Nathan Hindmarsh has revealed he called upon his painful experiences with problem gambling to help Eels halfback Chris Sandow realise it was an addiction that can be overcome.
The future of Sandow, who was signed to the Eels from Souths on a $550,000-a-year contract at the end of 2011, is uncertain following revelations about his problems.
''I haven't counselled him,'' Hindmarsh said. ''I asked Chris what he was doing to try and resolve the issues and he explained there were plans in place by the club to help get him started and that was pretty much where we left it. It's unfortunate this has happened to him.
''It's a difficult thing to stop … you have your ups and downs, your good weeks and your bad weeks, and it's a difficult situation to get a handle on because you know what you're doing and you want to stop but it's so hard.''
Hindmarsh, who played 330 first-grade games for Parramatta and represented Australia and NSW, made headlines in 2011 after admitting he'd put $200,000 through poker machines as a result of the addiction he had in his early 20s.
''I had a conversation the other day and I said you can push your body to limits you didn't know you could go, but you can't stop your finger from pushing a little button on a machine,'' he said.
''That was the frustrating thing.''
Hindmarsh said it was possible Sandow, who has also battled a form slump, could win a tough fight. ''I don't know his full story. I don't know how deep he's in, because I didn't want to delve too deep,'' he said.
''I just wanted to make sure he was seeing the right people and getting the right help. The rest is up to him. If Chris wants to change, he can change.''
Hindmarsh said he did not know whether Sandow's personal issues had affected his form. However, the Eels great is involved in a program designed to help people realise they may have a gambling problem.
''The campaign has been rolled out to all club's throughout NSW,'' he said. ''My face appears on little cards placed in gambling areas and the message is 'if your gambling is not fun any more, speak to someone.' ''
Hindmarsh, and the club's major sponsor Glenn Duncan of Pirtek, performed another civic duty when they had ''public'' prostrate examinations on Tuesday to highlight the need for men to undergo examinations. While 33-year-old Hindmarsh was not in the target age group, he wanted to help men overcome concerns about the intrusive procedure.
''It took less than 10 seconds, a bit of a feel around,'' he said. ''Yes it was uncomfortable, but I'd rather have 10 seconds of discomfort than endure what thousands of Australian men do each year all because they won't get tested.''
