'I freaked out': Chapman back in action after spine fracture scare

Disciplined rehab and hard work will enable Jaime Chapman to line up for the Westpac NSW Blues just two months after fracturing her back.

Chapman fractured her L2 vertebrae playing for the Indigenous All Stars in February, after receiving an accidental knee in the back while scoring a try but determined to play in Thursday night's Origin series opener, she got to work. 

“I have been in rehab, I’ve gone through my rehab and I’m ready to play,” Chapman said ahead of the Suncorp Stadium clash. “I'm all good to go. My body is feeling good, my back is great.”

The 23-year-old was adamant it hasn’t impacted her speed, but admitted she was worried she would not get the chance to help the Blues redeem last year’s series loss to the Harvey Norman Queensland Maroons.

Chapman scored a stunning length of the field try in the opening minutes of last year's series opener, won 22-12 by NSW, but the Maroons clinched the series with an 11-10 triumph in Newcastle and 22-6 win in Townsville.  

“It definitely sounded scarier than it was, when you hear ‘a spine fracture’ you probably freak out a little bit… I did freak out when I heard the news,” Chapman said.

“But I knew that I was going to be sweet. I could move, my function was fine, it was just a slow recovery and slow rehab process.

"It started with very slow running, then straight into contact and 100 percent contact for the last few weeks leading into camp.”

The Titans flyer, who has scored three tries in her five Origin appearances since debuting in 2023, said new coach John Strange had the Blues firing and she was confident her side could get the job done again in the series opener.

“It’s getting pretty real now… a few days until we play,” she said.

“I love playing at Suncorp, especially when we’re on enemy turf, we’re even hungrier to win, so I’m really excited to get out there and hopefully get another win.

“Our prep for this year’s Origin series has been really, really good. We had that six-week pre-season and John Strange coming in has been amazing… he has really taken our professionalism to another level.

"We’ve been training really hard, and he’s set some really high standards… we’ve had a really good lead in.

“Coming into camp, we’re all very tight-knit and we know what we’ve got to do and we’ve been training really well."

Confident that partner Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow will be cheering for her despite his allegiance with the Maroons, Chapman said she was happy for Maroons debutants Rory Owen and Jasmine Peters, who have been named at centre and wing respectively.

“I’m really happy for both of them… really good friends with both of them… I just want to see them do well, but obviously probably not going to let them,” she said.

“We definitely want to come up [to Suncorp Stadium] and start off the series with a good win and bring the trophy back to where it belongs, back in the Blues facility.

“We definitely want to win Game One. We want to make a statement.

"Get out there and play our good footy, that we know we can play, and back our strengths.”