The moment Rob Burrow realised something was wrong: How slurred speech at an awards dinner was start of rugby star's five-year battle with Motor Neurone Disease after initially being told he had just 18 months to live

When Rob Burrow went to an awards dinner at his former club Leeds Rhinos, the rugby star had been looking forward to catching up with some old friends. 

The eight-time rugby league Grand Final winner had been chosen to give a speech honouring a youth player, something he had been more than happy to do given his own time spent in the club's academy when he was a teenager.

But things started to go wrong when he got up on stage and found he struggled to say the word 'consistency', having to fight to get the word out.

Some in the crowd thought he was drunk, but days later his troubles speaking returned, this time while conversing with a neighbour who asked him if he was on drugs.

Family and friends were concerned as it wasn't the first time he'd had problems with his speech -  just weeks before his devoted mother Irene noticed he had tripped over the word 'solicitor'.

While they had blamed his initial issues on the after effects from painkillers taken for a shoulder injury, its reappearance at a public event set alarm bells ringing.

In a BBC documentary, former teammate Jamie Jones-Buchanan recalled how Rob had been a 'bit slurry' in his speech, while his father Geoff Burrow urged him to see a medical professional.  

Geoff told filmmakers: 'His speech started to be affected, there was something wrong and when he finished playing we said: 'You need to get that checked out'.

'We asked him to come in to the see the Leeds doctor, just to check it out.'

He was given an MRI scan and blood tests which came back clear, leading the family to be quite optimistic - but then a neurologist delivered a devastating blow.

His devoted wife Lindsey said: 'We went to the appointment in the hospital and I think we were expecting him to be given some medication, to be given some tablets and signed off.

'I remember a nurse being sat in the corner, asking ''how are you?' and saying 'it's not good news'.'

Just 12 weeks after his first doctor's appointment, Rob had been diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND), an incurable illness that robs people of the ability to speak, move and swallow before eventually leaving them 'locked in' and unable to breathe. 

The rugby star, who had spent his entire career going toe-to-toe with players who dwarfed his 5ft 5in frame on the pitch, was told he now faced just 18 months to live only two years after retiring.

It came as a complete shock to Rob, who told the BBC: 'My speech was slurred, with family telling me it had got worse. I had an old injury and went for a (painkiller) jab in my shoulder. I mentioned about the speech to the doctor and was very quickly diagnosed.

'I didn't know much about MND at all. I'd read up on the internet about the symptoms... but I didn't believe (I had) it. When I found out it was a massive shock.'

His father Geoff broke down in tears as he recalled the heartbreaking moment Rob told him about his diagnosis, saying: 'He phoned me and he said 'Dad, I've got MND, it's not good news'.'

Meanwhile Rob told the BBC he had no prior knowledge of MND. 'I'd read up on the internet about the symptoms,' he said, adding: 'But I didn't believe (I had) it. When I found out it was a massive shock.'

But his wife Lindsey knew differently. In an interview with the Times, she said: 'The worst thing was I trained as a physiotherapist and have treated MND sufferers at the hospital in Leeds where I work. I knew full well what we were in for.'

From the initial devastation at the diagnosis, Rob's family and former teammates rallied around him as doctors told him he could expect to live for another 18 months to two years.

But he defied expectations to live for another five, raising money and awareness of the condition throughout his battle.

Rob could originally still be independent in the early stages of the disease, but soon needed to use a wheelchair as he began to lose control over parts of his body.

Lockdowns during the coronavirus pandemic made the situation worse due to the family having to spend large periods of time essentially housebound.

Soon, he needed full-time care from his devoted wife Lindsey, who had the help of family and friends.

By 2023, Burrow had significantly deteriorated from his sporting self just a few years earlier. 

Just a year before his death, Burrow weighed just seven stone, was non-verbal and could only eat liquidised food spoon fed to him by his wife Lindsey.

He also had to sleep downstairs and some nights required a ventilator to decrease high levels of carbon dioxide in his body.

By the time of his death, Rob could only use his eyes to communicate with the aid of a computer. 

But while the physical changes proved challenging for the family, Burrow revealed that the hardest part was the toll the disease had taken on him being a father.

'The hardest thing for me is not being able to be the dad I want to be,' Rob told a BBC documentary.

'I would give anything to be able to kick a ball with my son or read the kids a bedtime story. It's the small things and things that often we take for granted that having MND makes you appreciate,' he added.

The rugby icon passed away at Pinderfields Hospital near his home surrounded by his family after becoming ill earlier in the week. 

A statement posted on behalf of his family read: 'It is with deep sadness that we announce the death of our beloved son, husband, father, brother and friend.

'Rob has always been a true inspiration throughout his life, whether that was on the Rugby league field or during his battle with MND.

'He never allowed others to define what he could achieve and believed in his own ability to do more.

'The outpouring of love and support that Rob and the whole Burrow family have received over the last four and a half years meant so much to Rob.

'In particular, the Rugby League Family and the MND community have rallied around Rob to inspire him, thank you for your support.'

They concluded the touching tribute by saying: 'He will continue to inspire us all every day. In a world full of adversity, we must dare to dream.'