Rabbitohs halfback Adam Reynolds is preparing to face Wests Tigers on Thursday night despite scans so far failing to confirm whether he re-broke his jaw in an ugly tackle by Bronco Adam Blair last Friday night.
Reynolds on Monday said scans confirmed marks on his jaw but it wasn't immediately obvious whether they were simply showing previous lines from his last break, suffered in his side's Round 1 thumping of the Roosters.
"We've had scans and it just shows what's been there before. We've got to sit down with the specialists, see what he thinks. It's pretty hard to tell from the scans if it is old or new. The x-ray does show something, but it could be an old one or a new one," Reynolds said.
"Overall it's feeling pretty good. I'll train today (Monday) with the team and prepare as if I'm going to play."
The Redfern junior said if he did get on the park, as he expected to, he wouldn't let the injury play on his mind.
"I'm pretty confident if I get out there and play, I'll do my job for the team. I won't let the jaw worry me at all. It's just one of those things – it's a waiting game at the moment. We'll sit down and work out where to go from there," he said.
Reynolds was however clearly frustrated to be potentially facing more time out after missing five games already this season but was philosophical about the injury.
"That's the game of rugby league, unfortunately. You've got to ride the highs as well as the lows," he said.
"Rugby league is a tough game and every player that goes out there and puts on a jersey, they're always at risk.
"It's just unfortunate that I've copped a bit of a battering for the past year or so. There's other players that have had their fair share of injuries and come out the other side. For me, it's just about staying positive and riding these tough times."
Reynolds refused to blame Blair for the shot.
"It's rugby league. Things like that do happen. There's no grudges. At the end of the day it's a game and everyone plays to win. There's no grudges there," he said.
It's a particularly bitter blow for a playmaker entering the prime of his career who has repeatedly been touted as the solution to the NSW State of Origin halves crisis to again be at risk of missing game time in the lead-up to Origin team selections after last year's Good Friday knee and hamstring injuries limited him to just one NRL game between Round 5 and midway through the Origin series.
"It's just frustrating in general. No player likes getting hurt or sitting on the sidelines for weeks," Reynolds said.
"Unfortunately I've had my fair share over the past year. For me, it's just about trying to stay in the best possible shape and preparing right every week and just going out there and doing my job for Souths.
"For me, it's about preparing well and hopefully the performances are consistent. If the shot does come [to play Origin], I'd be more than happy to put my hand up."