NRL: Sharks skipper Wade Graham set for even more time on the sidelines

Premiership winner Wade Graham missed the back half of last season and now his triumphant return to the field has been delayed.

Wade Graham just can’t catch a break.

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 aren’t the only ones who are reeling from an injury blow — the Canberra Raiders confirmed on Wednesday that new recruit Jamal Fogarty would miss “around four months” with a knee injury.

Graham 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.

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Fortunately for Graham, the Sharks only meet one side that played finals last year in their opening five games.

Wade Graham played in the Sharks’ 2016 premiership-winning side. Picture: Brett Costello

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 in 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.

Graham left the field after his fourth head knock and did not return in 2021.

FOGARTY OUT

The Canberra Raiders will need to find a new halves partner for Jack Wighton after Jamal Fogarty suffered a serious knee injury in his new club’s NRL trial win over Manly on February 25.

Signed from the Gold Coast Titans this season, Fogarty is set to miss “around four months”, according to a statement from the Raiders. He is expected back on deck between rounds 15 and 17.

Sam Williams looks likeliest to replace Fogarty in jersey No.7, having played 12 games in the halves last season. Head coach Ricky Stuart also has Matt Frawley and Brad Schneider at his disposal.

Fogarty will join Peter Hola and Harley Smith-Shields in the casualty ward in the nation’s capital.

Fiery utility back Jordan Rapana is also set to miss the first two rounds of the season after the match review committee cited him for a shoulder charge in the All Stars match last month.

Jamal Fogarty is going to have to wait a while to make his debut for the Raiders. Picture: Ashley Feder/Getty Images