Tom Trbojevic raced a fan along Manly's Corso the night before what he claims was a bathroom mishap that caused his fourth hamstring injury in two years.
Trbojevic was on Monday ruled out for the first three rounds of the NRL season, in what shapes as another bitter blow for Manly and the Sea Eagles superstar.
The fullback told reporters on Monday he slipped while dashing to the bathroom on Sunday morning, killing off his comeback after a 2020 ruined by injury.
Trbojevic and the club were then forced to deny the injury had occurred the night before, after footage emerged, with Trbojevic telling Nine he knew how it looked.
"It's actually pretty embarrassing one to actually say," Trbojevic had earlier said in Monday's press conference.
"I've woken up yesterday morning and slipped over in the bathroom and felt it go. It's pretty hard to take.
"The members and fans on this club have shown a lot of trust in me and I haven't been playing enough footy.
"I'm still very confident (in my long-term future). I've been training really well and everything's gone smoothly but stuff happens sometimes."
Regardless, it's another serious concern for Manly with the 24-year-old admitting he is rattled.
Trbojevic has spent time with hamstring specialists in the past year, with only good news is this blow his right hamstring and not the problematic left.
The NSW State of Origin star's left hamstring first went in February 2019, and then again two games into his return in April.
He then missed three months when the left went for a third time last June, meaning he has played just 19 games in two years.
"It is a bit rattling," Trbojevic told reporters.
"It's not something that you want to be dealing with and considering the history over the past couple of years, it doesn't make it any easier.
"But at least I know I have been here before and I know what I have to do to get right again. I just have to go and do that.
"Very confident (in my long-term fitness). I've been training really well and everything's gone smoothly but stuff happens sometimes."
Trbojevic is arguably as important to Manly as any player is to their team in the competition.
They were on the verge of the top four when he went down last season, but won just three of 14 from that point on to finish in the bottom four.
The Sea Eagles also have limited back up in the position after letting Brendan Elliot go, leaving Reuben Garrick and Morgan Harper as options.
But coach Des Hasler insisted he was not concerned about Trbojevic's future or the impact it would have on Manly's season.
"Competitions aren't won in March," Hasler said.
"It's a soft tissue. If you look through all the results and research, there were probably an average of two or three soft-tissue injuries a game.
"You get those runs of injuries."
Australian Associated Press
