Cowboys assistant coach David Fairleigh has divulged the scary extent of centre Justin O'Neill's "life-threatening" spleen rupture in round 11.
O'Neill was admitted to intensive care after suffering the injury against the Raiders at GIO Stadium on May 25.
North Queensland believe O'Neill did the damage while crossing for a try in the 33rd minute of the 22-16 win, incredibly playing out the remainder of the match.
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Fairleigh explained the frightening circumstances after the game that resulted in O'Neill being hurried to hospital.
"Justin had a really severe spleen laceration, he came home from the game and wasn’t feeling that great and went to bed," he told Macquarie Sports Radio on Thursday.
"Luckily his roommate Kyle Feldt found him as he wasn’t well, passing in and out of consciousness.
"He was rushed to Canberra Hospital where they did immediate surgery to stop the bleeding.
"There’s a special procedure where they clog the hole and you have to lay there still for seven days to give it time to heal.
"It was a very, very serious injury and without sounding too dramatic, it was life-threatening."
Fairleigh said seeing paramedics arrive at the team's hotel shook up the North Queensland squad.
"Everyone felt really bad. We all saw the ambulance turn up at the hotel – it’s one of your teammates and you don’t know what to think.
"Luckily we got good news. He got good treatment and he’s doing well. I think he only left Canberra yesterday."