RUGBY LEAGUE
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He played 60 minutes last weekend with a collapsed lung, but Canberra Raiders halfback Sam Williams thought his shortness of breath was simply due to the flu.
Williams' return date will be determined by weekly scans on his torn lung, but he has backed replacement half Mitch Cornish to help carry on Canberra's winning momentum.
The Raiders have placed Cornish on a media ban, trying to ease pressure on the 22-year-old who is playing for his NRL future.
The Raiders have signed Gold Coast half Aidan Sezer for 2016, leaving off-contract Cornish in limbo.
The Raiders dropped Cornish to NSW Cup after a slow start to 2015, Williams coming in and helping steer Canberra to four wins from their past five matches.
But Williams, who has fought his way back into the NRL after stints in NSW Cup and the UK Super League, backed Cornish to rebound.
"I think he'll be better for it," Williams said. "He's a great young footballer, he's kept a good attitude and there's no reason why he won't come back and do a really good job.
"I'm sure he'll want to go out there and make an impact, but [Raiders coach Ricky Stuart] won't complicate things for him too much."
Williams is hoping to return to training as early as next week, but counts himself "lucky" after initially dismissing his bizarre injury as bruised ribs and flu symptoms.
Williams spent Saturday night in hospital after suffering the collapsed lung, but said he didn't realise the extent of the injury until after Canberra's 56-16 win over the Titans.
Williams was winded when giant Gold Coast forward Ryan James fell on top of him after challenging a kick about 20 minutes into the match. But Williams had slightly cracked a rib and his right lung had started to collapse because of the force of weight.
"There was so much compression it caused a little tear, like a balloon," Williams said. "The gas from the lung gets released and that goes up into the chest and the throat."
Williams said he didn't tell club medical staff of his shortness of breath, thinking it was just flu-like symptoms he'd carried into the match.
It wasn't until after the match, when his throat was bloated by excess air and the pitch of his voice changed, that Williams sought more advice and was taken to hospital.
"A couple of the boys were starting to joke because my voice sounded like a jockey," Williams said. "It felt like my tonsils were flaring up, but again I just thought it was flu.
"My throat was all puffed up and that was the first sign you could look at me and see something was wrong."
Williams said he was disappointed to miss this Sunday's game against the Dragons, for whom he played last year.
While teammates have praised his courage for playing on, Williams said he didn't feel it was brave.
"I guess it just shows how much we're enjoying playing together and winning," he said. "When you're part of a win like we had on Saturday, you never want to come off."