North Queensland prop Shaun Fensom has been hospitalised after suffering a suspected broken leg in North Queensland's NRL grand final loss to Melbourne.
Fensom was taken from the field in a medicab in just the third minute after a sickening collision with teammate Ethan Lowe.
"From what I've heard he's got a broken leg," Cowboys coach Paul Green said.
The incident reduced the Cowboys to just three men on the bench and threw their forward rotation into disarray.
"Being a man down after three minutes puts you under a lot of pressure," Green said.
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"You're down to 16 men and seven interchanges. It does put a lot of pressure on you."
After Melbourne prop Jesse Bromwich made a break through the middle of the field, Fensom tried to make a covering tackle but was injured in the process.
Lowe's body was slung around with his legs striking Fensom on his lower left leg.
Play was held up for 10 minutes as Fensom was attended to by medical staff and given pain killers.
The former Canberra forward, who joined the Cowboys in the pre-season, gave a thumbs up to the crowd as he was taken from the field.
Fensom, wearing the No.17 jersey, was a late addition to the Cowboys starting side for John Asiata.
