The hearts of the Sharks coaching staff, not to mention fans at Remondis Stadium on Friday night, sank somewhat at the sight of hooker Michael Ennis limping from the field.
Ennis disappeared up the tunnel with club Doctor George Pitsis and physiotherapist Efrem Bunguric just prior to half time of the match against the Broncos, however after a comprehensive going over by the pair, Ennis was cleared to return to the field in the second half.
Since suffering the injury the good news for all concerned is that Ennis was on deck and on the field at Sharks training this morning, with High Performance Manager Andrew Gray explaining the prognosis to be positive.
“Michael was thoroughly assessed by the medical staff and we are confident it is just a minor complaint,” Gray said. “We will monitor his progress at training this week and make a decision on him late in the week.”
While Gray was being somewhat conservative in his assessment, the good news is, by the injury diagnosis as well as his ability to train today, everything points to Ennis being right to go on Saturday night.
And the Sharks will certainly need his experience and ability against a Storm side hurting after going down by two points to the Manly Sea Eagles on Saturday night.
The match will also bring Ennis face-to-face with Australian captain Cameron Smith, in a clash certain to bring the best out of the Sharks new number nine.
The Sharks have a longer week to prepare for the Storm and their trip south to Melbourne, with the game scheduled for a 7.30pm kick off on Saturday night.
In other injury news, Luke Lewis was also taking part in the Monday field session with a decision on his status and potential inclusion in the Sharks side to be made closer to game day.
