Former rugby league player Andrew Johns says the celebrity culture of the game is making life unbearable for many players.
Johns has told News Limited it's only a matter of time before the pressure pushes a high-profile player to take their own life.
Johns made his battle with bi-polar disorder public last year, and says his retirement from the NRL came as a great relief.
Professor Ian Hickey from Sydney University says clubs have a responsibility to ensure players can deal with the good times and bad.
“Rugby League is one of these where really the culture for a long time has tolerated alcohol and drug use.”
“I think they’ve made big strides to change that but there’s some way to go.”
“There is a price to be paid if we continue down the path of simply encouraging that behaviour and not really putting an emphasis on good mental health being part of being a productive member of the society in which you live,” he said.