Sam Burgess has admitted to never being as scared on a football field as he was when he was stretchered off the SCG last Sunday with a neck brace and one arm numb.
The Souths forward had been hit hard by the St George Illawarra defence as he charged at the tryline in only his third game since returning to the NRL from rugby union.
With his brothers by his side and his mum Julie clearly distressed in the stands, Burgess - one of the toughest players in the game who bravely played on with a broken cheekbone during the 2014 grand final - feared the worst.
"To be honest I've never been as scared with an injury," Burgess told Channel Nine on Friday.
"It's the unknown, you've got a neck brace on and you've got to take all precautionary measures.
"I feared the worst with a lack of strength in my right arm ... I was pretty scared.
"I'd lost feeling in my right arm and a sharp pain in the back of my neck where I'd torn a muscle.
"I was a bit worried, scared more for my wife Phoebe and my mum."
Burgess was taken to St Vincent's Hospital and later cleared of any serious damage and released, but missed the Rabbitohs' heavy 42-12 defeat to Canterbury on Friday.
The Englishman, however, is confident he'll be fit to return against Manly next Thursday after completing some gym work before his side's clash with the Bulldogs.
