How Reece Walsh and a custom headgear inspired Meaney's return

Melbourne centre Nick Meaney has revealed how a Reece Walsh-inspired custom headgear gave him the confidence to return to the field just five weeks after fracturing his cheekbone and eye socket. 

The 27-year-old suffered the injury in a head clash with teammate Nelson Asofa-Solomona during a Round 3 victory over the Panthers and subsequently underwent surgery to repair the factures. 

Such was the extent of the damage, Meaney said the insertion of plates and screws into his face made for a gruesome post-op scan. 

"I had a large fracture in my cheekbone and a little fracture around the eye socket," Meaney told NRL.com. "All up I had three plates put in with some screws as well. 

"I had a CT scan and it looked like a bike chain wrapped around my face. It looks a bit better now, still feels a little numb but that will go away."

Meaney sported a new accessory as he made a successful return to the field last week, wearing a headgear with a piece of custom-made padding attached to protect his face. 

The adaptation was inspired by Broncos star Reece Walsh, who wore a similar headgear in his return from a fractured eye socket last year.

While it's not the most comfortable piece of equipment, Meaney said it gave him the confidence to return to the field without any lingering doubts.

"Reece Walsh wore one last year so we talked about it and it was an option for us," he said. "There's a guy down in Melbourne who makes headgear for newborn babies when their head's out of shape.

"He got a scan of my face and moulded a bit of fabric to suit my face and protect my cheek. It's not ideal for visibility and a little bit uncomfortable but it's working well.

"Your face is a sensitive area but you can't really shield it too much. That's why I went out and got the headgear made, to give me a bit of confidence and reassurance if I got a whack there it was going to be ok. 

"Leading into the game I copped a whack at training to my face. I was shocked and stunned by it but the headgear worked and I was able to play."

Meaney will wear the headgear for the second-straight week on Sunday when Melbourne take on the Raiders in the final game of Magic Round.

The clash has quickly emerged as a match-of-the-round contender, with the Storm sitting second and Canberra third on the ladder. 

The two teams are level on 12 competition points and the winner could find themselves on top of the NRL table at the conclusion of the weekend, depending on how other results play out. 

The Raiders have thrived throughout the event in the past, winning four of their five Magic Round matches. Melbourne are three from five during the weekend. 

Meaney is expecting a unique atmosphere at Suncorp Stadium and said his side must be at their best to topple Canberra on Sunday night.