Brother’s heartache after ‘devastating’ Green death
Rick Green, the brother of former NRL coach Paul, has spoken of his family’s overwhelming sadness at his death.
Speaking to 9News, Rick said the family was dealing with the difficult process of planning a public funeral.
“It is a devastating loss and he was greatly loved by all of us,” he said.
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“He’s a person who will be missed dearly. We all loved him dearly.”
Paul died on Thursday morning at the age of just 49.
“We don’t know the full extent of the way in which he touched people’s lives, but he did so because of his unique qualities as a person and the way he approached life,” Rick said.
“He will be remembered with such fondness.
“We appreciated so much of what he brought to our lives and we have a real sense of loss.
“Dad is over 90, mum is over 80, they’re obviously feeling this in a special way. No one should be burying their sons at that age.”
Cowboys captain Jason Taumalolo was a player in Green’s 2015 premiership-winning team.
He made a plea for everyone to look out for their mates.
“There are no real words to express what happened in the last few days, and how it affected a lot of people in the rugby league community,” he said.
“Everybody should have someone to talk to, regardless of how big or small the problem is. No one should have to carry that sort of pressure around with them.”
If you or anyone you know needs immediate support, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or via lifeline.org.au. In an emergency, call 000.
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