As far as rugby league tough guys go, you'll struggle to find many that fit that description better than Keith Senior. The Leeds Rhinos legend, who made 365 appearances for the club, was one of the most feared players in the game.
Of course, he had his fair share of head injuries and, more topically, concussions. The ex-centre, now 47, was part of a generation that didn't know the full extent of brain injuries. In the present day, 100 former league players, many of whom Senior shared a field with, have now had legal proceedings launched on their behalf against the Rugby Football League.
It is, inevitably, a tricky subject for Senior, who is well aware that he too could have a brain injury following a career that spanned three decades. However, he will not be joining the legal case that is currently a very real threat to the governing body.
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"You could probably scan my brain and there would be issues," he said. "I don't want to know. People have their reasons for why they're doing that and I need to be diplomatic in what I say, that's their prerogative. Their reasons are their reasons."
But Senior, who remains active in the game as an assistant coach at Sheffield Eagles and through Rugby League Cares, questioned the base of the claim.
"To say you don't expect to get any head injuries from a full contact sport like rugby league - do people know the outcomes? It's always been illegal to do headshots, they just weren't punished the same way they are now.
"Science has moved on so much. It's like saying I should be able to sue a car company because they didn't have airbags 40 years ago. Safety has gone sky high and I understand and agree with that, I agree it needs to be safer at times and we need to put things into place to protect people. It has taken some shuffling and playing about, but people are getting used to the change now."
Senior believes the sport has made significant strides forward in addressing the issue, including a chance in coaching techniques.
"We used to coach to hit on the suspicion. If a halfback had the ball, go through him to let them know you're there. That's how you were always coached. Taking that out of people takes time as it is habit-forming. You adapt and learn."
Senior hopes a resolution can be found that doesn't result in the demise of the sport. "To answer your question, it's very tough. It's not nice. Is it down to rugby? I can't answer that. Can they answer that? I don't know. Are there other mitigating factors that come into people's lives?
"It's a shame these things happen, people have their reasons, whether I agree or not, I don't have any hatred for the people doing what they're doing. I don't agree with it, but I understand their reasons. It's a difficult situation not just for the players but for the sport as well. I just hope common sense prevails."
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