Former Newcastle Knights, Sydney Roosters and Penrith Panthers prop Zane Tetevano will have heart surgery after scans revealed he has a hole in his heart.
The scans were brought about after scary scenes where Tetevano suffered a stroke at Leeds Rhinos training some weeks ago, with the hole causing the stroke.
The Rhinos have confirmed through a statement that Tetevano will have his heart surgically repaired soon, and will be out of action for an unknown amount of time, although he can continue non-impact aerobic training to maintain fitness in the meantime.
Collapsing at training, Tetevano paid thanks to the medical staff who sprung into action, suggesting he has no idea how lucky he was.
"Firstly, I would like to thank the club's medical staff, the paramedics, doctors and nurses who looked after me when I collapsed. I knew I was in the best possible care and I owe them a lot, especially our medical team, who reacted so quickly on the field, I will never know how lucky I was. I am confident that I will be ready to return to action as soon as I am cleared to do so," Tetevano said in a statement released by the club.
Leeds Rhinos head of medical Vas Mani said Tetevano was making an excellent recovery.
"The quick actions of the medical staff present at the time and the fantastic team at LGI ensured Zane received swift treatment and he has made an excellent recovery. We are now focusing on the next stage of his treatment and will continue to support Zane during the coming weeks. He has been very positive throughout this challenging time which is a testament to his character. We expect Zane to make a full recovery and be medically fit to return to play before the end of the season," Mani said.
The 31-year-old was most well known for his 74-game stint at the Sydney Roosters in Australia, also playing 29 games for the Newcastle Knights and 19 for the Penrith Panthers. He has played 44 games for the Leeds Rhinos since joining the club in 2021.
Tetevano also played three Tests for New Zealand and has played another eight for the Cook Islands, where he was part of the 2022 Rugby League World Cup squad.
The prop has set up a JustGiving page to support Children's Heart Surgery.