The Parramatta Eels are preparing to take QBE to court over its denial of a career-ending payout to former star Anthony Watmough, it has been reported.
QBE, the insurer of the NRL, refused to pay a $1.2 million claim for a career-ending knee injury suffered by the Eels star in 2016.
The insurer argued that the injury was pre-existing when it ended Watmough’s career less than a year into a four year contract with the Eels.
Max Donnelly, Eels chairman, told The Australian that the side is now “virtually certain,” to go to court with the insurance firm.
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“The process now is we will have to gather the medical evidence to contradict the determination,” Donnelly continued.
In 2016, QBE stated that Watmough suffered from osteoarthritis in his left knee, pre-dating his knee injury, which occurred during pre-season training in 2016.
The denial of Watmough’s claim could see other NRL clubs liable for millions of dollars in payouts that they thought would be covered by QBE as more players are believed to have lodged claims with the insurer since Watmough’s case.
Following the career-ending injury to Newcastle Knights player Alex McKinnon in 2014, QBE was brought into the NRL as the insurer of the top 25 players at each club.
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