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Champion Brisbane forwards Glenn Lazarus and Andrew Gee, who beat career-threatening injuries to win premierships, say young Broncos winger Jharal Yow Yeh will play State of Origin and Test football again.
Yow Yeh suffered a dislocation and compound fracture of his lower right leg against South Sydney in Perth on Friday night.
He arrived home on Sunday and was greeted by his mother and grandmother before being admitted to Brisbane Private Hospital.
With the swelling still going down and possible infection a cause for concern, it could be up to a week before leading Brisbane orthopaedic specialist Peter Meyers can operate.
Gee, who played 355 games for Brisbane, sustained a serious foot injury touring Papua New Guinea with the Kangaroos in the early 1990s.
He was told he may not be able to play rugby league again.
“The first time the doctor in Australia looked at it (foot) he said I’d be very lucky to play again,” said Gee.
“They’re not good words to hear.
“Certainly the doctors haven’t said anything like that to Jharal.”
Gee, who had not seen a worse injury, was playing the day Lazarus suffered a similar leg injury in the World Club Challenge final in England in 1997.
“The difference is Jharal is very young and you heal better when you’re younger,” he said.
Lazarus, who struggles to walk as a consequence of the injury, says Yow Yeh will find it mentally tough at times not to be able to play.
“On weekends when Brisbane are playing and when Origin comes around he’ll feel left out. It can get the better of you at times,” he told AAP.
“If I could give Jharal a piece of advice it would to be very patient and to keep off the leg, not force his comeback which was the mistake I made.”
Lazarus came back from his injury to win a premiership with Melbourne in 1999, claiming a unique place in NRL history as the only player to win titles with three different clubs: Canberra (1989-91), Brisbane (1992-93) and Melbourne (1999).
Gee said all Yow Yeh had to do was think about getting his leg right.
“The best thing he can do is immerse himself in his rehab. If he does that, he’ll get back to the level he was at before the injury.”
Dale Copley is expected to be named on the left wing with Gerard Beale, who scored two tries after Yow Yeh was stretchered from the field, taking his right wing spot against St George Illawarra at Suncorp Stadium on Friday night.
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