Tonight on BBC one in the Yorkshire region "Inside-Out" will cover (amongst other things) the topic of professional rugby league players leaving the sport without having an alternative career to fall back on. The 10 minute segment starts by following Kyle Bibb as he attempts to pawn his collection of horse brasses following the collapse of his plastic waste export business. Plus interviews with RFL player welfare officer Chris Polio and players agent Mike Creosote.

This on the back of reports in the Australian press that former Huddersfield and Wests prop John Skandalis has been forced to sell a kidney in order to cover the livery costs for his daughter's pony.

Should we as fans of the sport demand more from the RFL and clubs when it comes to this?

I know that some clubs do more than others but it's ultimately down to each one and they aren't all singing from the same hymn sheet. Wakefield, for example, go above and beyond. They effectively operate as a centre for excellence in electrical studies alongside being a super league club. As well as tuition from fully qualified electricians, players have access to soldiering irons before and after training for their own use. This isn't just morally correct but also makes them an attractive prospect to young players. Tom Johnstone being a case in point. He only took up the game with Stanningley with the long term aim to sign on at Wakefield and get his Btec.

Pony more important than kidney suggests he needs help.
However, RL players should be intelligent enough to realise that a career is relatively short and if they need any sort of guidance it should be in the RFL’s remit.

It's something that the players, club's and sport as a whole should recognise and plan accordingly.
Some clubs and players do spend time working on life after RL but, in a sport where 15-20 years is the maximum time for any player and for many, it's nothing like this long, there has to be a plan.

I agree there has to be a plan, but it is the responsibility of the individual to make it, not the employer.

I think you've been had on the Skando kidney.

Indeed, it is illegal to sell a human kidney in Aus.

It's not in China - there's a big market for human organs.

A very sad situation and I can't help but think clubs should be doing more.

If you compare it to football we are light years behind. Leeds United's academy have teachers and ensure that young players have a degree.

James Milner studied for a PHD in Geology before breaking into the first team. Now he splits his time between playing for Liverpool and the oil rig that he bought with Mo Salah.

RL is not football, where have you heard that Milner and Salah own an Oil Rig? a new one on me.

I know it’s not football. How many superleague players do you think there are that own an oil rig? I reckon it’s zero.

That said the principle is still the same. Take someone like Brian McDermott. Very clever man and had coaching not worked out for him he’d have been fine thanks to the glass blowing course he took when he was playing at Bradford.

I doubt very much Milner and Salah own an oil rig.

so that's the reason he's good at blowing in the interviews, joking aside there seems to be some that have no control when earning higher wages some taking to gambling, wasn't it brough that got himself into debt and took the shudds half back position to help clear them.
I never been a high earner but wasn't lowly paid and made provisions at a young age not knowing that I'd end up short of my retirement date not being able to work, luckily I should be ok but it was in them days fed into you to get a pension its sorted as it's harder the older you get. If players ignore their future it's hardly the club's fault

None of us know when our body will pack up and render us unable to work. It's not just rugby league players that need a plan for the future, we all do.

Jon Wilkin had the foresight to learn how to artificially inseminate pigs. He may not need to now a media career beckons but there's no reason why other players shouldn't turn their interests into a business in the same way.

Brian Carney is trained as an iron monger.

Wasn't there an article on 'boots n all' some years ago showing clubs putting the players through the local colleges on plumbing, electric....type courses?

How long does a professional rugby player train each day?

Was it Stuart Fielden who bought a Subway sandwich shop franchise? I seem to remember a feature on him a few years back.

[url=https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/7998184.scrummy-job-for-stuart/Yes[/url

Stuart Fielden is now killing it as a personal trainer too.

Jamie Foster now owns and works in a successful barbers

One of the requirements of playing for Bradford in those days was that you attended a food hygiene course run by Brian Noble. Aside from Rugby league and policing the streets, it’s his biggest passion.

It’s one of the reasons Jamie Peacock went to Leeds. He had a disagreement with Noble arguing the regulations didn’t go far enough on the kind of hand soap you can use in food prep.

Although you are right, most of us need a plan for if we become unable to work. However, we hope that the day will never arrive and that we will, one day be able to retire.
For professional sportsmen and women, it's not a maybe.
There career will hopefully wind down as their bodies get older and they lose their pace/strength but, it will happen, probably in their mid 30's and every player should be thinking about what comes next.
A select few will be able to stay in the game in coaching or management but, the vast majority will have to get a "proper" job at some point.

Perhaps this is why we see a growing number of tv channels showing football & football discussion & highlight programmes in order to provide jobs for ex players.