30 stitches, emergency surgery: True extent of Pat Carrigan’s horror lip injury revealed

Maroons prop Pat Carrigan has revealed even though his ‘lip was hanging off’ following a freak collision against the Dragons last week, he has no concerns about returning to the Origin cauldron.

Pat Carrigan has revealed the extent of a horror mouth wound that will see the battered Queensland ironman take 30 stitches into Wednesday night’s State of Origin opener.

Despite requiring emergency plastic surgery to fix the gruesome gash, Carrigan has been cleared of a broken jaw and has no concerns about the Blues attacking him in Origin I at Suncorp Stadium.

There were fears the Broncos forward would miss the 2025 opener after almost ripping part of his lip off following a freak collision with Jack de Belin in last Sunday’s loss to the Dragons.

But the handiwork of one of Australia’s top plastic surgeons has helped Carrigan make a swift recovery to declare himself a certain starter in the Queensland No.13 jumper.

Primed for a cracking duel with NSW lock Isaah Yeo, his Test teammate, Carrigan says he couldn’t care less if Blues rivals try to rip open the worst wound of his playing career.

Pat Carrigan is in good spirits at Queensland training. Picture: Lachie Millard

“It was pretty gross, my lip was hanging off,” Carrigan said.

“I’m good to go, I’m playing.

“If it gets a knock, it gets a knock. I am staying out of the earlier stuff with contact (at Queensland training sessions) – but all bets are off on Wednesday night.”

Underlining his toughness, Carrigan was prepared to play through the pain barrier last Sunday before the shocked look of Dragons opponents convinced him to seek treatment.

Broncos medicos tried to repair the tear in the Suncorp sheds, but such was the size of the wound, Carrigan was raced to a Brisbane hospital.

“I got 30-odd stitches,” he said.

“I was running a lead (line) and I got tangled up. Jack de Belin (Dragons forward) tried to go out the back and we just collided and his tooth may have gone through my lip.

“I don’t remember it but lucky I had my mouthguard in or I would have a few missing teeth and an angry mother.

“There was blood everywhere. My jaw was aching a bit. The Dragons boys were freaking out, they were saying it was bad so I went up the tunnel and sussed it out with the doc.

“I could tell by the reaction it wasn’t good, but the docs say my lip has good blood supply, so it should heal up and hopefully it hangs on next Wednesday.”

Carrigan in the Broncos sheds after the game. Picture: Fox League

On the day he entered Camp Maroon on Monday, the left side of Carrigan’s face was visibly swollen, but he says doctors have given assurances the wound is safe to play with in Origin battle.

“I was awake through it (the procedure),” he said.

“They whacked a local anaesthetic and put something over my face so I couldn’t see. I laid there for about 45 minutes but I was lucky to have a quality surgeon who did a great job.

“The surgeon said he put a few extra stitches in there in case I cop a bump next week.

“We will see how we go.”

Carrigan had a dream start to his Origin career, winning two consecutive series after his debut in 2022. But the Maroons came crashing back to earth with last year’s 2-1 series defeat and Carrigan is hellbent on revenge after seeing NSW lift the Origin shield.

The Maroons lock dismissed suggestions Queensland lack the forward firepower to match a stacked Blues pack led by Yeo, Payne Haas, Mitch Barnett and Liam Martin.

“The proof is in the pudding, they won the series,” said Carrigan, who plays his 10th consecutive Origin game.

“We will always be ridiculed in that area (the forwards) as a Queensland team.

“It’s been like that since day dot. I know these guys are ready to mix it and last year is still on my mind. We have some wrongs to right and hopefully we can get the job done.”