Warriors prop Charlie Gubb has revealed the terrifying moment he feared a serious neck injury, after a collision during a reserve grade match two weeks ago.
After being dropped from the Warriors' NRL Telstra Premiership side for Round 11, Gubb started for the club's feeder team against Manly on May 22 but was forced from the field on a stretcher after a heavy impact in the first half.
The match stopped for a considerable period as Gubb lost feeling in much of his body.
"It was scary for about an hour, but it was all good after that," Gubb said.
"I got a bad 'knock out', I was out for about a minute and then everything was numb.
"But they said that's because there are so many nerves behind your ear or something like that.
"They put the white sheet over me and wheeled me out, and because I wasn't moving when they moved me from one ambulance to the other, I think some people thought I had died.
"I stayed in [hospital] for that night and then I left… [I felt the effects for] a couple of days, my memory went and I just wasn't really all there."
After being cleared to return to action this week Gubb has been recalled to the first-grade team for Saturday's clash with the Broncos at Mt Smart Stadium.
The 26-year-old played eight games in a row between Rounds 3-10 this year, but felt his demotion to the Intrust Super Premiership had been justified.
"I just wasn't playing to my ability, I hadn't been playing many minutes and he [coach Andrew McFadden] wanted me to go down and make all my tackles and get some of that confidence back, [the type] that I was playing with at the start of the year and all last year," Gubb said.
"To play some minutes and get that spark back."
Aside from the inclusion of Gubb, the Warriors also welcome Solomone Kata back from a one-game suspension this week, while veteran wing Manu Vatuvei returns from leave.
On the bench Nathaniel Roache and Albert Vete are also recalled from reserve grade, with McFadden resisting the urge to make further changes to his side that sits 14th on the ladder.
"Probably not the high profile changes people may have been expecting," McFadden said of his selection decisions.
"I thought it would be counterproductive to make wholesale changes.
"I need to put some trust in these experienced guys, they have played themselves into form before and that's what we will go with.
"Some of those young guys have been playing pretty good in our NSW Cup side – Albert Vete, Charlie Gubb – they have had to get some game time.
"They have got that and now they get their opportunity again."
Both the Warriors and Broncos head into Round 13 off the back of consecutive losses, with Brisbane expected to rest Corey Oates and Matt Gillett following their appearances for Queensland in Origin I.
