Re: Stevie Ward to sue club : Tue Jan 30, 2024 3:42 pm  

Shabino wrote:

So so sad. Should never had got to this stage. Surely the club should have looked after Stevie better than this? £200k is nothing for life changing injuries..
He Shouldn’t be having to fight for financial package…..

At this stage we don't know what the club did or did not do. Nothing has been proven. What I do know is that the club showed a tremendous amount of patience with Stevie during his many absences through injury. He definitely would not have got such sympathetic treatment at a number of other top clubs. They also did the same for Dom Crosby when the temptation must have been to find away to "get rid." Despite the on field slump of recent years I don't think you'd find another club in SL that looks after and remembers it's players better than Leeds.

Re: Stevie Ward to sue club : Tue Jan 30, 2024 3:45 pm  

Zoo Zoo Boom wrote:

What I can't understand is why he wasn't able to get an insurance pay out. If the club are not insuring the players and just paying on a need basis that is not how an elite sporting club should care for its employees.

Ward has stated on numerous occasions that he has had to fund his after care - if that is the case that is poor on the club's part.

Leeds is a very well run club - this seems an odd position for it to get itself into.

Maybe the insurer didn't pay out. Leeds counter suing their medics might point that way.

Re: Stevie Ward to sue club : Tue Jan 30, 2024 6:03 pm  

Commercially we need to view this realistically: the club simply cannot afford to be paying out these kind of damages to ex-players. Some of you supporting this action must actually want to see the club fold, it baffles me. There is this strange "us and them" attitude among some fans which treats the leadership team at Leeds like the enemy, it's weird.

Leeds is generally a well-run club which treats most players impeccably most of the time.

It's also weird that some ex-players want to strike back at the sport which made them - you play contact sport, there are risks. The risk is yours to bear as a player, and the club's responsibility is to look after you reasonably and follow the science and protocol around health and wellbeing. Ward himself has pushed to play through injury (shoulder in the GF for example), and was a tough man. Maybe too tough to his own detriment at times.

This is a really sad situation and I rated Ward very highly as a player. But we did stand by him for ages while his concussion issues played out. Like we pay lots of other players who cannot actually play for various reasons, and stand by them and pay for their treatment and recovery.

Sorry I'm just not a fan of litigation in this area at all, I hope the class actions are thrown out in RU and RL. I just don't believe that the people running either code of rugby, or its clubs, are intentionally harming players through negligence. If we go much further down this road you'll have nothing to complain about at all because rugby won't be a viable sport any more. It's bad enough as it is with some silly over-reacting rule changes, which I don't feel effectively reduce injury risk but do spoil the entertainment and spectacle.

Re: Stevie Ward to sue club : Tue Jan 30, 2024 6:15 pm  

KaeruJim wrote:

Commercially we need to view this realistically: the club simply cannot afford to be paying out these kind of damages to ex-players. Some of you supporting this action must actually want to see the club fold, it baffles me. There is this strange "us and them" attitude among some fans which treats the leadership team at Leeds like the enemy, it's weird.

Leeds is generally a well-run club which treats most players impeccably most of the time.

It's also weird that some ex-players want to strike back at the sport which made them - you play contact sport, there are risks. The risk is yours to bear as a player, and the club's responsibility is to look after you reasonably and follow the science and protocol around health and wellbeing. Ward himself has pushed to play through injury (shoulder in the GF for example), and was a tough man. Maybe too tough to his own detriment at times.

This is a really sad situation and I rated Ward very highly as a player. But we did stand by him for ages while his concussion issues played out. Like we pay lots of other players who cannot actually play for various reasons, and stand by them and pay for their treatment and recovery.

Sorry I'm just not a fan of litigation in this area at all, I hope the class actions are thrown out in RU and RL. I just don't believe that the people running either code of rugby, or its clubs, are intentionally harming players through negligence. If we go much further down this road you'll have nothing to complain about at all because rugby won't be a viable sport any more. It's bad enough as it is with some silly over-reacting rule changes, which I don't feel effectively reduce injury risk but do spoil the entertainment and spectacle.

