Young centre/winger Zac Spring will be sidelined for at least another week because of an unusual complaint that initially seemed a mystery illness.
Spring was sent for scans following the game against Brisbane after experiencing severe pain in a tackle.
The results were unexpected, picking up a hematoma on his spleen. He had also been feeling unwell but it appears that was not related to the spleen situation, and it has improved.
Spring has been back in training and had hoped to play against the Raiders on Saturday but after a scan today has been ruled out for at least another two weeks.
“The scans weren’t because we expected a hematoma, the scans were actually unrelated, so the result was a bit of a surprise,” he said.
Having never suffered many injury setbacks in his junior days, Spring said the experience of missing nearly a month of football had been difficult at times.
“I’ve never missed many games through injury so sitting on the sidelines and not being able to help out the boys has been tough,” he said.
“Luckily the injury hasn’t impacted my conditioning too much, the club doctors have been really clear about what I can and can’t do, but I’ve basically been able to participate in nearly everything except the drills involving contact.”
Spring, who is studying exercise science at university, said the injury hadn’t impacted his life away from football.
“I’ve still been able to go to all my classes at uni and study so I’ve been quite lucky that it hasn’t impacted that side of my life either.”
The absence of Spring has come when the young Titans were also without back-rowers Anthony Colman and Nathan Watts for an extended period, and prop Oshea Tuiasau for the round eight clash with the Warriors. Fellow prop James Iodice has also has to retire because of a persistent shoulder injury.
The Titans NYC team takes on the Canberra Raiders 10.40am this Saturday at GIO Stadium in Canberra, the third straight away match in which they have started well before midday.
