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“I just broke down”: Yow Yeh opens up on devastating ankle injury, return attempt and retirement
The winger tried to return from an ankle injury for the best part of two years.
SCOTT PRYDEEDITOR | MAY 31, 2024 - 3:10PM
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Former Brisbane Broncos star Jharal Yow Yeh has opened up on the devastating ankle injury that cut his career short.
After debuting for the Broncos in 2009, the winger showed prominence as one of the best young talents in the sport before making his debut for both the Queensland Maroons and the Australian national team in 2011.
He won the RLIF International Rookie of the Year award at the end of 2011.
An Indigenous All-Star in the 2010, 2011 and 2012 pre-seasons, Yow Yeh was on track to be in the mix for Queensland selection again in 2012, only to go down with an ankle injury during Round 4 against the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
The injury, which was described as a motorbike-like injury at the time, saw the winger shatter his ankle, breaking two bones and dislocating the joint in his ankle.
Speaking on the Unfiltered Podcast with Andy Raymond, Yow Yeh said he still remembers the incident vividly, and that Allan Langer's reaction told him all he needed to know.
"Yeah, I remember all of it. It's something that I'll never forget and I'm happy that I've come to terms with what's happened to me now I'm old enough and you know, smart enough and I suppose wise enough to be able to talk about my journey and that situation," Yow Yeh said on the podcast.
"I knew it wasn't right. I knew something wasn't right because my ankle was obviously pointing the other way. I knew that something wasn't right though because I knew Alf [Allan Langer] didn't like blood. I've never seen him do a U-Turn like he did when he was running down the sideline.
"He did some and look, but I had yellow socks on that night and because it was a compound fracture, it [the bone] had come through. Alf sort of feints a little bit when he sees blood, and in a moment of chaos, that made me giggle a little bit. I would have loved nothing more than to watch him vomit on the field.
"I definitely knew something was seriously wrong because of how frantic everyone was. From not only my teammates, but also GI [Greg Inglis] who was on the other side playing for the Rabbitohs at the time. It was a moment I was like s**t this isn't good, but I didn't know the extent of it."
Yow Yeh explained the dislocation of his ankle joint was the chief destroyer of his ankle.
"It was a tib, fib and a dislocation of my ankle joint. I broke both bones up higher, snapped them a little bit and then a dislocation of my ankle joint bone which pretty much tore all my ligaments. It took everything with it. In your ankle you have all fine muscles and ligaments," he said.
Yow Yeh, who worked to rehabilitate his ankle throughout 2012, was targeting a 2013 return, but said it became clear things weren't going to plan as the year went on, but he refused to stop attempting to make it back onto the field.
"Well, I've written that year off. 2012 was a write-off. We were just like, we are going to put a line through it and I was like, yep that's fine with me and 2013 was sort of my comeback season. That was where my mental state was, but as we progressed in our rehab, it just wasn't getting significantly better, so it was hard to hear some of those things.
"I've got a very stubborn personality, so I refused to stop. I refused. The physio team never doubted me. I'm so thankful for that because I probably would have gave up, but it was only when I started playing back, it just wasn't healing as good and it had no flexion."
Yow Yeh would eventually make his return through the QLD Cup in 2013, going on to play six games, but then an injury to his other ankle left him fearing that he would become partially disabled.
While he still refused to give up, the realisation that his time as a rugby league player was overcome with the physio. He revealed club staff had been surprised at how long he had attempted to come back.
"I came back and played like six games with Norths [Queensland Cup side the Norths Devils], and then I hurt my left ankle and I couldn't really walk at all. My thought process then was that I was scaring myself. If I hurt the other foot, I'll be partially disabled and not able to walk. After that happened, there was a pretty big moment for me to go this isn't good. Then I wasn't playing any footy, and it was sort of a spiral after that," Yow Yeh said.
"At the end of 2014, I was coming to training and trying to go again. I remember sitting in the physio room and I just broke down. I was like, I just can't do this anymore. I asked Luke Anning who is the physio to get Hook [Anthony Griffin] and he came in, asked what was the matter and I just said 'I'm done'.
"In great Hook fashion he just goes, 'fucking took you long enough'. I think they all knew, but they just wanted me to figure that out. He said you gave it way more than what we all thought you were gonna. That happened in '12 and I retired in '14. I gave everything, but I was just mentally not good either. Once that monkey was off my back, it felt better."
Yow Yeh, who has gone on to hold off-field roles with the Broncos and at Triple M Radio, played 60 NRL games during his time as a player, along with three a piece for Queensland, Australia and the Indigenous All Stars.
"I just broke down": Yow Yeh opens up on devastating ankle injury, return attempt and retirement
The winger tried to return from an ankle injury for the best part of two years.
www.zerotackle.com
