3 minute read

The Carl Webb Medal will be given to the man of the match in the Brisbane v North Queensland clash to honour the late forward whose work off the field inspired.

The late Carl Webb made a positive difference on and off the field in his inspirational but short life of 42 years.

His legacy will be honoured on Friday night at Suncorp Stadium when the player of the match in the Brisbane and North Queensland clash, two clubs that he played for with distinction, will receive the Carl Webb Medal.

The medal will now be awarded in perpetuity each time the two sides clash.

Webb died last year after a four-year battle with motor neurone disease (MND). In the latter stages of his life he set up the Carl Webb Foundation which raises funds for MND sufferers and their families.

On Friday night upwards of $40,000 will be raised by the foundation, given to charity MND and Me Foundation and passed on to those battling MND.

Broncos legend Darren Lockyer said Webb, one of the toughest forwards to lace a boot, left a lasting legacy.

"On the field he was tough and the aggressor. He was also what I would call a protector. He always had your back," Lockyer said.

"I think his legacy and what was important to him was not so much on the field. It was after.

"When he was diagnosed with MND he chose a path and that was to make a difference. He lived his final years with plenty of positivity.

"I think that was the key for him about his foundation, about creating that legacy."

North Queensland forward Gavin Cooper played with Webb in his initial year at the Cowboys in 2010 and said the work he did for MND sufferers would be a lasting legacy.

On the field, Webb was a frightening prospect but Cooper also recalled the way he handled his condition with stoicism..

"Just that level of aggression he played with is something that I'll vividly remember. I have goosebumps all down my back just thinking about him as a player," he said.

"I spoke to Webby always around footy games and at Origin I always saw him, funnily enough up Caxton Street and around Suncorp, and he always had a smile on his face.

"Even through the tough times when he was deteriorating to a point where just to get out and be mobile was a challenge, you could see he took that challenge head on and that's the way he played footy as well."

Webb represented Queensland and Australia and played 187 NRL games for the Broncos, Cowboys and Parramatta.