I would certainly suggest that some sort of support with skills and careers post-rugby would be a good starting point. I realise that back in the day, when players used to hang up their boots and go and run a failed pub, the idea of careers and skills advice would have been alien but we've moved on from those days.

I said in a previous post, sport is one of only a handful of industries that arguably distracts young people from mainstream education and channels them down very specific, high risk (and in the case of RL, low-reward) path, only to spit them out at one of various stages. For those lucky enough to get into their 30s still playing the game, it's all they have known but unlike most of us at that stage in life, their career ends rather abruptly. How do those with mouths to feed and mortgages to pay cope without the sort of skills that the modern economy demands?

The work that some clubs have done with colleges and universities is definitely a step forward, and Alker played at a time when that sort of thing was perhaps in its infancy. I also agree that there does need to be some sort of minimum standard imposed, but it should be on the clubs to address in my view. We can't keep simply saying "we can't afford this" because we've already seen that this sort of inaction has a heavy cost.

just about every super league club have things in place to help guide players on what to do after there career is over, not alot any club could do if 5-6 years after a player retires he turns to armed robbery.

To true and the same can be for any person not just rugby league players he will be locked up I hope and that is one more scum bag of the street

Most players seem to have some forward planning now, like has already been said this is six years after he retired no excuses

that sort of player planning and welfare guidance has been on most clubs/players agenda since super league started.

that sort of player planning and welfare guidance has been on most clubs/players agenda since super league started so Alker would have been subject to that over his entire career.

Its about 7 years since Alker retired from the professional game, if after care welfare was available I would imagine there would be a time limit of a couple of years to adjust to a "normal environment". Sounds as though he could have been caught with a bad crowd to do something like that.

but be careful they will be calling you a Daily Mail reader next

It would be good and a sensible use of some of the money in the game (it wouldn't need a lot) to help players transition into a life outside of RL when their playing days finish. This goes beyond that though.

While the accusations are very serious they are still just accusations unless and until that Bolton jury decide otherwise.

On player welfare more generally, I think the parallel with the armed forces mentioned earlier is generally an accurate one.

Ultimately the individual bears personal responsibility, but putting programmes in place to help ease the transition... well it can't do any harm, and I can't imagine it'd be massively expensive to at very least raise awareness and outline options.

Well said....

Alker has been suffering from mental health issues for years by all accounts and it's sad that it has come to this. Horrendous for the victims and tragic for Alker as it will be difficult for him to come back from this. One of the best players to wear the Salford shirt in my near 30 years supporting the club and it's sad to see.