JODIE CUNNINGHAM is determined to lead England into the World Cup semi-finals, even after having her EAR reattached.

Don’t expect any more art projects from the staff after she was made to ink her number on her spare shirt in marker following a strict enforcement by officials.

The national captain endured a horrific injury during Saturday’s 78-0 defeat against Australia’s formidable Jillaroos.

However, she managed to clean herself up, tape her ear to her head, switch shirts, and return to play!

Following immediate surgery in Perth to address the injury, she is now set to face Samoa in Wollongong, New South Wales in a crucial match this Friday.

Coach Sturt Barrow shared: “It’s reattached, I’ll put it that way.

“It was quite a sight to behold.

“To be honest, you wouldn’t want to eat right after witnessing it, but Jodie being the warrior she is, she taped it up and returned to the field.

“Then, as soon as the final whistle blew, we rushed her straight to the hospital. She didn’t even stop to see her family.

“We got her to the local hospital where they did a fantastic job. Jodie was back with us that evening, and it’s looking much better than it initially appeared.

“She received a few stitches and was taped and bandaged for training on Monday and Tuesday. She’s just going to push through.”

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The image of Cunningham, who will retire post-tournament, with the number 14 hastily marked on the back of her shirt has gone viral on social platforms.

Several critics chimed in, claiming it made rugby league seem ‘tinpot.’

However, Barrow clarified what transpired—officials insisted on having the number displayed, despite regulations stating it wasn’t necessary, and England opted not to argue the point.

He elaborated: “It’s absurd because we’ve always adhered to international regulations alongside Super League rules. Your blood bin shirt, your spare shirt, should be a blank shirt.

“Jodie received treatment and put on a blank shirt in her size. She dashed back to the touchline, and as we were about to put her back on, we were abruptly stopped, and we didn’t have time to debate and pull out the rule book.

“So, we quickly grabbed a pen, wrote a number on, and shouted, ‘Get on, Jodie.’ It all happened so fast.

“I understand it’s created a stir on social media, but this wasn’t our doing at England. We followed the regulations, and there’s no rule in the tournament guidelines.

“We usually print all our shirts. We just didn’t want to waste time arguing on the sidelines.

“We wanted her back on the field. So, the staff came up with a great idea and just jotted it down and said, ‘That works, get on.’”