Carter Gordon says his decision to return to rugby union stemmed from “unfinished business”, and from the perspective he gained while being confined to bed for months earlier this year.
The 24-year-old, who recently signed a three-year deal with the Queensland Reds after parting ways with the Gold Coast Titans, admitted that his spell away from the game forced him to reassess what truly mattered.
Gordon suffered a spinal fluid leak that required surgery and left him bedridden for three months, derailing his high-profile switch to the NRL.
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‘Probably the toughest year I’ve been through’
“It was a pretty tough year,” Gordon told The Courier-Mail. “Probably the toughest year I’ve ever been through in my career, physically and mentally. I obviously suffered a spinal fluid leak in the early part of the pre-season, and then it took a long time to fully diagnose it… Three months of being pretty much bedridden was pretty tough.”
He said the experience reshaped how he viewed his sporting journey. “After the injury, it changed my perspective on a few things. I think looking at it now, it’s definitely something I wouldn’t want to give up.”
The Wallaby, who made his Test debut in 2023 before an injury curtailed his World Cup campaign, said the thought of leaving things unfinished lingered during his time in rugby league.
“I think just having unfinished business in union [motivated me to return]. I felt like I left a bit on the table, and that was eating away at me a little bit.”
Gordon’s comeback with the Reds puts him back in contention for Wallabies selection, just as the side prepares to face Eddie Jones’ Japan, the coach who first handed him his Test debut.