The Cronulla Sharks have suffered another massive blow with the club sweating on the findings of an ankle injury to halfback Nicho Hynes.
Hynes was sent for scans on Monday afternoon after landing awkwardly at training and was seen leaving a radiologist on crutches with his left foot in a moon boot.
The timing couldn’t be worse for the Sharks who are currently on a concerning slide having lost five of their past six matches.
“My spies at Shark Park told me that they can’t remember a more sombre dressing room than yesterday when Nicho Hynes collapsed on the ground,” The Daily Telegraph’s David Riccio told SEN 1170 Breakfast.
“He was screaming and he was holding his ankle.
“He was carried from the field and I understand it was at the end of a routine ball playing session. Nicho was jumping to retrieve a bouncing kick, jumped off his leg and landed awkwardly on his ankle.
“He was taken straight to a medical centre for x-rays and he received MRI scans as well late (on Monday) night.
“The determination of which will be found out later but the indication is that he will be out for a lengthy part of this season.
“The MRI will assess whether or not there is a break (in the ankle) and what significant ligament damage has been done.
“He’s not playing this weekend, that is certain.
“It’s a significant blow and you can’t understate it. He will be gone for a long time.”
23-year-old Daniel Atkinson will likely be named as Hynes’ replacement in the halves alongside Braydon Trindall for the Sharks’ Round 19 match against the Wests Tigers.
SEN’s Greg Alexander said the Sharks will draw confidence on their wins earlier in the season when they were without their star halfback.
“There have been some wins without Nicho,” Alexander said on SEN 1170 Breakfast.
“They went down to Parramatta but have beaten the Melbourne Storm and the Brisbane Broncos without him.
“It will give them confidence anyway.
“There is a bit of a shining light.”
The Sharks could drop out of the top four if they lose to the Tigers on Friday night at PointsBet Stadium.