While the rugby league and Australian sporting communities have rallied behind McKinnon for this weekend's Rise For Alex round of matches, the NRL and Rugby League Players' Association are looking to ensure that any player suffering such a devastating injury in the future will be taken care of financially.

On Friday, RLPA members considered a proposal from the NRL for insurance coverage after concerns that a growing number of players, including McKinnon, Simon Dwyer, Liam Fulton, Jharal Yow Yeh and Taniela Tuiaki, have been forced to retire in recent seasons without any policy being in place for their injuries.

Officials are also understood to be looking to establish a game-wide fund based on the Rugby Football Union Injured Players' Foundation, which looks after more than 130 players who have been "catastrophically" injured while playing.

The Australian Athletes' Alliance, which includes the players' associations of most major sports, is also pushing for professional athletes to be covered by workers' compensation laws – as jockeys are.

Without any of those three in place when McKinnon suffered a "devastating spinal injury" in a lifting tackle just moments before half-time in Newcastle's round three clash with Melbourne on March 24, the NRL has offered the 22-year-old a "job for life" in the game and helped establish the Rise For Alex Foundation to raise funds for his treatment and ongoing care.  

RISE FOR ALEX

As the extent of McKinnon's injury became clear in the days following the match at AAMI Stadium, confusion grew about what sort of compensation he was entitled to and where it would come from.

The RLPA had negotiated in the most recent collective bargaining agreement for the contracts of players forced into retirement to be honoured in full but only the few with their own insurance policies were covered for such a significant injury as the association, the NRL and clubs had not been able to agree on a policy.

"It was hard to get an answer, I was hearing off some people that the insurance was capped at $500,000 and others were saying they don't even have insurance," McKinnon's manager Paul Sutton said.

"But the NRL promised that they were going to do everything in their power to look after him in the future and they have been fantastic. I know the family has been absolutely over the moon with the help and the communication. The only negative thing was the uncertainty of the insurance."

More than 150 volunteers from the NRL and Telstra, as well as some players, accepted pledges for donations during a telethon on Thursday night, while $1 from every ticket to matches this weekend will go towards the Rise For Alex Foundation. Fans can also buy wristbands or make donations directly to the foundation.

But regardless of how much money is raised this weekend, McKinnon is going to need ongoing financial support to meet the cost of medical bills, housing suitable for his mobility and movement, essential physiotherapy equipment, and treatment as he strives to walk again.

"How much more use of his body he gets, that is going to be a big variable in how much money he needs into the future," Sutton said. "You just have to hope that he is well and truly looked after, whatever the amount happens to be."

OTHER PLAYERS

A fund-raising dinner for former Wests Tigers forward Simon Dwyer will be held at Wests Campbelltown Leagues Club on August 1, while former teammate Tuiaki recently applied for a job in a juvenile correction service in Darwin after being forced to retire at the start of the 2011 season following three unsuccessful ankle operations.

Dwyer's career was ended later the same year when he had five nerves torn off his spinal column in a game at Campbelltown Stadium. He still does not have movement in a finger on his right hand.

"He [Simon] is a great kid. He has got a debilitating injury which will limit his ability to work in the future and no one has done anything for him," leading player agent Wayne Beavis said. "I didn't know Simon Dwyer until 10 weeks ago, I just got involved because Brad Fittler asked me to and Freddie got involved because no one else was getting involved. It's a crying shame."

Brisbane winger Yow Yeh earlier this season abandoned a comeback from a badly broken leg suffered in 2012, while Tigers lock Liam Fulton was last week forced to retire after suffering four concussions in six matches this year.

"There's players like that everywhere and they should all be insured," Beavis said. "I can't believe that when the players' association did the CBA that insurance wasn't top of the list, but it didn't happen, hasn't happened, and still isn't happening."

INSURANCE

Fairfax Media understands the RLPA has been working on an insurance policy to present to players, possibly as soon as this week.

However, two previous proposals have been rejected in the past 18 months that would have covered McKinnon and insured players against health problems, such as Jon Mannah (Hodgkin's lymphoma), Sam Faust (leukemia) and Luke Lewis (thyroid cancer).

The policy was also believed to have covered players for pre-existing injuries.

Some players have taken out their policies but the individual costs are much higher than they would be if the NRL had blanket insurance across the competition.

"These discussions have been going on for two years now and it has caused frustrated players, who have young families and are concerned by some of their injuries they are seeing going on around them, to go and source insurance themselves," Stephan Marianne of d.i.b Financial Services said.

The AAA is also lobbying state governments to entitle NRL players to workers' compensation after professional athletes were excluded in the 1980s.

"We are certainly in discussion and will be in increased discussion with political leaders to make sure this exception is revoked," AAA general secretary Brendan Schwab said.