In a cruel blow, Sharks young gun Jack Williams will miss the remainder of the 2018 season after tearing a pectoral muscle in the game against the Broncos.
In what was his fourth game in the NRL, Williams got through 36 minutes after coming off the bench in the first half in a productive outing, one which saw him make 25 tackles and run for almost 100 metres on the night.
Williams produced similar performances in helping to guide the Sharks to wins over the Raiders, Bulldogs and Wests Tigers, before suffering the pec injury on Saturday night.
After scans revealed the extent of the damage, Williams was booked for corrective surgery, with that procedure to take place early next week.
While disappointed to lose Williams for the back end of the 2018 season, Sharks Physical Performance Manager Andrew Gray was positive about the impressive youngster's future going forward.
"We will give him a few weeks off following the surgery, then we will start working hard on other aspects of his physical development. He has been outstanding this year, however we will take this as an opportunity to make Jack even better next year," Gray said.
Just 21 years of age and in his second season at the Sharks, Williams had seemingly locked down a place in the NRL squad after having made his debut in a round 10 match in Canberra earlier this year, making the injury even more disappointing and frustrating for the young back rower.
In further injury news, both Josh Dugan and Sosaia Feki are on the road to recovery, with the pair coming on nicely with their rehab training and doing all they can to be available for the Sharks next game on June 29, while Luke Lewis is set to miss around a month with a calf strain.
Following the break this week for the representative round, the Sharks are next in action in a round 16 clash with the Warriors in Auckland. That match is scheduled for Friday, June 29, with kick off at 6.00pm (Sydney time).
