In June, the former hooker who counts St Helens, Warrington Wolves, Wigan Warriors and hometown club Leigh among his former clubs during a 500-game career was diagnosed with widespread stage four cancer after discovering a lump on his lower back.
It is the second such diagnosis for the 44-year-old, who had fought off stage three melanoma in 2022, but now his family are calling on the rugby league community for support.
A JustGiving page has been set up for donations towards the family and potential access to promising clinical trials in Europe, with no such options available in the UK.
At the time of writing, more than £23,000 of donations had been pledged with an initial target of £25,000 looking set to be beaten.
A fundraising walk is also due to take place on Sunday, August 24, with full details to be confirmed in due course.