Rabbitoh star out after neck injury in Gallen tackle in All Stars clash

[TITAN PETE]

TRAVIS MEYN GOLD COAST BULLETIN FEBRUARY 16, 2015 9:42AM

Kyle Turner could be out after suffering a neck injury during the All Stars clash on the Gold Coast
RABBITOHS premiership-winning forward Kyle Turner is facing an indefinite absence from the game after suffering a possible neck injury in the All Stars clash on the Gold Coast.

Turner was admitted to Gold Coast University Hospital following Friday’s match at Cbus Super Stadium.

The 22-year-old left the field in just the fourth minute after he was hit hard by NSW captain Paul Gallen.

Gallen was placed on report for the tackle but the NRL Match Review Committee did not issue any charge after reviewing the incident.

Turner’s mother Leanne took to Facebook yesterday to update friends and family on his progress.

“As a parent you try to prepare yourself for whatever may come, seeing your son live his dream, but it’s heartbreaking to see him get injured,” she wrote. “Kyle is ... awaiting the MRI results, CT scans reveal he has a protruding disc on his spine and he has pain and pins and needles in his arms and hands.

“He will be out indefinitely, we are worried sick.”

Turner cut a sombre figure in the Indigenous All Stars dressing room after the match with coach Laurie Daley making special mention of his efforts during the week.

Turner did not seem visibly distressed following the match but it is possible he suffered an injury to a disc in his spine which was causing pain and pins and needles in his arms and hands.

A hospital representative told the Bulletin Turner had been discharged yesterday.

Rabbitohs officials were unavailable for comment given the team was travelling to England to be part of the World Club Challenge. On Saturday night, coach Michael Maguire said Turner had been hospitalised as a precautionary measure and his injuries were not expected to be serious.

“He’s all right,” Maguire said after the Rabbitohs’ trial at Redfern Oval.

“He’s still up (on the Gold Coast), we kept him in hospital overnight just to make sure but from what I’ve been told he should be right.”

However it is now looking as though the back-rower, who came off the bench in last year’s NRL grand final win over Canterbury, may be rubbed out for some time.

There were concerns over Turner given he suffered a number of concussions last year, an issue which has been closely monitored by the Rabbitohs and NRL.

A chorus of boos went around Cbus when replays of the Gallen tackle screened with Indigenous captain Johnathan Thurston questioning Gallen for the apparent elbow he dropped on the dazed Turner’s face.

All Stars founder Preston Campbell said the tackle sparked the Indigenous team.

[DIEHARD]

Gee I hope he will make a speedy recovery.

[Mexican titan]

I thought the tackle was ok and Gallen should not have been suspended for it, but the follow up elbow massage across the blokes face in a game like this was the act of a real turd. I remember Gallen ripping the bandage off a blokes head many years ago and the bloke is as big a grub now as he was then.
Pity he can box as I would like to see some bloke really towel him up.