Shaun Fensom, a Cowboys ironman, broke his leg horribly in two places, requiring play to be stopped for over 10 minutes as he undoubtedly authored the most tragic chapter in the annals of grand final injuries.
After engaging in friendly fire with teammate Ethan Lowe, the former Raiders workhorse broke both his tibia and fibula. As he was escorted off the field in a medicab, he gave the thumbs-up and attempted to incite North Queensland fans into a frenzy.
Fensom was attended to by medical personnel from both teams when his left leg was awkwardly hooked beneath Lowe’s body as Storm titan Jesse Bromwich charged into the backfield in the first four minutes. Fensom instantly cried out for assistance.
The 28-year-old was dosed up on painkillers as his leg breaks were stabilized, which caused a delay in play that lessened the early sting of the grand final.
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After Bromwich fumbled the ball under a last-ditch try-saving tackle from Jake Granville despite Cameron Munster looming up in support, the game was delayed while players from both teams remained warm.
After the painkillers took effect, Fensom motioned to the spectators as he was led off the field and afterwards pleaded with the North Queensland fans at the northern end of the stadium to raise the volume.
The Queensland State of Origin rookie Coen Hess was inserted into the action far earlier than he anticipated in Melbourne’s 34-6 annihilation at ANZ Stadium on Sunday, forcing the courageous Cowboys to forgo their traditional interchange formula. Fensom’s injury, though, marked the beginning of the end for the courageous team.
After being forced out of the Raiders at the beginning of the year and joining the Cowboys less than a fortnight before the start of the season, Fensom, who will turn 29 next week, faces a long road to recovery.
As he has done throughout the finals series, he was promoted to the starting lineup in lieu of John Asiata, and he didn’t anticipate his first grand final lasting just one carry and four tackles.
Shaun Kenny-Dowall imitated John Sattler by playing for nearly 75 minutes with a broken jaw in the Roosters’ 2013 victory, one of the more memorable grand final injuries in recent NRL history that all concluded with winner’s rings.
A year later, in the opening collision of the Rabbitohs’ record-breaking championship, Sam Burgess shattered his cheekbone.
Russell Crowe, a personal friend of Burgess and the owner of the Souths, may have been forced to switch Fensom’s thumbs-up for his infamous thumbs-down from the Gladiator at halftime as the Storm sprinted to an 18-point lead.
Jason Taumalolo, the Cowboys’ wrecking ball, was pushed to the bench earlier than usual because to the injury to Fensom, but not before he ran for 5000 meters for the first time in NRL history thanks to the Storm’s restriction of the league’s most destructive forward to just 117.
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