The Cronulla Sharks have confirmed Nicho Hynes will not return until at least the week before the NRL finals get underway.
The star halfback, who played Game 1 of this year's State of Origin series for the NSW Blues before being axed, suffered an ankle injury at training on Monday morning.
Taken straight for scans, the Sharks have now confirmed they have revealed a full syndesmosis rupture, as well as a tibia fracture to his left ankle.
“It has been confirmed that Nicho has a complete syndesmosis rupture, plus a tibia fracture to his left ankle,” Shark Head of Performance Nathan Pickworth said in a club statement confirming the news.
“He will undergo surgery tomorrow (Wednesday), with an estimated return to the field of approximately eight weeks.”
With nine rounds of the 2024 NRL season to go, it means that Hynes, if his recovery goes flawlessly, will be a chance to return for a Round 27 clash against the Manly Sea Eagles at Brookvale, and will only have a single hit out before the finals.
That is, provided the Sharks make the top eight.
In a worrying stretch of form ever since Magic Round, the Sharks have lost five of their last six matches, with heavy defeats at the hands of the Penrith Panthers and Parramatta Eels, as well as narrow losses to the Dolphins, Canterbury Bulldogs and Gold Coast Titans.
Despite their exceptional start to the 2024 season, Craig Fitzgibbon's out of sorts side likely still need to win at least two or three of their final eight games to qualify for the finals, with a bye also breaking up the run of weeks Hynes will miss.
Starting with this week's clash against the Wests Tigers, Hynes will then miss games against the North Queensland Cowboys (away), South Sydney Rabbitohs (home), Gold Coast Titans (away), Newcastle Knights (home), St George Illawarra Dragons (away) and New Zealand Warriors (home).
Daniel Atkinson, who lined up on the wing last weekend during a loss to the Titans, is the most likely to shuffle into the halves, while the Sharks' depth could come under pressure given Kade Dykes is also out for the remainder of the year with a knee injury.
