SHAUN Fensom soaked in the doctor's words, not believing what he was hearing. At the ripe old age of 21, he was on the verge of being shipped off to the dreaded footballer's retirement village, a decade earlier than expected.
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His kidney had a 3cm tear in it. His urine was filled with blood. Colour had drained from his face.
"They said I was very close to getting an operation on my kidney, that they might have to take it out," the Raiders lock recalled this week how close his career came to being over at the end of last season.
Fensom split his kidney in a tackle 10 minutes into the semi-final loss against the Wests Tigers at Canberra Stadium last September. He played on for another 30 minutes with the injury. Had he played on further and ruptured the organ, his kidney would have been surgically removed and his career over.
"They said there were rules that you're not allowed to play with one kidney," Fensom said.
"Just in case the same thing happens, and that would result in me dying.
"I was a bit blown away with how quick things could change and turn around. That's all behind me now. I'm just grateful to be playing footy again."
Nine months on from that fateful night, Fensom has returned to be one of the most tenacious defenders in the NRL.
He's made the lock forward position his own at the Raiders, bringing a stoic work ethic which has endeared him to his teammates and fans alike.
Tackling has become his trademark. Only Eels workhorse Nathan Hindmarsh (652) and Cowboys hard-nut Dallas Johnson (642) had made more than Fensom's 637 tackles before this round.
But those close to him will tell you he’s more than a defensive tyrant.
Leadership, courage and attacking flair also spring to mind.
For his part, Fensom remains the same down-to-earth surfie kid who rocked on the Raiders' doorstep from Bellingen in 2007.
That year, he played in the club's Premier League side, before captaining the premiership-winning Toyota Cup team in 2008. But while fellow under-20s graduates Josh Dugan and Jarrod Croker earnt regular NRL berths, it’s only been this season that Fensom has established himself as a regular in the run-on side.
Comparisons to the Raiders' long-serving skipper Alan Tongue have long been bandied about.
It's easy to see why.
Both began their careers in the No 13 jersey, both tackle themselves to a standstill for the entire 80 minutes and both command respect among their peers. Tongue is in awe of his protege's resilience, revealing Fensom was bedstricken ahead of another 50-plus tackle effort in last week's win against the Eels.
"He couldn't train, had tonsillitis, spent all day in bed then came back and finished the week off in training," Tongue said.
"To put in a performance like he has been doing each week is pretty phenomenal. People are getting carried away with his defence, but his attack is quality as well. He's getting some good metres, plenty of support, doing a great job for the team."
Fensom is signed with the Raiders until 2013, in a sign he's been earmarked as future captaincy material.
Raiders football manager Jason Mathie cited his professional attitude as a great example for the club's younger players.
"Those little traits that Shaun has is a point of difference between him and a lot of other players," Mathie said. "Whether he's in a recovery situation or preparing for games, he's handled every situation tossed up to him. He does a lot of the stuff that goes unnoticed."
Certainly not by his teammates. While Fensom plays down the prospect of representative honours, Raiders prop Tom Learoyd-Lahrs is confident recognition isn't far off.
"It shouldn’t be long before we're talking about Fenno in NSW colours and probably Australia," Learoyd-Lahrs said. "That transition last year was great, but this year he seems to have taken it to another level.
"If he keeps going the way he's going without trying to over-complicate things, then he's destined for some pretty big things." It's easy to forget Fensom has only played 32 first-grade games.
His harrowing injury scare and the premature retirement of Roosters forward Daniel Conn earlier this year has taught him to appreciate every game like it could be his last.
Conn's career came to a screeching halt at the age of 25 due to a severe neck injury.
"It (the kidney problem) was such a freak accident," Fensom said.
"Look at Daniel Conn with his neck, he’s now retired just from an injury. You can't take anything for granted."
As for his immediate goals, Fensom is keeping them - like his tackling style - simple.
