Cronulla captain Wade Graham will take an extended break from the NRL as he deals with symptoms from repeated concussions.
Graham suffered his third concussion and fourth head knock this season in the Sharks' one-point win over Penrith and will spend the next four weeks away from the game and seek advice from a specialist.
Fresh concerns as Cronulla captain Wade Graham suffers fourth head knock and hyperextends knee - Wide World of Sports: 'It's his technique that gets him in trouble' https://t.co/Q7ofOlZV5y #guestpost #guestposting #australia pic.twitter.com/MdHF2022bD
— @globalfirstnews (@globalfirstnews) June 11, 2021
Former Dragons and Bulldogs prop James Graham said the Sharks skipper was making a "smart move" to take an extended period away from the game.
โI think itโs a smart move,โ Graham said. โYouโve got to be very careful and delicate when you are in a situation like this youโve got to avoid going into a process of listening to what everyone else has to say," Graham told Fox Sports.ย
"No doubt heโll be seeking some of the best minds in Australia on this front."
โI think itโs a good positive move to take himself away from it.โ
Wade Graham is set to take at least 4 weeks off after suffering his latest concussion (via @DaveRic1). Is his 3rd concussion this year; important to note each concussion case is individual with no set in stone return to play timeframes. Good news Graham is currently symptom free
— NRL PHYSIO (@nrlphysio) June 12, 2021
Graham told The Daily Telegraph's David Riccio that he has not considered hanging up the boots and hopes to extend his 258-game career after the month-long hiatus.
โIโm not an idiot, but if you look at each HIA Iโve had, the one before Friday night was for a hit on the cheekbone," Graham told Riccio.
โOf course, the last thing Iโm going to do is put my health at risk, but Iโm very confident that with the right advice and time, Iโll be fine.โโ
The 30-year-old will meet with specialists next week to determine a recovery and return-to-play plan.
In more bad luck for the 30-year-old, Graham hyperextended his knee in the attempt to tackle, which would have forced him to watch the rest of the game from the sidelines had he not been concussed.
