Andrew Fifita

“I’m ready”: Fifita opens up on miracle comeback after horror injury

Fifita is set to play his first game since a throat injury.

Published by
Scott Pryde

Cronulla Sharks' forward Andrew Fifita is ready to complete a miracle comeback, playing his first game since a horror throat injury when he plays for the Indigenous All Stars on Saturday night.

It was an injury which had Fifita placed into a coma at one point, with fears for his long-term health and recovery, and his NRL career looking almost certainly over.

It took Fifita almost a fortnight to be discharged from hospital following the incident, which saw him having problems breathing and swallowing after a game with the Knights.

He suffered a fractured larynx from the elbow to his throat and said after his release from hospital that at one point he didn't think he was going to make it alive.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - MAY 19: Andrew Fifita of the Sharks runs with the ball during the round 10 NRL match between the Cronulla Sharks and the Manly Sea Eagles at Shark Park on May 19, 2019 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)

"I ended up getting the doc, I said 'doc I need your phone'. He said 'what?' and I was like 'I really need your phone'," he told Nine News at the time.

"I ended up writing a nice text to my missus (saying) how much I love her.

"I honestly didn't think I was going to make it there.

"They ended up cutting my neck. He said (if they did it) a minute later I would have died.

"Then they realised they clipped an artery in my neck, and I was bleeding all through my lungs, so I was drowning in my own blood.

"It's taken a long time to process it and I'm still not through it. When you sit in front of a doctor and he tells you, 'four times I went home at night, Andrew, and didn't think you were going to make it'… it's one of those things."

Fifita has now completed his recovery and was picked by Indigenous coach Laurie Daley for the All Stars clash against the Maori team on Saturday night which will bring the curtain down ahead of the NRL season.

Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, Fifita said he is ready mentally to get back on the field, saying he has had to put a lot of work in with the Sharks during pre-season.

“It’s been an emotional and testing time, but to date I’ve ticked every box except playing an actual game," Fifita told the publication.

“I’m ready. Mentally I’m ready. I thank Loz (coach Laurie Daley) for picking me.

“I’ve worked hard to get to this point, particularly over the last few weeks. We did a pretty big scrimmage (simulated game) last week with the Sharks and I got through that, which has given me a lot of confidence."

While other clubs have been busy convincing their players to pull out of the game after a disrupted pre-season, it's been anything but for new coach Craig Fitzgibbon at the Sharks, who have seven players taking part in the game.

SYDNEY, NEW SOUTH WALES - MARCH 05: Craig Fitzgibbon and Jake Friend share a joke as they walk to a Sydney Roosters NRL training session at Kippax Lake on March 5, 2018 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

Fifita told the publication Fitzgibbon has been fantastic.

“I’ve had several conversations with ‘Fitz’ and he’s been terrific – he knows how much I want to play in this game and how it could set-up my season," Fifita said.

Following the All Stars game, the Sharks will play pre-season trial matches against the Penrith Panthers and Canterbury Bulldogs, where Fifita will have a chance to prove his fitness and push for a spot in the 17 ahead of their Round 1 clash with the Canberra Raiders on Friday, March 11.

Published by
Scott Pryde