Australia defeated New Zealand 24-22 at Allianz Stadium in the Rugby League World Cup opener, after a remarkable contest between fullbacks Reece Walsh and Kalyn Ponga.
Walsh prevented Ponga scoring with a first-half tackle, and Ponga later stopped Walsh near the line.
Ponga beat Cameron Munster and stepped past Walsh to score beneath the posts. Walsh answered with a solo try of his own.
Early in the second half, Munster fell into a tackle and his head struck Ponga's arm, which was pinned against his leg.
Ponga appeared hurt, but soon took a high ball and scored his try. His arm was later in a sling, and scans were planned.
The New Zealand debutant played about 20 to 30 minutes after the injury before leaving with 10 minutes remaining.
Former Broncos player Denan Kemp said, "This is with a suspected broken arm," while watching footage of Ponga's try.
"I have seen some pretty incredible things in rugby league, but to continue to play for 20-30 minutes with a broken arm…very rarely do we see that."
Kemp said Ponga's resilience was extraordinary. The suspected injury could rule him out of the tournament, where Nathan Cleary may also be absent for the remainder.
Walsh told Channel 7, "It's pretty special when you go up against special players like KP, you want to take on that challenge," adding, "Man, he was massive for them tonight."
New Zealand captain James Fisher-Harris praised Ponga's commitment on debut: "He's a tough guy and obviously has a lot of pride in the black and white jersey, and he doesn't want to let his teammates down," Fisher-Harris said.