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Post by Carnster on Oct 29, 2021 12:10:55 GMT
Carnster, I agree with virtually all you say and it will be very difficult to prove. The lawyers could be operating no win/no fee in which case they must be confident. What I disagree with is that you say they need to be deliberately negligent. That’s not right. They just need to be found negligent which,as I say,I agree will be hellish difficult. The compensation culture has been derided by quite a few old pros on social media and they’re dead against the legal action That's a fair point. I'll edit my original post as you are right and I'm wrong on this one. |
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Post by SalfordSlim on Oct 29, 2021 16:15:51 GMT
My opinion on this may be a bit more controversial... While I agree that in the modern game these things are a priority and we could probably do more, especially for retired players of the future. While it's a terrible thing for those who have accrued lasting damage from the game in the past, where the controls were lacking, I think legal action against the sport that has gone further than most to mitigate these things in the modern era is wrong. RL is a fierce contact sport, like Boxing, MMA or other contact sports and when players decide to commit themselves to a hard sport where serious injury is always a possibility, they enter into it having judged the acceptable risks that come along with that. Boxers know that brain damage is an inevitability yet they don't sue the Boxing associations. Footballers risk life changing leg injuries yet they don't sue their governing bodies because of what potentially may occur. I'd be surprised if this actually succeeded because they will have to prove that the RFL were negligible, rather than it be the fact that these things hadn't evolved twenty to thirty years ago plus. The fact that the sport has and still is putting into place player safety precautions every year for quite a long time shows that there is no deliberate action to ignore issues. Dementia is also a very poorly understood disease with factors such as genetics, lifestyle, diet history, substance abuse history, and injury. Very difficult to pinpoint the exact causes for each individual. This all feels a little dirty and unclean to me, and it doesn't sit well with me regarding intent and motive. Agree fully with this. I feel for these guys that are suffering with Dementia and as a sport we need to do everything we can to make the sport safer and support those who are injured playing RL. Like you say though it does feel like this is a way for people to cash in. Whilst one person suffering life changing ill effects from head knocks is too many we are still talking about a very small amount of people involved. When I read about Terry Butcher talking about banning heading in Football I died a little inside. I think most of us on here played sport to a certain degree before we got too old/bashed up to continue. There is always a risk in contact sport which you accept while you're playing and you just have to mitigate that risk. Not sure what else to say tbh (I have started early on the JD Fire as well so maybe best to leave it there😂). |
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Post by JJR on Oct 29, 2021 17:51:35 GMT
I think we have to get this in perspective and realise that players were and still are encouraged/pressed / forced to play on injuries. Kevin our illustrious full back was pushed by Marwan to play apparently when obviously not fit; Stevie Coppel reportedly got a large pay off from MU because he continually had to play on injections to his knees, then really suffered.
We know and clubs know that they put players out when not fit and many years ago it wasn’t an option and the macho press was/is always played. And we’ve all played on injuries.
I have great sympathy with th3 likes of Highto, who has apparently gone down hill since he left us. We continually go on #bout all sorts of immeasurable ‘Stress Related’ aspects that can’t be properly measured and have sympathy and support but Dementia and it’s related conditions are in another dimension; irreparable, life restricting, awful conditions without any option of being cured.
I’ve no idea, as none of us have, about where this will go But I will totally support these guys and hope they get some form of help, assistance in some way, funding( there’s large amounts for stress in its various form with curability), they’re are having life ending positions at a relatively early age.
It’s ok passing judgement on this but until you’ve lived with it you don’t understand what they’re going through …it’s hell, it’s demeaning, it’s end of normal life…a slow daily demise, losing your senses and desire for living. What I do know is that dementia and it’s related conditions is measurable and they won’t be conning anybody. It will be clinically proven
I totally support them and hope they get the help ( not necessarily financial…that’s th3 lawyers) and support they need in order that they live as good a life as possible. They need our support.
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Post by bonitared on Oct 29, 2021 18:15:28 GMT
JJR, that’s well thought through and you raise loads of interesting issues.
First and foremost,these guys need help and understanding and I hope they receive it. That doesn’t necessarily mean that the RFL were negligent and I sincerely hope they weren’t, not for financial reasons but it’d be terrible to feel that they knowingly ignored warnings or buried their heads. If you think back to that era,this subject was on no-one’s lips
Kevin Locke is a separate issue. There seems little doubt that he was pressured to play,and the others who’ve had injections and played. Bottom line is that the player can always refuse,but he’d have to face the consequences but the fact remains he could refuse. Different to the concussion issue.
I think but can’t be certain that Coppell was the subject of the largest insurance pay out at the time for a career ending injury but that wasn’t a negligence claim against United for too many injections.
In the future,will sport see claims related to players being forced to play through injury. I doubt it.
Interesting debate.
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Post by JJR on Oct 29, 2021 18:47:10 GMT
BR I don’t want sport in the UK to be legally, compensation led as it is in the States but we all know that lots of players in the past and today are pushed out to play on injuries of varying degrees. In the past head injuries were just another hit and were treated as such and coaches, who’s jobs are always on the line, wanted them out there.
Following the Terry Newton and other instances there’s a plethora of support for players with mental health issues and it’s taken v seriously, in fact Paul Highto was an ambassador in this field.
The compensation issues aside, ( which to are muddying the water) the rights, wrongs, values of this we could debate endlessly, but if there are clinically proven cases of ex and existing players having dementia, I think we should take it v seriously and give our support to them. I’m reading that players are in it for the money, playing the game etc…..this can be clinically proven and if so should be supported.
Masoe had a career ending injury, is correctly totally supported by his Club and the RFL but still has his faculties to enable him to live a good form of life with his family; these ex players with dementia do not have that facility to live any form of a normal life. I just hope we can see their predicament and we’ll support them. How old is Paul Highton….no age to be dependent on his family.
The litigation may be @ cry for help…so let’s recognise and help
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Post by gadger on Oct 29, 2021 21:44:12 GMT
My initial thoughts on this were that it’s all wrong, you can’t judge previous actions on current knowledge. Yes, we should learn from that and make relevant changes which I think the sport is, but to sue, I think that’s wrong.
However, many people on here have made some fine points, JJR previous post I do understand and fully agree with. Nobody wants to see ex players with life limiting injuries, my son is playing now I’d hate to think he would end up affected badly in future.
Let’s hope the positive that comes out of this is proper investment in to reducing the impacts that cause these issues happening
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