Cronulla are sweating on scans to determine whether or not they might be without skipper Paul Gallen for the rest of the NRL season.

Gallen was forced off the field with a bicep injury in Sunday’s 31-18 loss to Newcastle, and although he returned to the action after a stint on the sidelines, the NSW captain was immediately rushed off for an MRI scan post-match.

The fact he could play on was positive for the Sharks, but if there’s even a partial tear to his bicep it could potentially spell the end of his season.

Last week, Wests Tigers veteran Braith Anasta suffered a partial tear of the muscle against Penrith, and although hoping to play on through the pain, a surgeon advised him to undergo surgery which will likely end his career.

However, it’s not a cut and dried injury by any stretch, with Manly second-rower Anthony Watmough able to play out the year despite tearing his bicep muscle completely off the bone.

“He’s copped a bit of a whack on his bicep. He’s going for an MRI tonight and we’ll see what it says from there,” said Sharks coach James Shepherd.

Gallen’s time off the field proved costly as the Knights ran in three tries to strike back from 18-6 down while he was absent.

“Gal’s not planned to come off at all,” said Shepherd.

Despite his injury, the NRL’s biggest workhorse still amassed 177 metres and 30 tackles.

If he was to miss any football for the last-placed Sharks it would be a major blow to their hopes of avoiding the wooden spoon.

The Sharks have famously never won a premiership, but they’ve also never finished last.

Gallen and the players are desperate to ensure that doesn’t happen this year.

“Nobody wants to win the spoon. It’s about getting their heads back on footy,” he said.

“It’s about to get as many wins as we can to avoid it. It doesn’t need to be spoken about that much.

“It’s deep down in every footy player that you don’t want to finish last.”