NSW centre Josh Morris had been told he’d done the ACL in his knee when he decided to climb off the canvas and attempt to tackle a flying Greg Inglis.
The war stories to emerge from NSW’s game one State of Origin triumph were too many to count, but none more courageous than Morris’s.
In the final wash-up, Morris has been diagnosed with a less serious posterior cruciate ligament injury, but one which still has him unlikely for game two in Sydney.
But on the field the Blues star was given a far more devastating prognosis.
Morris was told by medical staff that he may have ruptured his knee – a season-ending injury.
Upon hearing the sobering news, Morris saw Queensland superstar Greg Inglis threatening to make a bust.
Instead of waiting for the medicab, Morris chose to get up and throw himself at Inglis.
NSW skipper Paul Gallen said it was the toughest game of football he’d ever experienced, and put Morris brothers Josh and Brett – who played on with a dislocated shoulder – at the top of the honour list.
“He (Josh Morris) got told on the ground he’d done his ACL which is a season-ending injury,” recounted Gallen on Thursday.
“He saw Inglis was about to make a break and got off the floor and he tackled him.
“His brother dislocated his shoulder scoring a try and managed to hold up Darius Boyd.
“It (courage) was everywhere. Their players were busted. The whole game was an amazing game to be involved in.”
NSW coach Laurie Daley said second-rower Beau Scott was physically ill during the second half but also chose to fight through the pain barrier.
In the end it was Scott who came up with some match-winning stops on Inglis and Billy Slater on the right-hand side as the Blues held on for a 12-8 game one triumph.