Rugby players have a well-earned tough guy reputation and Hull FC’s Joe Westerman proved that when he dislocated his knee only to knock it back into place and carry on during the Super League clash with Hull KR.
Footage from toward the end of the game on Thursday showed back row Westerman go down under contact, agonizingly jarring his knee out of place.
But with his team trailing by two points, rather than awaiting medical attention the 6ft 3in Englishman hit his knee several times to pop it back into place, then jumping up to get back into action.
“Oh, look at it, no, no, no… he’ whacked it back into place,” match commentators could be heard exclaiming in horror during TV replays.
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Twitter users responded with praise to the no-nonsense hardman’s heroics, with some contrasting Westerman’s actions with those of professional footballers, many of who writhe in agony at the slightest contact.
After the match, which Hull KR went on to win 18-10, Westerman’s manager Lee Radford said the knee dislocation was actually something the player deals with on a routine basis.
“He does that every fortnight. It has genuinely come out on numerous occasions, he needs some ligaments in there somewhere,” Radford said.
“It's a gladiator sport and we had no interchanges left so he stayed out there.”
Westerman himself played down the injury in typically stoic fashion, saying: “I looked at my leg and saw my kneecap on the side and I felt like I had to just smack it back in.
"It wasn’t really an excruciating pain. It freaked me out more than anything because it looked so weird.”