Jason Bukuya hospitalised as Sharks face back-row crisis
JAYSON Bukuya is in hospital on a drip with health problems related to a rare problem in which his immune system suffers because he has extremely low body fat.
NRL
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JAYSON Bukuya is in hospital on a drip with health problems related to a rare problem in which his immune system suffers because he has extremely low body fat.
The Cronulla backrower, who is listed as 95kg, will miss Sunday’s clash against the Raiders in Canberra after being readmitted to hospital this week.
Bukuya, 29, has lost up to five kilograms since being admitted because he can’t stomach food.
It is a compound problem because Bukuya struggles to put on the weight that would help him fight off illness in the first place.
“He hasn’t been able to keep anything down,” Sharks coach Shane Flanagan told The Sunday Telegraph.
“He’s got a really bad virus that has affected his gut and inflamed his intestines.
“He was a bit concerned it was more than that but all the tests and blood tests have come back perfect.
“Hopefully he improves over the weekend, he’s staying in hospital and they’ll try to get some good food into him.
“He actually came back to training for a day or two and had a relapse, felt crook again, so we will make sure we don’t rush anything.”
Bukuya, who has played 153 NRL games and represented Fiji at last year’s World Cup, is said to have less than 10 per cent body fat.
This means when he is struck by illness, it affects him more vigorously than it would others, whose fat stores help fight infections.
This particular virus has been severe and Bukuya will need to be able to take solids before he can resume any kind of training.
Low body-fat weakens the immune system, and it is common for bodybuilders to get sick easily just before competition when they get as low as 4 per cent body fat.
Bukuya missed last week’s match against the Eels but had hoped to return this weekend.
With Wade Graham, Luke Lewis, Paul Gallen and Scott Sorenson also sidelined with injury, the Sharks are in the middle of a backrow crisis heading to the ACT.
“Five of our top six backrowers are out, they will all start to come back in the next couple of weeks,” Flanagan said.
After three narrow wins in succession over Penrith, Gold Coast and Parramatta, the Sharks take on a side who have won four of their past five games. While Gallen is unlikely to play, Raiders coach Ricky Stuart believes he will take the field.
A know he’s (Gallen) going to be here because he’s asked me to help his young bloke out being a ball boy,” Stuart said.
“I said if he wears a Raiders jumper he can do anything he wants. We’re planning that he’s playing.”
Meanwhile, the Raiders have suffered a key injury blow, with off-contract forward Junior Paulo facing up to 10 weeks on the sidelines with a foot issue.