TOP 8 FREAK OFF-FIELD INJURIES RUGBY league is a game for tough guys – but the big bad world has plenty of surprises in store. Here are the eight worst off-field injuries. 8. Greg Eastwood It’s no secret the combination of drowsiness and driving can be dangerous, but in 2011 we learnt cars can be just as perilous in the bedroom. Just ask Greg Eastwood, who was forced to play with a damaged ankle after he stepped on his son’s toy Lightning McQueen [that’s the main character from the movie Cars] while getting out of bed one morning. “Tyde now knows to clean up his toys before he goes to bed,” Eastwood later told the media. 7. Jack Wighton Raiders’ then-winger Jack Wighton had the world at his feet when he debuted for the Green Machine at the beginning of 2012. Unfortunately, so too was the edge of his younger brother’s trampoline. On a bye weekend in the middle of May, the then 18-year-old had a jump with his brother that went horribly wrong when he hit the side, came off at a bad angle and landed awkwardly – tearing the ligament from a bone in his right foot. He missed the next four months of football. Oops! 6. Matt Keating His brother Kris may have moved to the Bulldogs in 2011 but Matt Keating was left wishing he had never been introduced to the breed just a few weeks into the year. The hooker spent a night in hospital and missed six weeks of football after being accidentally bitten by his pet Bulldog, Bronx, while they were in the backyard wrestling. 5. David Kidwell David Kidwell was one of the toughest men to play NRL. He played 205 games at five clubs, stood at 188cm tall and weighed more than 100kg. There weren’t many who could bring him down. That is of course, except his two-year-old daughter Zali. The hulking front-rower, who had missed only two matches in the four years prior, tumbled over trying to avoid treading on her at an Easter barbecue. The result: snapped medial and cruciate ligaments in his left knee, and the rest of the 2007 regular season on the sideline. 4. Tim Brasher If you look at the former New South Wales and Australia fullback’s résumé, you may notice there is a year missing around the back-end. The 244 game veteran was no stranger to the high life but it all came crashing down while trying to clean a ceiling fan before the 2001 season kick-off. He fell, damaged his knee, and the resulting reconstruction ruled him out of his entire penultimate year. 3. Ben Czislowski - Picture attached This isn’t exactly off-field, but it’s still bizarre. Former Bulldogs prop Ben Czislowski was back in Brisbane playing Queensland Cup when he had a head clash with an opponent. A bit of discomfort, some blood – nothing more to it right? Three months later the big man was still suffering shooting pains and started developing an eye infection. Scans showed a tooth – yes, a human tooth – had been lodged in his head from that clash and needed to be extracted. Unbelievably, this wasn’t the first time this has occurred! Jamie Ainscough once landed one in his arm while playing in the ESL. 2. David Liddiard We all know a toothache can be painful and league players are no strangers to damage to their teeth. Turns out brushing can be just as harmful. Manly utility back David Liddiard was forced to miss a match in the early ’90s after pulling a back muscle while carrying out the everyday task. You’d hate to imagine his breath in the weeks following this incident. 1. Robbie Kearns Team bonding and Origin camps don’t tend to mix well, but there probably hasn’t been more casualties caused from one than the Blues’ escapades back in 1999. In his first season as coach, Wayne Pearce thought it would be a great idea to take the team back to nature with some horse riding. That is until all the horses bolted and Robbie Kearns was left knocked out on the ground with a broken collarbone. The Storm forward missed the whole series. Word is the stallion in question was a Queenslander. DT
Posted on: Thu, 20 Mar 2014 22:48:17 +0000
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