BACK in January 2020, Mose Masoe was preparing to take to the field for his then club Hull KR in a pre-season friendly against Wakefield Trinity.
However, disaster struck midway through the fixture after an innocuous clash on Masoe’s own line. With the hulking forward laid prone, the 34-year-old was taken from the field on a stretcher and rushed to hospital for emergency surgery.
The news seeped out that the former Samoa international had suffered a serious spinal injury with Masoe’s retirement confirmed barely weeks later as a long road to recovery got underway.
Masoe knew straightaway that he had done something serious after being unable to feel or move anything past his neck, but he is now putting that to one side to focus on the future.
“I’m doing great thank you, I’ve lived a bit of a ‘You Only Live Once’ life for a few years after getting back to Australia and catching up with friends and family,” Masoe told League Express.
“But I just started this year with a 20-day water fast to help re-energise the body so I’m feeling great and ready to continue improving.
“I kind of knew straight away that it was bad because I’ve had burners and been knocked out in the past but this was different I couldn’t feel or move anything from the neck down.”
As always, Masoe is positive about his situation when comparing himself to others.
“It’s been ok, transitioning with a major injury makes it a bit harder but, in saying that, there are a lot of people out there worse off than myself.
“I’ve got a loving family and have had support from everyone in Rugby League and around the world which has eased the transition.”
Such a devastating accident no doubt has affected his family. But what does that challenge look like?
“At first it was my kids that picked up a lot of things like getting things for me and doing my chores that I used to do.
“Carissa (Mose’s partner) has had to wear both mum and dad hats which has added a lot to her work load but the more I’ve gotten stronger the more I’ve been able to help out at home with daily chores.
“But the biggest thing was getting my license so I can take and pick our kids up from school then take them to all their sports training. So I think it’s going well and I’m getting better every day.”
In a typical Masoe fashion, when asked about the future in terms of recovery, the former hulking forward brought up a unique analogy.
“I kind of explain my situation to people where my spinal cord is damaged. The messages are getting through like a Nokia 30220 but a normal spinal cord is the latest iPhone.
“In saying that the body is an amazing thing. I know I can never get to the latest iPhone but I will keep trying to get there.”
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