Keary reveals meeting that helped him beat fears of ’one more hit’

After suffering two concussions, it wasn’t just Luke Keary’s brain hurting — his mind took a hit too. This is how Roosters coach Trent Robinson got the Tricolours’ playmaker back in the game.

Luke Keary’s recovery was more than physical. Photo: Sam Ruttyn

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A heart-to-heart meeting with Roosters coach Trent Robinson has been the catalyst to Luke Keary catapulting the Tricolours into premiership favouritism just two months after fearing his career was over due to numerous concussions.

Delivering a masterclass against his former club South Sydney in Friday night’s qualifying final at the SCG, it’s impossible to consider that not long ago, Keary was gripped by self-doubt.

Keary, 27, was robbed of a NSW Origin jersey and was forced to miss round’s 11-16 after suffering two heavy concussions.

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Keary’s recovery was more than physical. Photo: Brett Costello

In his time away from the game, Keary needed to meet with independent neurological specialists to ensure that his long-term health wasn’t at risk.

But there was one meeting in particular that Keary says helped him overcome the fear of “one more hit” that he carried.

“It did take me a few weeks (to get my confidence back),”' Keary said.

“I did have that thing in the back of my head, ‘don't get hit again’ because you don’t know what’s going to happen (with your career).

“I remember sitting down with Robbo and saying, ‘If I go into games thinking about that, I may as well not play’.

“I may as well have sat out the whole year and get myself right. But that was not an option.

“So, it was a case of either get in the right frame of mind … or don't play.

“Robbo was never pushing me back to play. He just said, ‘If you come back, just make sure you’re 100 per cent in. Don’t be 80 or 90 per cent because it will be just awful’.

Robinson didn’t push Keary to return too quickly. Photo: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

“That five weeks was never a case of ‘I had to come back’ by then — it was just a personal choice (to come back when I was right to play).”'

Keary revealed a “head knock” in round 24 against Penrith was all the proof he needed that he was physically capable of continuing to play at the elite level.

“I’ve had both eyes cut three times (since coming back),”' Keary said. “I had a big head clash against Penrith, and I didn't feel it all.

“It was just sweet. But after them all I did think, ‘Do I have a glass jaw?’ So I’ve had a few pretty substantial hits and haven't felt at all dusty.”'

The benefits were clear against the Rabbitohs on Friday night. Photo: AAP Image/Dean Lewins

Lethal in tearing apart the Rabbitohs on Friday night with his left-edge combination alongside Roosters skipper Boyd Cordner and Latrell Mitchell, Keary said there was one major blessing from his time away from the cut and thrust of week-to-week NRL.

“Definitely (I feel fresher mentally and physically),” Keary said after the Roosters’ 30-6 victory.

“Obviously when you have that time off it can go both ways. But I just tried to do it positively with a bit of a rest and got some good work done at training.

“I felt physically a lot better coming back. I wasn’t injured or anything like that, so I was training fully.”

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His Roosters halves partner, Cooper Cronk, was full of praise for the way the 82kg playmaker has rebounded in such dominant fashion.

“Most players that play the game today have a lot of courage and a lot of mental strength,”' Cronk said.

“It’s arguably the toughest competition in the world and lot of guys deal with a lot of different things.

“A lot of guys gain a lot respect with the way they play and obviously Luke is in that class.”'

Originally published as Keary reveals meeting that helped him beat fears of ’one more hit’