Cronulla skipper Paul Gallen is expected to make a timely return as his side attempt to get their NRL premiership push back on track against South Sydney on Monday.

The 35-year-old was a late withdrawal from Saturday’s shock loss to St George Illawarra after suffering a hamstring strain in the warm up.

While he is not expected to run until Friday, Gallen was confident he would be right for Monday night’s clash with the Rabbitohs at ANZ Stadium.

“We’re pretty hopeful I’ll be right,” Gallen said.

“It was a very minor strain, they didn’t even call it a grade one strain so fingers crossed.

“We’ve got a long turnaround, a few extra days to help us out and I should be right.”

After having their 15-game winning streak snapped in a draw with Gold Coast, the Sharks have suffered back-to-back losses to Canberra and the Dragons, relinquishing top spot.

They remain in the hunt for the minor premiership but need to quickly find a response to their worrying form slump.