The Cronulla Sharks have moved onto the preliminary final after a breathtaking 21-20 victory over Penrith on Friday night, but it may have come at a cost.
The Sharkies will face Melbourne at AAMI Park next Friday in a match that will see the winner take the first spot in this year's grand final, and if the modern rivalry is anything to go by, the match will be spicy and spiteful as always.
Josh Dugan was ruled out of Cronulla's semi final with a shoulder injury earlier in the week, and it now looks as if inspirational skipper Paul Gallen will struggle to be fit enough to make the match next week.
Gallen went off in the second half on Friday night and didn't return, and post-match the 37-year-old didn't fancy his chances of being right to face Melbourne.
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"Hurt my shoulder, just got jammed up in the second half," Gallen said following the gutsy win.
"I lost feeling and have no strength in it.
"I'll get a scan tonight or tomorrow morning and see what the damage is.
"(Doctor) has said it's my rotator cuff. I just haven't got any movement or strength at the moment. I don't know exactly what it is but it's not too good at the moment.
"I couldn't go back on tonight, I couldn't even lift my arm above my head. Fingers crossed it might settle down in the next couple of days but it wasn't really good tonight."
Paul Gallen wont return with reported shoulder “cork”. Appeared to be favouring shoulder slightly before the tackle below, but if injury occurred here concern is AC joint sprain. Luke Lewis also won’t return with ankle injury #NRLSharksPanthers pic.twitter.com/yaRADa1jOH
— NRL PHYSIO (@nrlphysio) September 14, 2018
Paul Gallen doesn’t seem confident he will play next week; can’t lift his arm above his head and initial thoughts are injury is to his rotator cuff. If scans prove that to be the case would be extremely unlikely to play within a week #NRLSharksPanthers
— NRL PHYSIO (@nrlphysio) September 14, 2018
Luke Lewis, who starred in the elimination final, also went off with an injury and didn't return to the field.
The soon to be retired Lewis revealed that it was a leg issue, but he didn't think he would have any trouble being right for the Storm match.
While the Sharks appear to be one of the few sides that can challenge the reigning premiers on any given day, they will need the services of Lewis, Dugan and their skipper if they are a real threat to progress to the grand final.
Earlier this year, Gallen decided that 18 years of NRL wasn't enough and signed a one-year contract with the Sharks that will take him to season number 19.
