New details emerge as NRL world rallies around Trent Robinson and wife after hospitalisation

The NRL community is sending well-wishes to Sydney Roosters coach Trent Robinson and wife Sandra after they were hospitalised earlier this week after an explosion. Details emerged on Thursday night that Robinson and his wife had to be airlifted to hospital earlier this week after a gas bottle exploded during a BBQ dinner at a property in the NSW Hunter Valley.

The couple were visiting the property owned by former Eastern Suburbs player and NSW Rugby League chief executive John Quayle when the incident occurred. Robinson and wife Sandra both suffered burns to their arms, but have since been allowed to return home after spending two nights in hospital.

It's believed they were kept under monitoring for 48 hours due to the risk of gas entering their lungs. The Quayle and Robinson families are close and catch up a few times every year.

John Quayle provides new details after explosion

Quayle has since told the Sydney Morning Herald: “We were just having a barbecue and about an hour after we’d eaten, a gas smell was there. Trent checked the knob, the knob ignited and it went off. They are both OK. Naturally, triple-O was called and they were very good. We’re in a pretty secluded area, the ambulances came straight away.

“They were treated straight away with cold water and cold showers while the ambulance attendants treated them. To make sure everything was correct, a helicopter [was summoned]. They were taken to John Hunter (hospital) for a precautionary examination. Sandra was kept overnight, Trent was kept for two nights. They are both home now, they are OK and that’s the most important thing.”

Quayle also said Robinson didn't want to make a fuss by informing Roosters officials straight away because they were preparing for the club's NRLW presentation night. Robinson was deemed well enough to drive back from Newcastle to the couple's home in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. They will no doubt be taking it easy for the next few days, with the Sydney Roosters yet to comment publicly on the matter.

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NRL world rallies around Trent Robinson and wife

A statement from the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service said: “Around 9.30pm, on Monday 7 October, a Westpac Rescue Helicopter was tasked by NSW Ambulance to a gas barbecue explosion at Dalswinton, near Denman in the Hunter Valley. A woman and a man, both in their 40s, were treated by NSW Ambulance paramedics and the helicopter’s critical care medical team for burns before being transported to John Hunter Hospital.”

Robinson has been Roosters coach since 2013, winning 197 games during his reign. He is currently the longest-serving coach in the club's history, and won premierships in 2013, 2018 and 2019.

He led the Roosters to a third-place finish in 2024, before they lost to the Melbourne Storm in the preliminary final. NRL pundits and fans reacted with shock to the news, sending their well-wishes on social media.