Brisbane Broncos utility Jordan Kahu has revealed he lost up to seven kilograms while recovering from a broken jaw.
The New Zealand international missed 10 weeks after colliding with North Queensland five-eighth Te Maire Martin in round two of the NRL season.
Jaw drop: Jordan Kahu has revealed the full extent of recovery from a broken jaw.
Photo: NRL Photos
But since returning to the field, the Broncos have won four out of five games to be in the mix for a top-four spot.
Kahu has endured an injury-plagued career, playing just 87 games since debuting in 2013 and underwent three knee reconstructions in four years.
But his setbacks in getting back from a broken jaw tested his patience like nothing else.
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Kahu was unable to eat solid food for six weeks, resorting to putting steak into a blender in an attempt to have protein in his smoothies.
"I lost like six or seven kilos in the first six days, which was pretty weird," Kahu told reporters on Wednesday.
"But I knew once I was back eating I'd be able to put weight back on fast."
Kahu said having gone through the challenges of ACL surgery, he was able to cope better with this recovery taking longer than expected.
The 27-year-old's return was delayed after colliding with a teammate in his first contact session back at training.
"I had six weeks off eating, six weeks training hard to hopefully play at the end of the six weeks and to get that little hiccup along the way was probably the toughest," Kahu said.
"Knowing I'd miss another three or four weeks was tough but I've got a good support base behind me."
The Broncos host the Warriors, who have slumped to eighth in the ladder following two losses after a hot-start to the season, on Sunday.
Kahu doesn't believe Brisbane are playing the visitors at a good time, despite the teams' contrasting form.
"It's a tough competition so it's always hard to maintain your performance for a long period of time," Kahu said.
"They started the season real well and got them in a good fit for the eight and I'm sure they'll perform well at the end of the season."
AAP
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