League icon reveals sad diagnosis, condemns 'potentially catastrophic' new social media craze

Legendary rugby league hardman Ian Roberts has called on governing bodies from contact sports and even the government to step in and end a "potentially catastrophic" social media trend.

And in his interview with Nine's Today on Tuesday he revealed a recent epilepsy diagnosis is likely the result of countless big hits he copped throughout his footy career.

Manly spoke out against the "run it straight" challenge on Monday after footage emerged of league fans colliding with one another on the Brookvale Oval hill following a game.

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The controversial social media trend recently cost a young man in New Zealand his life. Sea Eagles enforcer Nathan Brown labelled it "pretty dangerous".

Roberts was one of the toughest men to grace a rugby league field during a career that included State of Origin and Test honours.

But the 60-year-old wants the "run it straight" challenge outlawed and condemned.

"The research, the history and the science is out there now," Roberts told Today.

"These type of collisions have long-term, potentially catastrophic effects.

"I'd like to send a shoutout to Mario Fenech and Rebecca Fenech, Mario has stood up in the last couple of years about his situation, and this is what we're facing.

"(The social media trend) is based on outrage, and shares and likes, so all this stuff gets airtime but it is really dangerous stuff."

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Roberts played with fellow league legend Fenech at South Sydney for several years during the 1980s.

Fenech, nicknamed the Maltese Falcon, famously copped several big knocks during his career and he was diagnosed with dementia when in his 50s.

On Tuesday, Roberts revealed his own sad diagnosis.

"There are consequences long-term," he said.

"In the last 12 months I've had a bit of an issue myself. I was just recently diagnosed... with epilepsy.

"I reckon the damage I did to myself was not taking the shots, it was making the shots.

"I'm good, I just started a new process with medication which has really helped.

"But when you're 19 and 20, you're never going to be 50, you are never going to be 60, (because) that is too far away.

"But the fact is I'm 60 this year and knowing what I know now, and my own personal situation, there are things I would have changed about my playing style.

"In 1990 when I made that conscious effort to pull off more big hits, or to toughen my image up, I definitely wouldn't be doing that."

Most contact sports have made significant changes in the past two decades to minimise the possibility of concussion and brain damage.

Roberts wants sporting codes, and politicians, to ban the "run it straight" trend.

"It takes sporting bodies, codes, or the government to get behind this. Parents need to know what their children are watching and what they're doing," he said.

"You've got to keep poking the bear. This is long-term, potentially catastrophic consequences for young people.

"We can't keep ignoring it."