SITTING next to Aidan Sezer in the sheds at half time, I looked at his face and he couldn’t see out of one eye.

We now know it was because his cheekbone was fractured in several places.

The Raiders’ club doctor came over and Aidan said, “I can’t see mate, do you want to cut it?”

The answer was a pretty simple no, so he went back out on the field with half his eyesight and ended up winning us the game against the Panthers.

Round 19

This week on the Market Watch podcast Ben Ikin, Ben Glover and Nathan Ryan run their eyes over the depth of talent at your club and their recruitment strategies.

Later I asked Aidan what he meant by “cut it”, and he said he had seen it in Rocky, when Balboa’s eye swells up during a fight and they slice open the skin to drain the blood and release the swelling.

It shocked and impressed me so much — that a guy would be willing to play through a fractured eye socket in his first game for a new club. He could have easily stayed in the sheds.

Aidan Sezer makes a break before try two in round one. Source: AAP

Toughness is not something that halves are known for. He does a lot of pretty things but it was a big play by him to even stay on the field. To score the match-winning try goes to show how competitive he is.

He was rattled, of course, but he gained so much respect from our teammates, club and fans for his effort.

He’s eager, too. After surgery they’re telling him so many weeks, but he’s thinking a few less.

BACK IN REHAB

But between us, we’re pretty shattered about it all. In the 46 minutes we played together against Penrith, we were so happy with our combination. It was really exciting. For both of us to be out for the next few weeks is tough to swallow.

Returning from shoulder surgery in the off-season, I was apprehensive about whether it was right before the game, then to cop a medial ligament and ankle strain in the first round of the season is so frustrating. At the moment, a return in round five is realistic.

Blake Austin on crutches speaks to Raiders coach Ricky Stuart. Source: AAP

But I can’t kick stones about it. I look at it as a small blessing. It will give me another few weeks to get the shoulder even stronger so I can come back and pick up where I left off.

The paths that both Aidan and I have travelled through our careers are similar and we’ve had setbacks the whole way.

But you get used to it and take it in your stride. As you get older, you get more professional with your injuries and you learn how to work hard and save yourself some time on the sidelines.

THE BRIGHT SIDE

The other positive for the Raiders is that we have the perfect roster to allow someone like Lachlan Croker to make his NRL debut at the age of 19.

Only a week ago, people were wondering how we were going to fit all of our halves into our best team and a few days later we’re turning to Lachy, who has been training with the NRL squad for two years now.

Even when he was first promoted last year, you could tell that he was a confident kid who was going to push for a first grade spot.

Lachlan Croker with his uncle Jason, a Canberra Raiders’ club legend. Source: News Corp Australia

Now the timing is really good and the depth of our squad is so strong, it’s ideal for a young half to come in and play behind the pack that we’ve got. We’re all really excited for him.

Sam Williams is the perfect player to have alongside him as well. Sammy is a big talker and he will guide the team around the park, taking most of the responsibility.

We’ve got the kind of team that is going to make it very easy for him.

To get the call up in round two is really exciting for Lachy and he made a few phone calls back to Crookwell when Sticky told him the news.

The good thing about him is he actively seeks us out for advice after training sessions.

I’m sure he’ll appreciate a bit of advice this week, but we have full confidence in both our halves to do their job.

In the meantime, I’ll relax and recover for the next few days before I get stuck into some straight-line running next week.

I want to speed up the process as much as possible so that when I get back, I don’t miss a beat.