Carter Gordon reveals how spinal fluid leak injury has derailed his NRL dream

Wallabies star Carter Gordon was hoping to make a splash in the NRL, but the Gold Coast Titans recruit’s code-switch has been derailed by a scary back injury that left him bedridden for weeks.

Wallabies convert Carter Gordon has vowed to fight his way into the NRL after being floored by a rare back condition that left Gold Coast’s star recruit bedridden.

Gordon has been sidelined indefinitely due to a cerebrospinal fluid leak that has put his code-switch with the Titans on hold.

The ex-Melbourne Rebels playmaker has been unable to train since an innocuous incident in early January and at one stage was left contemplating the possibility of never playing again as doctors searched for answers to his debilitating symptoms.

Gordon, 24, was suffering uncontrollable back spasms and severe headaches before a series of tests revealed the problem.

“I’ve got a spinal fluid leak,” Gordon said.

“It was getting a little bit scary when we weren’t sure what it was and we couldn’t ease the symptoms.

“I think we have avoided surgery which is good and I plan to be back training soon.”

Titans recruit Carter Gordon’s code-switch has been put on ice by a back injury. Picture: Adam Head

Gordon shocked the 15-man code last year when he walked away from a blossoming eight-Test career with the Wallabies to have a crack at the NRL.

He played a handful of Hostplus Cup games for Tweed Heads at the back end of last year and then hit the ground running in pre-season training with the Titans.

Gordon was blitzing his Titans teammates in fitness tests and impressed coach Des Hasler with his quick adaptation to league.

He was pushing for an NRL debut early this season, in the halves or centre, until the training incident in the first week back after the Christmas break.

“I took a normal carry, carried hard, got up and played the ball and something felt a bit funny in my back. I kept training and didn’t really think anything of it,” Gordon said.

“It wasn’t a big injury or anything at the time. I was just a bit sore and we didn’t know what it was.

“Two days later I started to get headaches and back spasms.

“I kept getting headaches so I went for a dye MRI scan which showed there was a spinal fluid leak.

“I don’t know exactly where it’s leaking but we know it’s there based on spinal fluid being outside where it’s meant to be.

“People can get it and it fixes itself in a few weeks, but based on the amount of spinal fluid outside the dura mater (membrane), mine was a pretty big hole. That’s why it’s taken a bit longer.”

Gordon played eight Tests for the Wallabies. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

After undergoing procedures where blood is injected to ease the leak, and seeing little progress in the early stages of his recovery, Gordon was ordered to not move for two weeks.

His pregnant fiancee Abbey Lewis cared for him and he even returned to the Sunshine Coast for family support.

“I was on strict bed rest,” he said.

“I could only get up to go to the toilet. When I wasn’t doing that I had to lie down. I had all my meals laying down.

“After doing those two weeks I started to feel better. I could spend more time upright. Now I’m spending the whole day upright.

“It was a turning point. If I didn’t do those two weeks, I would have been more rattled about it.”
Gordon is now back on an exercise bike and pushing to get into the gym and start running again.

He will be at Cbus Super Stadium on Saturday night to watch the Titans take on Newcastle in their first home game of the year following last week’s 40-24 loss to Canterbury.

Experts haven’t put a time frame on Gordon’s playing return, but it will be months before he can think about pulling on a jersey.

Despite the setback, which has seen him lose fitness and strength, Gordon is targeting an NRL debut this year.

Gordon is hoping to be back training soon. Picture: Glenn Campbell

“I definitely want to play footy this year, that’s the goal,” he said.

“It’s super frustrating. I put a lot of effort in, especially in the off-season so that I could come in fit and train well every week.

“I still want to be playing footy. It’s just a little setback, everyone has them. I’m trying to get back on the field as quickly as I can.

“I’m pretty stoked just to be doing day-to-day life now. I went through a pretty tough period where I wasn’t really doing too much.

“It sucks when you’re forced to do bed rest. I’m going into the club more now and seeing the boys which has been good.

“We’re now on a track to get back to training and playing so I’ve been pretty positive about it.

“It’s tough to look back but I know what I can do. I’m positive I can get back to where I was.”

Originally published as Carter Gordon reveals how spinal fluid leak injury has derailed his NRL dream