Glenn savours 200 NRL game milestone

Apr 24, 2017 - 5:32 PM At 15-years-old, Alex Glenn was banned from playing rugby league by a chiropractor.

His back was so badly out of alignment, doctors feared any contact sport could put his spine at risk.

No wonder Glenn - now 28 - couldn't believe he was notching NRL game No.200 in Brisbane's Thursday night clash with Penrith at Suncorp Stadium.

"It's surreal. To be playing 200 games in one of the toughest competitions, it's a big milestone for me," the Broncos backrower said.

Playing just one NRL game seemed impossible for Glenn when told to give up all contact sport as a footy loving teenager on the Gold Coast.

For three years a frustrated Glenn bided his time watching his mates from the sidelines.

"I don't know whether it was a growth spurt but my spine wasn't lined up right," Glenn said.

"I got real sharp pains at 15, saw a chiropractor and was told to pretty much give up contact football for a couple of years.

"I could have got in a bad position (in a tackle) and not been able to walk or play any sport again.

"Whenever it comes to your spine I take it pretty seriously.

"But it was tough to give up the sport you have loved since five-years-old."

Glenn credited a combination of chiropractic treatment and surfing with realigning his spine and allowing a return to footy - with immediate results.

At just 19, Glenn was snapped up by the Broncos in his first season back from his hiatus playing in the centres in the second tier Queensland Cup for Burleigh.

"It was quite surreal. It happened so fast," Glenn said.

"First year back I didn't have any expectation, then to be signing a NYC (Broncos Under 20s) contract, I was over the moon."

Off-contract Glenn is hoping to soon finalise a contract extension with Brisbane.

In the meantime, Glenn hoped his milestone match started better than his 2009 debut.

"I knew I was going on at the 20 minute mark so every five minutes I was going to the toilet," he said of his debut.

"It was in front of 50,000 fans and against the Cowboys - I couldn't control the butterflies.

"So I don't want to think about this milestone too much otherwise it will make me nervous."

Source: AAP