Danny Sculthorpe compensated by Bradford Bulls

Danny Sculthorpe has been compensated by Bradford Bulls after he suffered a training injury which led to the former Super League club cancelling a three-year deal without him ever pulling on their shirt – effectively ending his top-flight playing career.

Sculthorpe, a former prop forward, claimed the injury was caused by the Bulls’ failure to devise a suitable training regime for him, given he had suffered from back problems throughout his career following spinal surgery.

He had just signed two-year deal, with the option of as third in his favour, with Bradford when the injury happened.

Due to a disc prolapse he suffered early in his career at Wigan, Sculthorpe had been on specifically tailored training programmes at the Warriors, and during spells playing for Castleford, Wakefield and Huddersfield.

However, when signing for the Bulls in September 2009, he claimed he did not undergo a formal medical, and despite warning both the club doctor and physio about the need to accommodate his back injury into his training, was instructed to do ‘bent over rowing’, with 60kg barbells at one of his first sessions.

It was then that Sculthorpe, the younger brother of former St Helens and Great Britain forward Paul Sculthorpe, suffered a sharp pain in his back, suffering a prolapsed disc.

Following an operation, he was in and out of hospital for two months, and says his only contact with the Bulls was to cancel his contract and offer a ‘compromise’ pay-off.

Now, almost six years after the injury, Bradford have agreed to pay Sculthorpe a five-figure settlement.

The claim was lodged against the club's former holding company, Bradford Bulls Holdings Ltd, which is now dissolved, and was settled by its then insurance company. It has no relation to, or impact on, the current Bulls set-up.

I just felt like I had lost everything and that nobody cared. All I could think about was how I was unable to support my family.

Sculthorpe, now 35, said: “This case was never about the money for me, it was about Bradford admitting their mistakes and that they let me down so badly at a time when my career was going very well.

'Abandoned'

“They failed to devise a training regime for me to ensure my back condition was managed as it had been elsewhere, and then when I was injured, they abandoned me completely.”

Sculthorpe tried to return to the sport with a short spell at Widnes Vikings, but was only able to play short periods in pain, and could not continue.

He admits his career being over saw him sink into depression and have suicidal thoughts.

“I just felt like I had lost everything and that nobody cared,” he said. “At that time, all I could think about was how I was unable to support my family, that my career was over, and that the only way out was suicide.”

However, Sculthorpe found help after opening up about his feelings with his parents, and through support from the Rugby Football League.

He now works for the sport in supporting the State of Mind charity, which established a partnership with the game after it was rocked in 2010 by the death of Super League star Terry Newton, who had encountered many personal problems while playing at the highest level.

The campaign, which was recently promoted at all games in Round 25 of the Super League season, aims to improve the mental health, well-being and working life of rugby league players, and Sculthorpe says it is a key part of the game moving forward.

“I have found it very rewarding to be involved with State of Mind and to go out to clubs and talk to them about the importance of player welfare. It’s the most important part of the sport in my opinion,” he said.