NRL Club Says Player Contributed to His Own Death

It happened on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, at 2:02 pm.

Keith Titmuss was a junior player who never played a senior game before he died during preseason training.

In short, this is about a player's death.

The Manly Warringah NRL club says Keith Titmuss contributed to his own death by not telling them about his fitness level.

The family of Titmuss is suing the club for damages because they think the club was negligent.

A coronial inquest in 2024 said Titmuss died of exertion heat stroke, and a pre-existing heart condition was unlikely to have played a part.

The club says Titmuss contributed to his own death by not managing his weight and diet during the off-season.

The family of Keith Titmuss is suing the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles for damages because they think the club was negligent in his death.

The club says it was not responsible for Titmuss's death because he did not tell the coaches and medical staff about his physical state.

The club wrote that 'NRL training is inherently dangerous'.

The club says any injury or damage to Titmuss's family was caused by Titmuss's own negligence.

The mother of Keith Titmuss is speaking out about her family's lawsuit against the NRL club.

The club says Titmuss did not train or diet properly during the off-season and put himself in danger by not stopping training when he felt sick.

The club says players were told to inform coaches if they felt ill or could not cope with the physical demands.

The club did a fitness test on Titmuss four days before he died and found no problems.

The training session at the Sydney Academy of Sport involved outdoor sprint tests and an intense cardio session inside.

The session included a 100-passes drill and a cardio circuit with up-downs, bear crawls, and 'fireman carries'.

The temperature was about 21 degrees Celsius, but the humidity was 92 percent.

The club says the dojo had fans, the back doors were open, and hydration breaks were enforced.

The player's family says the fans were not turned on during the session.

There were 10 staff members to monitor the 15 players inside.

A magistrate recommends the NRL consider mandating a two-week controlled training acclimatisation period after off-season breaks.

A coronial inquest concluded that Titmuss died of exertion heat stroke.

The workout at the club's Narrabeen gym was 'more likely than not inappropriate', the coroner found.

Paramedics noted Titmuss's temperature was 41.9C, and his heart rate was more than 140 beats per minute.

Titmuss's family says the club's precautions were not enough to meet its own heat policy guidelines.

The family claims the club is liable for Titmuss's death.

The club says it owed a duty of care to Titmuss as an employee but did not breach that duty.

Titmuss's family says he started to struggle physically after an outdoor sprint test, which the club denies.

The club instituted a heat policy after a former player was hospitalized with heat stroke.

Manly Warringah and the NRL were contacted for comment.

AAP

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