He thought hed broken his neck Then Angus Crichton returned to win the Wally Lewis Medal

We’re sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. We’re working to restore it. Please try again later. Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Angus Crichton feared he had broken his neck in the opening minutes of Wednesday night’s State of Origin decider – only to return to the field and go on to clinch the prestigious Wally Lewis Medal.Best porn XXX. Crichton capped one of the season’s most remarkable turnarounds when crowned the player of the series, just months after he was playing NSW Cup for the Roosters. The powerhouse back-rower stayed down after an attempted tackle on Reece Walsh in the third minute, having felt a shooting pain through his neck. Crichton was forced off for a head injury assessment, which he passed before returning to terrorise the Maroons – especially skipper Daly Cherry-Evans, who was posted on his side of the field – for the second straight game. “I almost broke my neck, it was pretty sore,” Crichton said. “My head was fine, and I didn’t have a concussion at all, but I crunched my neck pretty badly. “At the time I thought I had properly injured it. I came in and did all the tests, got some Deep Heat in there, and I was alright. Angus Crichton after hurting his neck early in Origin III.Credit: Getty Images “I had to nurse it through the rest of the game. I was happy to get through the rest of the game. I felt shooting pain in my neck, which is never a good sign. But there was no way I was missing out on that game. “I was pissed off because, without sounding arrogant, I felt like I was in a mood a bit, and ready to go. I was keen to attack that game. I was pissed off I had to go off. It was good to come back out and finish it off. “My job was to try and get at ‘Cherry’, and [get] quick play-the-balls around those guys. I have a lot of respect for that bloke, I played Aussies with him, he’s a champion player and bloke. But it’s nice to finally get one over him.” Crichton has been public about his mental health struggles over the past 18 months, including a manic episode after a bipolar disorder diagnosis at the start of 2023, and was overlooked for the Roosters’ season-opening game in Las Vegas this year. He admitted to this masthead earlier this week that, in hindsight, he had been in no state to play last season. “Looking back to where I was last season when I came back, I’ve thought, ‘How the hell was I trying to play last year in the state that I was in?’” The 28-year-old has spoken of the positive effects of his relationship with girlfriend Chloe Esegbona, who celebrated alongside Crichton in the NSW sheds. “She’s been my rock, and it’s the first time I’ve been with someone who has helped me become the best version of myself,” Crichton said. “She’s been amazing. It’s been a breath of fresh air for me, and a big reason for my success. “The first game she came to was the World Cup final [in 2022] … she’s gone from there, to reserve grade at Henson Park, she’s stuck by me through it all. She’s a very, very special person.” Liam Martin, Zac Lomax and Mitchell Moses all deserved to be in the Wally Lewis Medal conversation, but Crichton thoroughly deserved to join Tom Trbojevic (2021), James Tedesco (2019) and Paul Gallen (2014) as the only NSW winners since 2006. Crichton, who inked a two-year extension with the Roosters after being given permission to continue his career elsewhere, said the next challenge was steering the Bondi club to NRL glory. “That’s why I wanted to stay this year, I made it so clear there was no way I wanted to leave the Roosters,” Crichton said. “If it was my last year, I didn’t want to leave early. We need to send out Jared [Waerera-Hargreaves] and [Luke] Keary the way they deserve. I can’t wait to get back to work.” Sports news, results and expert commentary. Sign up for our Sport newsletter. NRL is Live and Free on Channel 9 & 9Now Copyright © 2024