Emotional Andrew Fifita Details The Moment He Woke Up From An Induced Coma

Andrew Fifita has shed some light into the exact moment he woke up from his induced coma.

The Cronulla Sharks veteran was placed in a coma for five days after injuring his throat during the NRL clash against the Newcastle Knights.

NRL / Cronulla Sharks

A fracture to his larynx during contact with two Knights players saw Fifita rushed to a local Brisbane hospital where he remained in an induced coma until Friday of last week.

Now the 32-year-old has opened up on his scary ordeal as well as the emotional toll it has taken on his friends and family.

"I heard the doc say 'Andrew it's time to wake up'," Fifita told the Daily Telegraph.

"By then I'm f**king screaming... he squeezed my hand... then I woke up. I thought it was an hour (had passed by), I didn't know it was five days.

"I said 'Where's my footy shorts'... and I go 'Where's my missus? It's been an hour', like she's five minutes up the road.

"He goes 'you know it's Friday?' and I said 'what? Bulls**t, it's been an hour', and he goes 'no you've been here for five days in hospital'."

Throughout the entire interview with News Corp, an emotional Fifita struggled to fight back the tears as he described the traumatic experience.

Fifita also went on to say doctors are still teaching him how to walk and talk again as he begins his long road to recovery.

According to Cronulla Sharks general manager Darren Mooney, the bulldozing forward has undergone successful laryngeal surgery and is expected to make a full recovery which will hopefully see him return to the footy field sometime soon.

"I was with the surgeons when they gave the news to Nikki (Fifita's wife) and there's no reason why he won't make a full recovery to play rugby league again," Mooney told 2GB.

"He's going well and is overwhelmed by the support from everyone in the rugby league community, as is his wife Nikki.

"The operation was a real success and the surgeons expect him to make a full recovery. Hopefully [Fifita] is out of hospital as soon as he can after that."

Topics: Cronulla Sharks, Rugby League, nrl, Australia

Max Sherry

Max Sherry is a journalist for SPORTbible Australia. After migrating Down Under from London as a teenager, he instantly fell in love with Aussie sport and its culture. From NRL to AFL, cricket to rugby — you name it, Max watches it (with a beer in hand, of course). During his time at Fox Sports, he worked in the football department covering the Premier League, A-League, Socceroos and Matildas. Born a stone's throw away from West Ham's training ground, Max is obviously a die-hard Liverpool fan.

@maxysherry