Manly forward eyes miracle comeback two months after fracturing skull

Zac Saddler reckons he might set off the metal detectors the next time he walks through an airport.

That’s because he has had a metal plate inserted in his skull after suffering a depressed fracture against Newcastle a fortnight ago. The Manly forward came off second best in a head clash with Knights counterpart Sauaso Sue, which forced him to make an emergency trip to John Hunter Hospital.

A scan showing the extent of Zac Saddler’s injury after his skull caved in.Credit:NRL Photos

“I was always aware what was going on. It was a bit of a weird one. I’ve had the surgery and will be back playing again this year.”

Despite the heavy impact, Saddler remembers the incident clearly.

“Obviously I got hit in the head, but at the time I thought I was sweet, it’s just a normal little head knock,” he said.

“They put a plate in my head. It’s just like breaking your arm really.”

“I was telling the trainers I wanted to play on. I remember walking past the bench and going, ‘I’ll be back in five minutes’. Then I got into the sheds and felt my head and that freaked me out a bit.

“I started spewing in the sheds from the pain and then I spent the night [in hospital].

“You just know something is wrong. I didn’t know exactly how bad it was, but our doctor, Nathan Gibbs, you could tell he was a bit worried in the sheds. But if he wasn’t like that and I was bleeding on the brain, I guess it could have been a lot worse.

“I will be out for eight weeks, the same time period as a broken arm or normal bone healing. They put a plate in my head. It’s just like breaking your arm really.”

There’s never a good time to suffer a head injury, but for Saddler the timing couldn’t have been worse. After a luckless run of injuries during his stint at Canterbury – he didn’t play a game for almost two years due to complications after an anterior cruciate ligament injury – Saddler was just getting into his groove with the Sea Eagles. The two-time Indigenous All Stars representative made his NRL debut in round nine against the Warriors and took his first-grade tally to three games before the setback.

The 21-year-old is off contract, but hopes to push his case for a new deal by coming back strongly as the Sea Eagles look to play finals after a tough start to the season.

“I’m keen to get back into training,” he said. “If the Blacktown boys or Manly make the finals, I want to be in contention either way to be used wherever needed.

“I’m enjoying it at Manly. I’m off contract and would love to stay. Des [Hasler, coach] and all the boys are a great bunch over there.

“I’m down at mum’s since I had the surgery last Friday. I can’t do anything for two weeks because it might get infected, but after that I can rip back in.”

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