The last week has put Brisbane's on-field struggles into perspective for back-rower Corey Oates, who has arrived home after a freak injury against Wests Tigers at Leichhardt Oval on Friday.
The 25-year-old was rushed to hospital with a suspected compound fracture of the femur, amid fears his career could be over.
There was better news the next morning, after he was diagnosed with a large haematoma and a deep gash in his leg.
After a two-and-a-half hour operation, Oates was cleared to return to Brisbane earlier this week, although it was a 10-hour road trip, with flying banned for the short-term.
The cause of the injury is still unknown, with the cut different to a normal tag mark from a stud.
"They'd never seen a cut like it, it was a good circle. It was about a twenty-cent coin, or a bit bigger," Oates told Nine News.
"It was about five centimetres deep.
"The bloke said: 'You're lucky, you missed one of your main arteries by about half a centimetre.'"
The initial diagnosis of a compound fracture immediately brought to mind the case of former Brisbane prodigy Jharal Yow Yeh, who suffered the same injury in 2012 and never played at NRL level again, having represented Queensland and Australia the previous year at the age of 21.
Oates admits he thought he'd played his last match as he was being taken from the field.
"I was just rattled," he said.
"I don't know if that sent me into more shock, or more panic, because in my head as soon as I heard compound fracture I just thought of Jharal.
"Until we found out it wasn't, I honestly thought my career was done.
"I thought she was all over."
Unable to fly home to Brisbane, Oates was faced with a 10-hour road trip in the company of Broncos' welfare officer Adam Walsh, who'd stayed in Sydney to support the Origin representative.
"It's definitely not a drive I'd recommend to anyone," Oates said.
"If they're going to drive from Brisbane to Sydney, I'd chop it up into two or three days. That's torture, I felt sorry for the bloke because he drove the whole way."
Oates is facing five weeks on the sideline, as Brisbane's season lurches from disaster to disaster. The club is languishing in 14th spot on the ladder, having conceded more points than any other team this year.
It's placed the position of coach Anthony Seibold in jeopardy, despite the fact he's in the second season of a five-year deal, although earlier this week the club declared he would see out the season.
A club-record 59-0 loss to the Roosters in round four was followed by a 48-0 hammering at the hands of the Tigers last week, with many questioning the commitment of senior players.
Oates admits that with the club in crisis, the next five weeks will be tough.
"It will hurt me a fair bit, I just hope we can turn it around and show that we all care about the club," he said.
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