Brisbane prop Corey Jensen won't play NRL this year after being placed on blood thinner Warfarin for at least the next six months to treat blood clots on his lung.
The news, provided by club doctor Matt Hislop with Jensen's permission, came in the same week that winger Deine Mariner was named to return from an eight-week absence after six surgeries saved his right leg after contracting compartment syndrome.
After the round-seven Wests Tigers clash, Jensen was short of breath, developed chest pain and coughed up blood. Hislop said a scan "showed he had significant blood clots that had blocked off arteries in the base of both lungs, and which in the right side was leading to blocked off blood supply to that part of his lung".
Extensive treatment by specialists followed at Mater Private Hospital in Brisbane, and Jensen was placed on blood thinners.
"His recovery was complicated by infection, and he needed more than a litre of fluid drained via a chest tube," Hislop said.
He said the big concern was that the cause of the clots remained unknown, as was the case with the deep vein thrombosis (DVT) Jensen had in his calf last year.
Jensen will have blood tests in about three weeks to determine if there is an underlying auto-immune issue.
A CT scan showed that while the clots in his lung have improved, they are still present.
An official update from Broncos' Chief Medical Officer Dr Matt Hislop regarding Corey Jensen.
— Brisbane Broncos (@brisbanebroncos) July 1, 2026
Read here 🔗 https://t.co/wyC5Vmkklb pic.twitter.com/nkUUh8KujP
As a result the 32-year-old will be placed on blood thinners for six months and won't be able to do any contact, although he has been able to return to training and run and lift weights.
"The future is a little uncertain for Corey," Hislop said.
"If the upcoming blood test is positive, it will likely mean he needs to stay on Warfarin for the rest of his life. If it is negative, it still means we do not know the reason for his recurrent development of blood clots."
He said there was a possibility a different type of blood thinner could be started, which could be potentially stopped around contact and re-started afterwards.
"Obviously this is not without risk, but it could allow Corey to continue to play rugby league," Hislop said.
Jensen has been a wonderful contributor and will be missed by the defending premiers. At one stage this year the Broncos had 14 players unavailable because of injury.
"I can't really think of a team I've been part of that's had this many injuries in one year," veteran half Ben Hunt said on Wednesday.
"It's definitely been a crazy one, and some strange injuries (such as) Corey Jensen and Deine Mariner."
Mariner's return has lifted spirits at the 13th-placed Broncos.
"It's a huge boost and comes at a good time with some of the people we've got out," Hunt said.
"Deine has been flying around the training paddock for a couple of weeks now. He looks good, he's still got his burst and I'm really excited to have him back. He's a premier player for us."