It's actually worse than this. For example, the proposed armpit tackle height rule will very likely increase head injuries due to the inevitable position of the tacklers head in relation to the ball carriers elbow/forearm/hip.

Re: Stevie Ward to sue club : Tue Jan 30, 2024 6:40 pm  

given nobody knows the facts nobody should should be pointing fingers at the club, player even other posters.

Re: Stevie Ward to sue club : Tue Jan 30, 2024 7:58 pm  

tad rhino wrote:

given nobody knows the facts nobody should should be pointing fingers at the club, player even other posters.

Facts are that an ex player is suing the club. The law will determine his case not this forum.

Re: Stevie Ward to sue club : Wed Jan 31, 2024 8:15 am  

ArthurClues wrote:

At this stage we don't know what the club did or did not do. Nothing has been proven. What I do know is that the club showed a tremendous amount of patience with Stevie during his many absences through injury. He definitely would not have got such sympathetic treatment at a number of other top clubs. They also did the same for Dom Crosby when the temptation must have been to find away to "get rid." Despite the on field slump of recent years I don't think you'd find another club in SL that looks after and remembers it's players better than Leeds.

Yeah that’s fair. Just feel so sorry for the lad. He’s suffered injuries that will effect the rest of his life…..

Re: Stevie Ward to sue club : Wed Jan 31, 2024 8:16 am  

KaeruJim wrote:

Commercially we need to view this realistically: the club simply cannot afford to be paying out these kind of damages to ex-players. Some of you supporting this action must actually want to see the club fold, it baffles me. There is this strange "us and them" attitude among some fans which treats the leadership team at Leeds like the enemy, it's weird.

Leeds is generally a well-run club which treats most players impeccably most of the time.

It's also weird that some ex-players want to strike back at the sport which made them - you play contact sport, there are risks. The risk is yours to bear as a player, and the club's responsibility is to look after you reasonably and follow the science and protocol around health and wellbeing. Ward himself has pushed to play through injury (shoulder in the GF for example), and was a tough man. Maybe too tough to his own detriment at times.

This is a really sad situation and I rated Ward very highly as a player. But we did stand by him for ages while his concussion issues played out. Like we pay lots of other players who cannot actually play for various reasons, and stand by them and pay for their treatment and recovery.

Sorry I'm just not a fan of litigation in this area at all, I hope the class actions are thrown out in RU and RL. I just don't believe that the people running either code of rugby, or its clubs, are intentionally harming players through negligence. If we go much further down this road you'll have nothing to complain about at all because rugby won't be a viable sport any more. It's bad enough as it is with some silly over-reacting rule changes, which I don't feel effectively reduce injury risk but do spoil the entertainment and spectacle.

I get your point and well written and explained. So sad all round….

Re: Stevie Ward to sue club : Wed Jan 31, 2024 1:00 pm  

Reiterating: I thought Ward was a cracking player and it's incredibly sad all round he didn't have the career he should have.

I just feel strongly that the club can do without this kind of diversion, we are already in collective trauma over Rob Burrow and whereas I can imagine where Stevie is coming from, I think legal action like this is ill conceived. Like I said though it's in the hands of the lawyers now - one thing for sure is that they will do okay from the situation!

Re: Stevie Ward to sue club : Wed Jan 31, 2024 1:21 pm  

KaeruJim wrote:

Reiterating: I thought Ward was a cracking player and it's incredibly sad all round he didn't have the career he should have.

I just feel strongly that the club can do without this kind of diversion, we are already in collective trauma over Rob Burrow and whereas I can imagine where Stevie is coming from, I think legal action like this is ill conceived. Like I said though it's in the hands of the lawyers now - one thing for sure is that they will do okay from the situation!

What do you expect the Ward to do - just go quietly to save the club's face? I don't expect the club to pay out I expect it to be insured correctly to protect its employees as all other companies are legally obliged to.

Given the thirst from fans for "bring back the biff" and shoulder charging. These are the fans who are saying the players know what they are getting into so should suffer the consequences for our entertainment!!

Leeds is the best run club in SL but you do get the impression on occasions that players are just exendable collateral in the grand scheme of things.