An intense training session on the first day of Manly’s pre-season in 2020 was beyond Keith Titmuss’ aerobic capacity, a coronial inquest into his death has heard.
A training session during which rising NRL player Keith Titmuss collapsed and later died was “unnecessarily and inappropriately tough” for a player of his aerobic capacity, an inquest has heard.
GPS data from the training session showed Manly players completed a 139-minute outdoor workout before jogging to a nearby gym, described as “hot and stuffy”, for further conditioning drills. “We submit, with the benefit of hindsight, inappropriately high level of intensity and not of a safe level or environment.”Manly’s legal counsel, Peggy Dwyer, SC, said there was “ample evidence there was a period of gradual training and acclimatisation, and players were encouraged to put their hand up if they’re struggling”.
Titmuss was also found to have a 70 per cent narrowing of one of the heart’s main arteries during an autopsy, which one expert witness, Dr Simon Quilty, described as “very unusual” in a young man. There were varying witness accounts of whether the cooling fans were on in the gym or the doors open at the time of Titmuss’ collapse, but Casselden said, “it possible the coaching staff did not appreciate the need for the fans to be turned on”.