The Brisbane Broncos' horror night against the West Tigers got a whole lot worse with winger/back-rower Corey Oates suffering what was feared to be a broken femur.
But in the only stroke of luck the club has had all weekend, an update on Saturday cleared the 25-year-old of a bad break.
NRL.com reports while a doctor told Oates he had suffered a compound fracture, further examination after being taken to hospital saw him diagnosed with a "large haematoma" and deep gash.
While he and his teammates lost to the Tigers 48-0 in a performance that has once again heaped pressure on the side, Oates' wellbeing was of much greater importance after the final siren.
It seemed an innocuous moment as Oates jammed his knee into the ground and was rolled over with 16 minutes left on the clock as he was cut down looking to score a try.
But it was soon obvious things were more serious that first thought as Oates stood up and played the ball before falling to the ground, calling for help.
Broken femurs are more commonly sustained in car accidents, such is the force needed to break the strongest bone in the human body, and Oates will be thankful he escaped that fate.
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On Fox League, Dan Ginnane said when he saw a bulge poking out that fans may be "feeling queasy at home".
"Jeez they're tough footballers," he said. "He had a bone sticking out of his leg and he tried standing up and getting on with it."
Oates was stretchered off the field in clear distress and was then transferred to the hospital.
Coach Anthony Seibold saw Oates off in the ambulance before his press conference and told reporters it looked like he'd broken his leg.
"It appears that he's got a compound fracture there of his femur. So, it's a very serious injury," he said. "Our thoughts go out to Corey. I just spoke to him then briefly as he was getting into the ambulance.
"He is in a fair bit of pain. He'll need to stay in Sydney, and we'll get some support around him by leaving a staff member with him down here."
Fox League reporter Hannah Hollis shared how serious the injury was at first look tweeting some staff had said it's "the worst thing they've seen".
Social media was quick to react to the nightmarish injury, sending Oates all the best for a safe and quick recovery.