St George Illawarra Dragons outside back Cody Ramsey has revealed he had two teeth snapped during the opening exchanges of Friday night's game against the Canberra Raiders.
It was a case of friendly fire as Ramsey swung around the back of a tackle, only to have a sickening head clash with Andrew McCullough.
McCullough was cut open on the head at the time, and the reason has now become clear, Ramsey's two front teeth snapping on McCullough's head.
Ramsey didn't return to the field, lasting under a minute for the Dragons before being taken to the dentist.
According to The Daily Telegraph, Ramsey has had his teeth glued back together and will require surgery at a later date to have them completely replaced.
“I knew I had done them as soon as I went into the tackle," Ramsey told the publication.
“My teeth went straight into the top of his head.
“I kind of just laid on the ground at first and I put my tongue across the top of my teeth and I could feel both of them snapped in half.
“And I’m like, ‘Oh, no, here we go’.
“I could just feel these sharp edges along where my teeth should be and I was like, ‘No, that’s not right’.
“One was folded in half into the top of my gum and the other split my lip."
It's understood Ramsey's season could well be over, with the winger unlikely to play before he has surgery, which is scheduled for two week's time.
Ramsey has been a permanent fixture in Anthony Griffin's side this year, playing 18 of 21 games thus far.
The versatile outside back has spent most of the season on the wing, but also has lined up at fullback twice and in the centres on three occasions.
He was recently dropped for the Round 20 clash against the South Sydney Rabbitohs, but recalled on Friday night for the eventual loss to the Raiders, only to last less than 60 seconds.
Ramsey has six tries to his name for the season and is seen as a long-term option in the backline for the Dragons, with the 21-year-old signed to the club until at least the end of 2024.