Huddersfield Giants star Adam O'Brien fractures neck but says: "I thought I'd just jarred it."

The 27-year-old spent two nights in St Helens and Whiston Hospital after being stretchered off in Friday’s 13-12 loss against Leeds Rhinos.

O’Brien fractured a bone in his neck when burrowing for the line in the first half of the Super League game and he required lengthy on-field treatment.

Speaking exclusively to The Yorkshire Post, he recalled: “I do remember what happened.

“I remember it all; I was never concussed or out cold.

“I scooted near the line and just hit a hip or a knee. I knew something had gone wrong in the tackle. I felt a sharp pain down my neck and spine and then he fell down on me after the tackle.”

Renowned for being a hard-working and tough operator, Halifax-born O’Brien continued: “When the doc felt my neck, I felt some pain again.

“I was carried off, got taken into the changing room, then the paramedics were there and I was in the ambulance off to hospital.

“I think it was about 3.30am when I got the first result back. I was kept overnight, I had a couple of hours and then was back up Saturday morning for the MRI.

“On the field, me being me, I thought I’d just jarred my neck or something.

“As it turned out, there’s been a fracture on my C4 vertebrae and a bit of loose bone.

“Everything else is really stable and there’s no need for any operation or anything.

“But when you’re waiting for the results, you do worry: is it going to be surgery, am I going to be out for a lengthy time and could this affect my career?

"Everyone at the hospital were great and they really looked after me."

O’Brien, an integral part of Huddersfield’s side since joining from Bradford Bulls in 2017, hopes to play again this term.

“Once the MRI scan said it was all stable around the neck and there’s not too much damage and that means I should be fine, you do feel better about it,” he said.

“It was pleasing to hear out of all the bad news and I am back home now with the family so that’s good.

“I’ll be in a brace for six weeks, then I’ll go see the consultant and hopefully it’ll have healed up nicely and I can carry on so maybe in six or eight weeks I could be back out there again.”

O’Brien, who was called into the England Knights squad last year, was helpless as Huddersfield suffered a sixth straight defeat - and third loss by just point in five games since resuming after lockdown.

“It is frustrating,” he added, Giants having let a 10-0 lead slip to go down to a 74th minute drop goal from his former Bradford team-mate Luke Gale.

“If a drop goal goes the other way and you change those three results from one point defeats to one point wins, we’d be up in the top-two or three.

“But we’re putting ourselves in good places and good positions.

“We’re just then letting ourselves down. With these new rules, you’ve got to get your points when you have the ball and we can’t be defending as much as we have been doing.

“That’s making us tired and we haven’t got anything left to finish games off with.”

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James Mitchinson