The good news for the Sharks is that props Braden Hamlin-Uele and Royce Hunt are edging closer to a return from long term injuries.
Hamlin-Uele has this week been named on the Sharks extended reserves list after overcoming an ankle issue, one which has kept him out of action since round eight, while Hunt’s long and frustrating recovery from a serious knee injury suffered two games from the end of the 2020 season is almost over.
The Sharks will welcome the availability of the two physical front row forwards in the coming weeks as the season moves towards the business end.
However, while positive to see a couple of senior personnel on the way back, the bad news surrounds a Lisfranc foot injury suffered by youngster Franklin Pele while playing for the Newtown Jets last weekend.
Pele, who made his NRL debut for the Sharks in their win over the Titans in Coffs Harbour, will undergo surgery this week and is now expected to be sidelined for a minimum of nine weeks, possibly as many as 12, in recovering from and rehabilitating the injury.
In other injury news, Sharks skipper Wade Graham is set to sit out an indefinite period following the head knock which occurred in the first half of his teams’ one-point win over the Panthers last Friday. Wade will be undergoing a series of examinations with specialists in the coming weeks.
The only other Sharks NRL full-time squad member currently unavailable is Jackson Ferris, with the young outside back having recently undergone surgery on his foot. On crutches and in a moon boot, Ferris still faces an extended recovery period.
