The emergency medical situation surrounding Newcastle star Fletcher Sharpe has revealed to have been worse than first thought.

The Knights five-eighth reported abdominal soreness after suffering a concussion in their 26-20 win over the Dolphins in Perth on Saturday.

Initially the club confirmed he had been diagnosed with a lacerated kidney but it has since emerged he also required treatment on a ruptured spleen.

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The serious injuries occurred in the same tackle as the concussion, with Sharpe’s body hitting the ground hard when brought down from behind.

He remains in a Western Australian hospital, flanked by his father and partner after the club flew them out on Sunday night.

“Fletcher is in a stable condition,” Knights footy boss Peter Parr told the Newcastle Herald.

“He has lacerated his kidney and done damage to the spleen. The priority is his health and making sure he has the best care in Perth.

“We flew his dad and partner over there on Sunday. We are hopeful we can get him home by the end of the week, but it is a step-by-step process at the moment.

“We want to make sure he is really comfortable before we get him on a long-haul flight.”

Ruptured spleens can be life-threatening but a full recovery is expected once caught and treated.

AFL premiership player Christian Petracca dealt with a similar injury last year, suffering a lacerated spleen, punctured lung and fractured ribs in early June.

His season was ended by the traumatic situation.

Petracca has played every game for Melbourne so far in 2025.

Sharpe will be missed on the field by Newcastle if, as appears likely, he misses the rest of the season.

One of their best threats this year, he has scored 11 tries and set up another three for a side that has the worst attacking record in the NRL.

The Knights, who sit 13th on the ladder, host the second-placed Raiders on Friday night.