Three major injuries derail Cronulla's title hopes, with Shaun Johnson rupturing his Achilles
Cronulla faces an injury crisis just a fortnight out from the NRL finals, with Shaun Johnson, Royce Hunt and Josh Dugan all suffering serious injuries during the loss to the Roosters.
Johnson is the most serious, with fears he's ruptured his Achilles tendon, an injury that will not only end his 2020 season, but severely disrupt his 2021 campaign as well.
Johnson fell to the SCG turf as he clutched his right leg, before being taken from the field on the medicab. Despite the seriousness of the injury, Johnson was still able to smile and give the thumbs up to the crowd as he was taken to the dressing room.
Shaun Johnson goes down with what seems like a ruptured Achilles. Fox League
"It's expected (it's a) ruptured Achilles tendon, so horrible news for us and Shaun," said coach John Morris.
"It's yet to be confirmed, we need some scans, but they don't normally get those ones wrong."
The medicab was again pressed into service a short time later, with prop Royce Hunt dislocating his kneecap. Like Johnson, he's also done for the season, with Morris revealing that he's also ruptured the patella tendon, a much more serious outcome that means the rehab will stretch into the new year.
Incredibly, the Sharks injury toll worsened further, with centre Josh Dugan also forced from the field late in the game with a knee injury.
Such was the carnage in the Sharks dressing room that Morris was unable to give an update on Dugan's condition at his post-match press conference.
The Cronulla trainer attends to Shaun Johnson Getty
"We still don't know yet, there's some guys a bit more serious than him to attend to at the moment," he explained.
"We'll get some scans on him and see how he's going."
Morris was critical of the decision by referee Ben Cummins to allow play to continue even as Dugan lay on the ground.
"He copped that knock that led to when Keary scored that try, which I was a bit disappointed about," he said.
"Play needed to be stopped there, he needed attention on the field.
"I know they've made a call to let play go on when guys are down injured, but they scored exactly where Josh should have been in the defensive line, down the left edge.
Shaun Johnson is taken from the SCG after rupturing his Achilles. Getty
"Josh is laying on the ground, and play was allowed to go on for a full set, that was a pretty ordinary look for our game, to play on when a bloke is down injured like that."
The Sharks coach said he'll seek clarification from the NRL about the matter.
"The communication back from the officials was they didn't hear a trainer trying to stop time.
"I'll obviously have to speak to Graham Annesley about that, about when they should stop the game and when they should let it run on.
"Clearly when someone is down and they cannot get to their feet, and the doctor has got to go on the field and check him, that should be play stopped.
"That was a key moment of the game."
