Broncos premiership prop announces medical retirement due to blood clots

Brisbane Broncos premiership prop Corey Jensen has announced his medical retirement from the NRL after ongoing problems.Jensen, who played 95 games for Brisbane including last year's grand final win over Melbourne Storm, also played 58 games in five seasons for North Queensland.After becoming unwell during round seven, Jensen was diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism (blood clots in the lungs)."After receiving medical advice and speaking to specialists, it's clear that it's no longer safe for me to play rugby league," he told reporters.Jensen said he had been told he would have to take blood thinners for the rest of his life."Since [the diagnosis] I've been able to train properly again, it's been like a mini pre-season, and I can do everything other than the contact, which is the frustrating part."Overall, my health's pretty good, I can continue training in the future and it's not going to affect me in any way."The Broncos had confirmed he had another incident with deep vein thrombosis in his calf a year earlier, with both incidents considered unprovoked, meaning there was no obvious trigger such as a long-haul flight or injury."I leave with absolutely no regrets," he said, thanking his teammates for being part of the premiership win with them.He also said one of the things he had loved most about his career was watching some of his young teammates grow up from coming to the club virtually out of school to getting married and having kids.Jensen teared up, thanking his wife Shannen for all her support and the sacrifices she had made."People see the player, but they don't always see what partners give up behind the scenes," he said.Jensen is a qualified sports scientist, having completed a Bachelor of Sport and Exercise Science at James Cook University, and will have a bright future in that space if he chooses to pursue it.Jensen was not a star as a youth but, through hard work, turned himself into a weapon after debuting for the Cowboys in 2017 and playing in the grand final."The late Paul Green gave me my debut back then."I was a bit of a late bloomer, so I'm grateful they took a punt on me, and I have to acknowledge how much the Cowboys did for my career," Jensen said."Coming down here was kind of a kind of a new lease on life. The Broncos gave me the opportunity, and I'm eternally grateful for what this club's done for me both on and off the field."ABC/AAP