Penrith prop Reagan Campbell-Gillard admits he would make the same tackle that left him with a broken back and fearing for his NRL career.
Campbell-Gillard has been rested from pre-season training this week after hip complications stemming from a tackle by Gold Coast forward Ryan James in round 25 last season.
Lying in a Gold Coast hospital bed with his playing gear on for two days, he began to think the worst before scans revealed he had fractured two vertebrae and missed three months.
"If you hear the word broken back, that is a bit scary," Campbell-Gillard said on Tuesday.
"At the time that I did it, I could still walk. But when I came down from the adrenaline and cooled down, I was like, 'Oh no, I can't really move.'
"They didn't want to move me so they didn't disrupt my body and one of the specialists to come in to give them the all clear. I was lying in there for two days still in my playing gear."
The incident immediately drew the wrath of Panthers coach Anthony Griffin post-game, while club boss Phil Gould criticised the NRL for allowing dangerous tackling styles.
Teammates later called the tackle a cheap shot, a label Campbell-Gillard denied.
"I'd do it as well if you saw that exposure there. I didn't think it was a bad shot, I'd do it to someone and I'm pretty sure other players would do it as well," he said.
Campbell-Gillard, touted as a future NSW State of Origin player, resumed contact training three weeks ago but returned to the rehabilitation group this week after complaining about his hip.
The 23-year-old remains confident he'll re-join his teammates by the end of the week, and that the tackle wouldn't impact his football next season.
"If that plays in the back of your mind, you're not going to be 100 per cent going into the game. I'm trying to get my strength back up," he said.
Campbell-Gillard is expected to be part of a formidable Penrith forward pack next season that is set to include Trent Merrin, Bryce Cartwright and new recruit James Tamou.
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