Wade Graham’s return to the NRL has been delayed by a syndesmosis injury suffered in the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks’ second NRL trial.
The Sharks skipper limped from the field in the first half of Monday’s 30-6 win over the Bulldogs.
Scans confirmed he would require surgery and would be sidelined for six weeks, meaning he likely won’t line up again for the Sharks until round 5 or 6.
Fortunately for Graham, the Sharks only meet one side that played finals last year in their opening five games.
Graham had been set to play his first official NRL fixture in nine months when the Sharks meet the Canberra Raidersin the opening round of the season.
Graham was forced to miss the end of the Sharks’ 2021 campaign after suffering his fourth head knock of the season in round 14.
Injuries have stymied Graham in recent years – he hasn’t played more than 20 games in a season since 2017.
But instead of making his long-awaited return in the first game of Craig Fitzgibbon’s head coaching career, Graham will now join Cameron McInnes and Jack Williams in the Sharks’ casualty ward for round 1.
The club also confirmed injury-prone playmaker Matt Moylan was fit and available for selection in round 1.
Moylan, who was rested for the two trial matches, appears the frontrunner to partner Nicho Hynes inxjmtzyw the halves in the Shire this year after getting through the pre-season unscathed.
Prior to trial matches, Fitzgibbon had refused to confirm his halves pairing, but Braydon Trindall and Luke Metcalf are both considered chances to partner Hynes.
