Cameron King opens up on the injury that will test even his renowned resilience and courage
When Cameron King collapsed during a trial match against Canterbury last weekend he knew instantly what had happened. Now the Cronulla hooker reveals his pain and the determination to fight his way back to fitness yet again.
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In Papua New Guinea, the only country in the world that boasts rugby league as its national sport, there are few things that can silence an entire stadium.
Cameron King’s agonising screams is one of them.
When the Cronulla Sharks hooker collapsed in the second half of a trial match against Canterbury last weekend at Port Moresby’s National Football Stadium, the clapping and singing from the stands stopped.
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The rumble of cheers and chanting from the 10,123-strong crowd was suddenly silenced.
It was the piercing shrill of King’s screams that broke the quiet. As King writhed in agony on the pitch, images of him were beamed over the TV broadcast.
What the stunned locals couldn’t see — what nobody could see — were the tears streaming down the 29-year-old’s face as he gripped his right knee, with his anterior cruciate ligament ruptured.
“I just lost control of my body and I started crying,’’ King said. “I just started crying because I knew what I had done.’’
What King had done was suffer a season-ending knee injury that for the past week has circled an entire rugby league community around him in support.
In an interview with The Sunday Telegraph, King admits this injury will test even his renowned resilience and courage.
“I won’t give up,” King said. “I’ll try my best and definitely go down swinging.’’
It seems, there isn’t a player, a coach, or a fan, here in Australia and overseas, that isn’t aware of the litany of setbacks that has hampered the career of a talent selected alongside the likes of Boyd Cordner, Josh Jackson and Aaron Woods in the 2011 Emerging Blues.
His story began as one of rugby league’s next superstars. Yet the Junior Kangaroos and NSW under-18s captain has been constantly hampered by injury ever since.
He’s had starts and stops at five different clubs due to two shoulder reconstructions, a torn pectoral muscle and now a second knee reconstruction.
Indeed, King thought his NRL career was over when he left Parramatta in 2018 to play for two seasons with Featherstone in The Championship — the UK’s second-tier competition.
But then the Sharks called last September, wanting a mentor for rookie dummy-half Blayke Brailey. King signed a one-year deal, acutely aware it was nothing more than an “opportunity” contract.
“When I got this chance to come back, I grabbed it,’’ King said. “I promised myself I’d work extra hard. And I did that.
“I trained over the Christmas break because I still felt I had a bit of work to do. It was just about the fittest I’ve been in the last 10 years — and that’s what is most disappointing.
“Everything was feeling really good and then this happens. I know it’s part of sport and there’s people worse off than me, but for right now, I’m shattered.’’
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Our setbacks build character and resilience, two huge factors as to who we are as people.
— Sandor Earl (@sandorearl) February 25, 2020
These can only be built in the arena when we take a chance and commit to something.
You will bounce back, always here to talk shop on the recovery my man!!
All the best! ✊ðŸ½âœŠðŸ½âœŠðŸ½
Cameron. It’s only a game mate. We do our best to succeed, but it’s still just a game. It does not define you. The bigger game of life is far more important. Your courage & perseverance will be rewarded. You can make a difference in many ways. If you ever need anything, just call https://t.co/m7UlCXgk6G
— Phil Gould (@PhilGould15) February 25, 2020
WHEN King’s right knee went “pop” last weekend to end his season before it had begun, the messages began to flood the inbox of rugby league’s Great Aussie Battler.
Within 24 hours of King confirming his shattering news, more than 300 messages had hit his social media channels.
The messages for King, an incredibly popular player largely due to his endearing never-say-die character, came from everyday footy fans and a vast cross-section of the league landscape.
Among them were Penrith’s Josh Mansour, Parramatta’s Clint Gutherson, Souths assistant coach Jason Demetriou, Melbourne’s Sandor Earl, Cronulla’s Chad Townsend, and TV commentators Andrew Voss and Phil Gould.
“If you ever need anything, just call,’’ Gould wrote to King.
Phoning Gus would be easy compared with the call King had to make to his pregnant fiancee Kristy and loving mother Amanda from the dressing room of the National Stadium in Port Moresby.
gotchu bro, always ✊ðŸ¼â¤ï¸ https://t.co/OY4BQOOP7O
— Josh Dugan (@Josh_Dugan) February 25, 2020
“The doctor confirmed it (was a torn ACL) with me after testing it out,’’ King said.
“I got left on my own for a few minutes in the dressing rooms — I needed that — just to let my emotions pour out, really.
“I had some good people around me. I’m good mates with Duges (Josh Dugan) and he came and checked on me to make sure I was all right. He’s someone I can count on, Duges, and he’s messaged me and called me every day since.
“Jordan Atkins, the Sharks welfare manager was there as well.
“It’s that eerie silence in the sheds, and your mind starts going crazy. All the boys came in after the game … and I broke down again.
“I gave my fiancee and mum a call and let them know what had happened. They felt like it was deja vu, not believing it, really.
“Having done this before, knowing what I’m in for now — I know what the ups and downs look like — I started to think about that.’’
“It was a long night that night, I got about 30 minutes sleep.
“I wanted to get home. But once you do get home, then you see your family and friends and the emotion comes pouring out again.’’
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KING met with his surgeon last Wednesday. He needs to allow bone bruising around his knee to heal before he can undergo a full knee reconstruction in 10 days’ time.
It will be a minimum nine-month recovery.
King said he would love to thank each and every person that has messaged him.
He will continue to act as mentor to Brailey from the sidelines and that his plan is to use his lamentable experience with injury to tackle his latest hurdle.
But in the interim there’s a silver lining to King’s unwanted lay-off.
“The one positive is I’ll get to spend a bit more time at home with our first baby on the way,’’ King said.
“We have a little girl due in April and that’s obviously going to help me massively to fight the battle that I’ve got to face.’’
Originally published as Cameron King opens up on the injury that will test even his renowned resilience and courage