South Sydney forward Kyle Turner's spinal injury not as serious as initially feared
Date February 17, 2015 - 1:44AM
Michael Chammas
Rugby league reporter
Good news: Kyle Turner's spinal injury isn't as bad as initially feared.
Photo: Getty Images
The spinal injury South Sydney forward Kyle Turner suffered playing for the Indigenous All Stars on Friday night isn't as serious as initially feared.
There were concerns the 22-year-old would face an indefinite absence from the game after he was floored by a high tackle from NRL All Stars forward Paul Gallen on the Gold Coast.
But Fairfax Media understands Turner told family and friends on Monday that the injury is not career-threatening, despite a protruding disc on his spine that left him with pins and needles in his arms and hands.
It is hoped Turner, who has had a horror start to his career with head and neck injuries, will make a full recovery and he hasn't given up hope of playing in South Sydney's opening-round clash with the Brisbane Broncos at Suncorp Stadium on Thursday, March 5.
Turner was expected to fly out to the UK on Sunday for the World Club Challenge with the rest of his South Sydney teammates, however instead he was being discharged from Gold Coast University Hospital.
There were extra concerns surrounding the health of the Coonabarabran junior, who suffered four heavy concussions playing for the Rabbitohs last year, as well as another two head knocks playing NSW Cup at the end of 2013.
It led to Turner wearing protective headgear at the end of last season in a bid to reduce the likelihood of another major head knock, however he wasn't wearing it for his maiden appearance for the Indigenous All Stars on Friday night.
Gallen has come under fire for the tackle that left Turner in a precarious state in just the fourth minute of Friday's match, however the Cronulla skipper escaped suspension.
Gallen was placed on report for the tackle that left Turner struggling to get back to his feet, however the match review committee did not charge the NSW Origin captain for making contact with Turner's head with his shoulder.
Turner's mother Leanne took to Facebook on Sunday with an update of her son's condition, admitting she was "worried sick" about his state. "As a parent you try to prepare yourself for whatever may come seeing your son live his dream but it's heartbreaking to see him get injured," Leanne posted. "Kye is ... awaiting the MRI results, CT scan reveal he has a protruding disc on his spine and has pain, pins and needles in his arms and hands. He will be out indefinitely, we are worried sick."
Turner, who suffered his first concussion playing rugby league at the age of 11, isn't the only player in the NRL who has been in the headlines for repeated concussions.
Wests Tigers forward Liam Fulton was forced into an early retirement last year after suffering four concussions in six matches. Penrith's Adam Docker, who was put into an induced coma after a brutal bashing in Cronulla two years ago, suffered three concussions in a two-month period last year and was one concussion away from potentially being forced to sit out the rest of the season.
Docker was sent to Newcastle to see a brain specialist after he suffered the third of his concussions, undertaking a three-hour examination before he was given the green light to return to the NRL.
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...ious-as-initially-feared-20150216-13g0xg.html
