The Cronulla Sharks will be without star half Nicho Hynes for this weekend's crunch clash with the Newcastle Knights.
Multiple sources are reporting that Hynes has suffered a quad injury at training on Friday ahead of Sunday's game and as a result will miss Sunday afternoon's trip to the Hunter.
It means the Sharks will likely be forced to run with a halves combination of Matt Moylan and Braydon Trindall, with Trindall, who has been in fine form in recent weeks, playing the halfback role.
Moylan was named on the bench for the clash when sides were confirmed on Tuesday, meaning one of Jesse Colquhoun, Mawene Hiroti, Oregon Kaufusi, Kayal Iro or Jayden Berrell will come onto the bench.
If coach Craig Fitzgibbon wants a utility type player, then Jayden Berrell or Kayal Iro are the most likely options, however, the injury to Hynes could see an upsizing on the bench with Colquhoun to play.
The injury comes with the Sharks in a struggle to qualify for the top four, although their spot in the finals is all but guaranteed with only a miracle likely to stop them from playing knockout rugby league in September.
Losing the game against Newcastle on Sunday though will leave the club under pressure to secure a home elimination final, with a tough clash against a desperate Canberra Raiders to follow during the final round of the season.
A better idea of Hynes' replacement and Cronulla's bench structure will be confirmed at 4:05pm (AEST) on Saturday when teams are cut to 19 players 24 hours before kick-off.
