The Canberra Raiders sacrificed short-term gain to protect Shaun Fensom and they reaped the rewards yesterday when the lock's time on the sideline was slashed from four months to six weeks.
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Fensom will have surgery on his bicep this morning after scans showed only a small tear in the muscle and it is hoped he will be fit to play again by round nine.
While the Raiders will miss their defensive workhorse, the Green Machine breathed a sigh of relief after it was originally feared he had ruptured his bicep which would have kept him out until July. Despite having no power in his left arm, a brave Fensom strapped the muscle at half-time and told coach David Furner he was ready to return to the field if required in the clash with the Sydney Roosters two days ago.
With Fensom, Josh Dugan and Trevor Thurling injured, the Raiders were left with just one player on the bench.
The Raiders battled fatigue at the end of the match and the Roosters stormed home to win 14-8.
But Furner said he never considered risking further injury to 2011 Meninga medallist Fensom who was prepared to forfeit his own well-being for the team.
''The doctors said if he had gone back out there it would have been a full rupture [of his bicep],'' Furner said.
''Yeah there was fatigue, but with Fenno it was too much of a risk.
''That's the type of player he is and that's what we've been building, working for each other.''
Furner believed Fensom could make the step up to representative football this year, but he won't be fit in time for the City-Country Origin on April 22 and he'll only have two games to press his claims for NSW selection.
His immediate focus is on a diligent recovery.
The 23-year-old cast a dejected figure at the Raiders' recovery session before being boosted by his reduced injury time.
''It's pretty swollen and sore, I'm just icing it to try to aid the recovery as best I can,'' Fensom said.
''You've got to stay positive to get over adversity like this.
''I did it in a tackle when there was a bit of wrestle and I was getting tackled later on and I couldn't support my body weight with my left arm.
''I said I was prepared to go back out but they said I wasn't needed.
''My goal is to keep playing footy and get as many points as we can this season.
''I was fairly confident coming into this season and I thought I wasn't going too bad, but this is just part of the game.''
Fensom established himself as one of the most hard-working forwards in the NRL last season when he made a club record 1135 tackles.
In his two and a half games this year, the former under-20s premiership-winning skipper has made 114 tackles - 20 more than any other Raider.
Furner knows it will be almost impossible to replace Fensom's work ethic and desperate hunger in defence. Fensom cemented his NRL spot last season and had off-season shoulder surgery to get him ready for another campaign.
