After three games in the top-grade James Segeyaro was starting to show signs of the form that had him rated amongst the best hookers in the NRL.
The Dally M Hooker of the Year in 2014, Segeyaro returned to the field in round four this year after the contractual complications that saw him sidelined at the start of the season had been sorted out. Then by round six when the Sharks tackled the Storm he was starting to impress.
Unfortunately a broken right arm, the same arm he has broken previously, means another extended stint on the sidelines, with Segeyaro undergoing surgery last week.
While in the stands at the game against the Panthers on Sunday, Segeyaro has so far been absent from training but will soon resume light duties as a part of the recovery process and to maintain fitness.
Despite the surgery being hailed a success, a return date for Segeyaro is too difficult for Sharks coaching staff to predict at this early stage, with his comeback match likely to take place sometime soon after the Sharks bye in round 13.
As for the only other senior squad members currently injured, Gerard Beale was continuing the rehab on his hamstring injury at training yesterday, with utility Daniel Mortimer increasing his training load after an extended period on the sidelines due to a knee problem.
After being left out of the Sharks 21-man squad as announced on Tuesday, Beale won’t be making any surprise return on Saturday, nor will Mortimer who is still a few weeks away.
While Beale’s hamstring strain isn’t considered serious, an injury which forced him off the field in the last 10 minutes of the Sharks win over the Storm, he won’t be risked this week and is set to be available for a round 9 return, although with the current squad in strong form Sharks Coach Shane Flanagan will have some selection decisions to make once the Kiwi international is declared fit.
Other than the predictable bumps and bruises consistent with the weekly grind of the NRL, the remainder of the Sharks NRL squad is healthy and fit to go against the Titans on Saturday.
Flanagan has named a 21-man squad for the Titans clash, with that number to be trimmed to 19 tomorrow afternoon.
