SYDNEY Roosters and NSW back-rower Boyd Cordner says his club side's current struggles for form and his own long injury lay-off made it harder to step away for State of Origin duties.
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When Cordner tore a pec in the pre-season he feared a lengthy injury layoff, and while delighted to have earned his first-ever Origin run-on start he admits stepping away from club duties while the team is struggling for wins was a challenge.
Of the injury, Cordner spoke in graphic detail of the moment under a bench press of heavy weights he felt the muscle across the left side of his chest tear off "like velcro".
"I went to push up, I was lifting pretty heavy and I went to push up on the last rep and it just ripped, you just felt it. It's something I'll never forget. It's like a massive velcro just peeling off," said Cordner.
"Jake Friend was [spotting me]. I just yelled and actually dropped it on me and then he was sort of in shock as well because he sort of knew what was up. They took the bar off and slid out.
"I knew straight away and that's the time I was like, it's pretty bad and knew I was going to be missing a lot of footy."
Origin was the furthest thing on the mind for the Taree junior who had at that point only just re-signed with the club and was two days away from jetting over to England with his teammates for the World Club Series.
"I was really sad to tell you the truth. I had a full pre-season and we were just about to fly over to Dubai and England for that World Club Challenge with the boys and it happened about two days beforehand," he said.
It was only after speaking to the surgeons and getting a likely return date that Cordner realised his Origin dream for 2016 wasn't over.
"Then when I got back playing I just wanted to play good for the Roosters and try and get some wins there and try and turn our season around and if I was playing good footy I knew I'd put my best foot forward for Origin."
Cordner said rather than being a refreshing break from some tough times at club level he felt bad about leaving when the team was struggling.
"It is probably harder to step away from that because you want to be there to help turn the season around. But it is nice to come into camp and refresh as well," he said.
Source: NRL.com.au
