Scott Sorensen and Kurt Capewell the two contenders to replace injured Sharks star Wade Graham
CRONULLA will choose between club royalty and one of the toughest men in the Shire to replace injured star Wade Graham against Penrith.
ONE is a former wharfie and the nephew of Kiwi Test stars Kurt and Dane Sorensen.
The other is a proven finals performer who wants to save Cronulla’s season just 12 days after rupturing his testicle.
The race to replace Wade Graham is on with Sharks forwards Scott Sorensen and Kurt Capewell desperate to snare the injured star’s jumper against Penrith in Friday night’s elimination final at Allianz Stadium.
Sorensen, who only a few years ago was working on the Botany wharves, has fond memories of beating Penrith this year, having scored one of the tries of the season in the Sharks’ round- seven 26-22 victory.
Ironically, Sorensen earned his start that day due to Graham’s omission.
While in the same game, Capewell was called into the action early in the first-half when Luke Lewis succumbed to a calf injury.
Sorensen said he gave little credence to how he has previously performed against the Panthers, saying his only focus — should he earn the call-up — was to bring his A-game.
“I’m not worried about past games — I’m just focused on Friday night,’’ Sorensen, 25, said.
“If I’m there, I’m 100 per cent grabbing it with two hands and if ‘Capes’ is there, he’ll do the same. Against the Roosters we didn’t nail our opportunities, so that’s definitely our intention this week.
“What Wade’s injury has done has presented an opportunity — and that is for one of us boys to get a win for our club in a semi-final.
“You can bet we’ll be doing everything we can to make that happen.’’
Graham was met by hugs and commiseration by his teammates when he arrived as a vocal on-looker at Sharks training on Tuesday ahead of an appointment for reconstructive surgery on a torn ACL Wednesday.
In a sign of his faith in Shane Flanagan’s two left-edge options, Graham told The Daily Telegraph it was a “win-win, either way.”
Capewell moved freely at training despite receiving internal stitches for a ruptured testicle suffered in the last nine minutes of the Sharks round 25 win over Canterbury.
He will wear extra padding and a groin protector against the Panthers, should he be cleared at the Sharks final run on Thursday.
It was in a similar situation during the 2016 final series against the Raiders in Canberra, that Capewell was thrust into the Sharks line-up for an injured Graham.
He admitted the innocuous and painful injury was frustrating.
“I caught the leg of Matt Frawley (Canterbury half) who was making a tackle on me and it took out my middle stump,’’ Capewell, 25, said.
“I got home on Sunday night and they (testicles) were four times the size they usually are.
“Our Doctor sent me for a scan and I went straight-in for surgery.
“My partner Rebecca was pretty stressed, but they were fortunate enough to save it (testicle) — so I didn’t have to lose anything.
“Everything should be fine down the track, as far as kids go. I want to get back out there and play now. I trained today and it felt pretty good. I’ll have one more hitout to make sure, I’m good to go.
“I just don’t want to be 80 per cent right, it’s a big game for the whole club and I won’t be greedy if I’m not 100 per cent right. I’m completely confident whichever way Flanno goes, we have the team to put in a winning performance on Friday night.’’
Originally published as Scott Sorensen and Kurt Capewell the two contenders to replace injured Sharks star Wade Graham
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