After enduring two significant concussions, Jake Trbojevic faced a devastating setback in Round 23, as he suffered a third concussion, leading to an early end to his season.
While many fans and commentators feared that his career might be over, the Manly Sea Eagles' forward never contemplated that fate.
"I didn't consider retirement," Trbojevic told NRL.com.
He acknowledged, "They were big head knocks, which in a weird way is good. If they were smaller, it's probably a different story right now."
Reflecting on the incidents, he remarked, "Hitting Josh Papalii's shoulder is probably going to knock anyone out. It's when you're getting lightly tapped and still getting concussions that you start to worry."
Trbojevic expressed a need to improve his tackling technique to avoid getting hit altogether.
In addition to refining his tackle methods, he has been focusing on neck strengthening exercises to help mitigate the impact from any future head knocks.
Moreover, he plans to use new headgear during games, designed to potentially reduce the risk of concussion by lessening the impact on the head.
"There is research that it stops your brain from accelerating when you get hit and it can limit the effects of a knock," he said.