Cronulla can breathe a sigh of relief after star prop Andrew Fifita was cleared of a serious knee injury.
Fifita’s left knee was thought to be the biggest concern out of a horror loss to St George Illawarra on Friday night, with star trio Paul Gallen (knee), Luke Lewis (knee) and Wade Graham (hamstring) also sent for scans on Saturday.
There were fears Fifita’s season would have been over if he’d torn his anterior cruciate ligament when he stepped into an innocuous tackle at WIN Stadium.
He limped from the field just before halftime and later hobbled back to Cronulla’s bench on crutches and with a brace on his left knee.
However, the Tongan international confirmed on Saturday he’d received good news following his scans.
“When the doctor and physio tells you, you have done your ACL, but scans have today cleared me of any serious injury,” Fifita posted on Instagram.
“Hopefully back as soon as possible.”
Gallen wasn’t due in for scans until Saturday night but confirmed he expected to miss “a few weeks” with a medial strain.
It will mark the first time Gallen, 36, has missed a game for the Sharks since 2016.
Meanwhile, the injuries suffered by Lewis and Graham weren’t believed to be as serious as the Sharks waited for the results of their scans before Friday’s clash with Penrith.
In better news for Cronulla, prop Matt Prior has avoided suspension for a high tackle on Dragons prop James Graham.
Prior was hit with a grade-one charge for the shot on the Englishman but can accept a fine of $1350 from the match review committee.
The news will be a welcome relief to coach Shane Flanagan, who faces the prospect of replacing at least two of his big-name forwards for next Friday’s clash with Penrith.
Dragon Tariq Sims was the only other player charged from the match, although he can escape suspension with an early guilty plea for a dangerous contact charge after his forearm collected Chad Townsend’s neck in a hit-up.