Gutted Queensland players thought they couldn’t feel any worse after their record State of Origin reign ended.
Then they saw Brent Tate.
The veteran winger cut a shattered figure as his career hung in the balance after suffering suspected knee anterior cruciate ligament damage in Queensland’s 6-4 game two loss on Wednesday night.
He joined Matt Scott on the sidelines after the tough prop suffered a suspected facial fracture in the 19th minute.
“We fear the worst. It’s horrid luck. We’re hoping he’ll get back and play again,” Queensland coach Mal Meninga said of Tate, who’s already had three knee reconstructions.
Tate, 32, tried to put on a brave face after landing awkwardly in a 57th-minute tackle and refused to be taken off in a medicab.
But after being helped off the field by medical staff, Tate dropped his guard as he contemplated the worst case scenario of injury-enforced retirement.
“He’s pretty distraught. To see how he is feeling now puts everything in perspective,” Queensland backrower Ben Te’o said.
The last time Tate damaged his ACL in the 2010 Four Nations final he was poignantly captured by TV cameras in the Suncorp Stadium sheds reduced to uncontrollable tears.
He defied the odds once again to reclaim his Queensland and Test spot and was in such fine form he had re-signed to play the 2015 NRL season with North Queensland.
His Queensland and Cowboys teammate Johnathan Thurston said he would back Tate if he decided to launch yet another comeback.
“What decision he makes he has got the full support of the Cowboys and the Maroons,” he said.
“He’s been a great player and mate. We love him.
“(But) it’s not looking flash at all for him.”
In another blow, Tate’s Cowboys teammate Scott left a huge void when medical staff refused to let him back on the field in the first half.
“In that area they are not mucking around any more because once the vision starts (to be at risk), at the end of the day it is just a game of football,” Queensland forward Nate Myles said.
It added to Queensland’s mounting injury list for the series which already included Cooper Cronk (broken arm), Josh Papalii (ankle) and Corey Parker (facial fracture).
Daly Cherry-Evans (knee), Greg Inglis (ankle) and Billy Slater (shoulder) only played on Wednesday night after passing late fitness tests.
“I have never seen anything like it since I have been part of the team,” said Thurston, who has played a record 29 straight Origins, of their injury plagued build-up.
“But it wasn’t why we lost. We just weren’t good enough.”
