in the NYC Grand Final in 2017.
Coach Des Hasler followed on from Humphreys comments, saying they are all "devastated".
"Keith was a very popular character among the playing group," he said. "He will be sorely missed but never forgotten by the Sea Eagles," he said.
The NRL has confirmed counselling will be offered to the club and its players.
Keith Titmuss (right) celebrates scoring the winning try of the 2017 NRL NYC Grand Final. Photo / Twitter
League Chief Executive Andrew Abdo described it as a tragic event for rugby league.
"The game has lost a promising young player with the world at his feet. Keith had made it into Manly's Top 30 for the 2021 season after coming through the club's junior ranks."
Titmuss was a member of the club's full-time squad but was yet to make his first-grade debut. That was set to change in 2021.
He had just the one appearance in the New South Wales Cup in 2020 with Blacktown Workers, but it was an impressive showing, running for 100 metres and gaining 35 post-contact metres.
Abdo said they would prioritise support offered to Titmuss' family.
"We are one family and today we have lost a member of that family. On behalf of the commission and the game, I send my deepest condolences to Keith's family."
It is, unfortunately, not the first time a Manly Sea Eagles have witnessed a serious health accident happen to one of their players.
In 2018, then 23-year-old Lloyd Perrett revealed he suffered a seizure and heatstroke after collapsing at training, sparking serious concerns within the club.
