Scans carried out at the Miranda premises of the Sharks major sponsor Southern Radiology on Ben Barba have indicated a Grade One ankle strain, with the utility player set to miss the next two matches.
Barba limped from the field late in the Sharks loss to the Storm last Monday night, with his return now predicted for his teams’ final round clash with the Manly Sea Eagles on September 6.
Otherwise the Sharks came through the loss to Melbourne with no further injury concerns other than the usual bumps and bruises from what was a physical encounter with the Storm.
They now have just a short turnaround until their next assignment which is a match against the Wests Tigers at Remondis Stadium on Saturday.
Suspended rather than injured, Sam Tagataese has been selected to return to the Sharks side to play the Wests Tigers this weekend, with his presence set to be a boost to the forward pack for what is a crucial game in relation to their top four aspirations.
And sick rather than injured, Chris Heighington made a visit to a local hospital during the week but recovered sufficiently to take part in the Storm match and to make his usual solid contribution.
While Tagataese returns to the field, still missing are the Fifita twins Andrew and David due to a suspension imposed by the NRL for an off-field incident. The pair will be available round one of the finals if required.
As for the other Sharks injured there is no sign that either Jacob Gagan or Fa’amanu Brown will be back this season, with the pair now on a rehabilitation program aimed at having them fit to recommence full training with the squad come the start of pre-season.
In lower grade injury news, young centre Keenan Yortson broke an ankle playing for the NYC Sharks in their round 22 match with the Cowboys and has joined Connor Tracey (knee reconstruction) on the sidelines.
Yorston played a role in the Sharks win in the SG Ball and Under-18 National Championships and had been gaining some valuable experience in the under 20’s with still two years left to play in that age group.
For a full report, including updates on the long-term injured, click on the following link.
CLICK HERE for the injury report page.
