FORMER Newcastle great Matthew Johns said on Monday night that all of sport and not just rugby league will be in total shock today at the news young Knights forward Alex McKinnon is facing life as a quadriplegic.

The 22-year-old backrower, still in a critical condition in at the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne, faces the heartbreaking likelihood of never being able to walk again.

He was brought out of an induced coma on Sunday and has only limited feeling in his right arm.

News_Image_File: Alex McKinnon is tackled by Trent Merrin, Beau Scott and Nathan Fien.

Johns told Fox Sports the tragic news, reported on Channel Nine, will reverberate through all sport in Australia.

BENNETT: ALEX IS LIKE A SON TO ME

A CITY STOPS FOR WOUNDED HERO

“It was always a chance it was going to be this type of terrible news but everyone was praying that it wouldn’t be.

News_Rich_Media: Wayne Bennett has urged Newcastle to continue to support Alex McKinnon after the Knights recorded an emotional 30-0 win over the Sharks at Hunter Stadium.

“Then you get the news come through of this young boy who is so universally liked and respected in rugby league may not walk again.”

Social media was last night awash with tributes to McKinnon from figures across the game and the wider sporting community with Australian Test cricket captain Michael Clarke leading the way along with Newcastle-based Kurt Fearnley, Australia’s greatest Paralympian.

Devastating news about Alex McKinnon. Our thoughts and prayers are with you during this time. — Michael Clarke (@MClarke23) March 31, 2014

Extremely tough turn for Alex McKinnon. Grateful he's still here. Life will never be the same for him, but he will be the same great human! — Kurt Fearnley (@kurtfearnley) March 31, 2014

The NRL, caught by complete surprise by the report, responded cautiously in a statement:

“I understand this has been reported on Channel Nine but we’ve not received this advice by the Knights or Alex’s family in regards to these reports,” NRL spokesperson Sandy Olsen said.

“Out of regard for Alex and his family, it is not appropriate to comment at this time.

“Our thoughts continue to be with Alex for his recovery. The NRL and the Knights are providing all the support we possibly can at this time.”

News_Image_File: The Newcastle team in a huddle before the clash with the Sharks in a tribute to Alex McKinnon.

News_Image_File: Newcastle fans show their support for Alex McKinnon.

The Newcastle Knights were also left largely in the dark by the news.

“The club will continue to liaise with Alex’s family and issue the appropriate update. At this stage, we have no further update,” their spokesperson said.

McKinnon, who has undergone surgery twice on his fractured neck had his hopes of a recovery raised on Sunday when it was revealed he was breathing on his own without the assistance of a ventilator and communicating with his family.

News_Rich_Media: The Newcastle Knights have taken home their first win of the season, paying homage to teammate Alex McKinnon who remains in hospital after injuring his spine last week.

But according to Channel Nine, the prognosis for McKinnon is grim.

“McKinnon and his family have been told he is a quadriplegic,” the report stated.

“He is in rehab and care and will hopefully recover. His spinal cord is not severed.

“Not surprisingly, he is struggling with the news.”

McKinnon was due to get a visit today by Knights teammates including captain Kurt Gidley but only coach Wayne Bennett made the trip down to Melbourne.

News_Image_File: Alex McKinnon has touched plenty of hearts at the Knights.

Bennett did not want to comment on the report when asked by The Daily Telegraph.

McKinnon sustained his injuries last Monday when he landed on his neck awkwardly during a three-man tackle against the Melbourne Storm.

Director of St Vincents Hospital Emergency Department Professor Gordian Fulde would not comment on the McKinnon case last night but described the diagnosis of quadriplegia as “a life sentence”.

Quadriplegia is caused by damage to the spinal cord at a high level, C1 to C7.

It is a paralysis that results so universally liked and respected in the partial or total loss of the use of all a sufferer’s limbs and torso.

He said the injury would renew the tackle debate.

“I think this is going to stimulate the whole matter of how people are tackled because the neck vertebrae in a human are very fragile, ”he said.

He said the outlook for McKinnon wouldn’t be able to be known for at least a year.

“You don’t give the final ability until at least twelve months because of the ability of a young body to compensate and there are also a whole lot of scientific advances,” he said.

News_Image_File: Fans show their support for Alex McKinnon on Sunday at Hunter Stadium.

The news that he will likely never walk again came following a day of tribute to McKinnon at Hunter Stadium on Sunday.

The crowd of more than 18,000 stood as one before the game in a round of applause that included the Sharks ­players.

Bennett, who says his relationship with McKinnon was father-son like, admitted he almost lost it when he entered the ground.

“I felt the angst when I came to the ground,” Bennett said.

“I didn’t expect it to hit me the way it did. The jerseys and the fans wearing the colours. I realised they have been in the same pain and hurt that we’ve been in.

“I didn’t want to look at too many of them. It wasn’t good for my eyes. I was starting to get tears, I was.

“The fans have been wonderful. But we’ve all got to stay strong and stay right behind Alex. That’s my message this afternoon. This wasn’t a one-off event here today.”