It is an injury you would not expect to see in league very often, but one that is common in car crashes – but for Roosters back Shaun Kenny-Dowall, he suffered a painful injury, that has put his immediate playing future in doubt.
It was a collision with a Roosters rookie at training 2 weeks ago, that resulted in Kenny-Dowall making a dash to the hospital, after the NZ centre realised that something was not right.
The injury is that bad, that he faces uncertainty over his immediate playing future, and is unsure as to when he will return to football.
It was due to an accidental knee in the back two weeks ago at Roosters training, that had Kenny-Dowall immediately worried.
“I went home and it all went downhill from there,” Kenny-Dowall said.
“I started getting real dizzy and started peeing blood. I got really worried and drove myself to hospital.
“I new I had to get help.
“I was pretty scared when I saw the blood. I knew that wasn’t normal. I can tolerate a fair bit of pain, but this was different. I knew when I went to the toilet and my urine was getting darker and darker that something wasn’t right. And the pain was excruciating. I couldn’t move.
“I had a weird feeling that I have never had before when I have been injured and I started to worry. So I drove myself to hospital and they gave me painkillers straight away and I felt better after that.”
He was diagnosed with a torn and bruised kidney, an injury that his doctor said is more likely to occur in car-crashes, than on the football field.
“The doctor told me that he had never seen an injury like this on a football player,” Kenny-Dowall said.
“He told me it was a car-crash injury.
“I also talked to our club doctor (John Orchard) and he hasn’t seen an injury like this, and he has been around for 20 years or so.
“They didn’t operate, but I think they were pretty concerned. They had to monitor me, monitor the urine and I had to get regular blood tests to check my blood count. They had to make sure my kidney had stopped bleeding.”
He will not be available for the Roosters Rd 1 clash on Monday night, and at this stage, is out indefinitely.
“I am feeling pretty good, but at this stage I don’t know when I will be back,” he said.
“I just have to wait and see. I am up and moving and feeling heaps better about things, but I have been told just to rest.
“I have been resting and slowly getting there.”