Former Cumbrian prop forward Ryan McDonald is among ten ex-players suing the Rugby Football League for negligence.
They claim negligence over the RFL’s failure to protect them from brain injuries caused by concussion during their careers.
The most high profile name on the list is Bobbie Goulding, capped 17 times by Great Britain who played for ten different clubs. The last one was Barrow, where he was coach in 2014 and he played three times at the age of 42.
McDonald, 43, who played amateur rugby league in home town Maryport, before turning professional with Leeds, went on to play 317 games between 1998 and 2015.
They included 51 games for Workington Town and 42 for Whitehaven, as well as spells with Bramley, Dewsbury, Widnes, Batley, Halifax, York, North Wales and London Skolars.
He also represented Scotland and Cumbria before retiring in 2015.
The story was broken in an exclusive article by the Daily Mail when McDonald said: “The worst thing for me is the anger issues. I can be really nasty and aggressive with people for no reason.
“If someone looks at me in what I consider the wrong way I’ll bite their heads off or want to get hold of them.
“It’s absolutely awful. I feel as if my head is in a dark cloud all the time.
“I try not to get upset but I know it’s only going to get worse. When I talk to the other lads and hear what I’ve got to look forward to, sometimes I wonder what’s the point.
“It’s very frightening as I’ve got a young family and I need to support them. It’s only thinking about my kids and my family that keeps me going.
“One of the hardest things has been asking for help. From a young age, you’re taught not to show any weakness, especially in our game, but now I’m trying to bare my soul to complete strangers.
“The NHS just throw tablets at you, which can lift the fog, but they don’t deal with the problem. They just mask it.
“Never mind head injuries, there’s no aftercare in rugby, full stop. As soon as you’re retired you don’t exist. You’re left in the dark.
“You lose 70 or 80 percent of your friends who may still be playing and the thing you’ve done all your life you can no longer do.
“All of a sudden you’re just dropped like a stone. Clubs don’t bother getting in touch with you as you’re no use to them anymore. It’s an absolute joke.”
Lawyers say the players are all suffering from “neurological complications” and they are now planning a legal claim against the RFL for negligence.
It follows similar action by rugby union players including England World Cup winner Steve Thompson.
A spokesman for the Rugby Football League said: “The Rugby Football League has recently been contacted by solicitors representing a number of former players.
The RFL takes player safety and welfare extremely seriously, and has been saddened to hear about some of the former players’ difficulties.
Rugby League is a contact sport and while there is an element of risk to playing any sport, player welfare is always of paramount importance.
As a result of scientific knowledge, the sport of Rugby League continues to improve and develop its approach to concussion, head injury assessment, education, management and prevention across the whole game. We will continue to use medical evidence and research to reinforce and enhance our approach.”
