Johnson injury deals Sharks' finals hopes mega blow

Sharks halfback Shaun Johnson is acceptable for astatine slightest a two-game stint connected the sideline aft injurying his close hamstring successful Cronulla's 44-24 triumph implicit Canterbury.

The setback of the 32-Test New Zealand planetary has dealt the Sharks' finals hopes a mega blow, with seventh-placed Cronulla 1 of 7 clubs jostling for the past 2 positions successful the apical 8 up of the remaining six rounds.

If Johnson's betterment from the wounded goes horribly incorrect helium mightiness not play different crippled with the Sharks, with the seasoned acceptable to instrumentality to the Warriors connected a two-year woody aft this season.

Johnson strained his hamstring arsenic helium skipped with the footy connected the close borderline successful the 33rd infinitesimal of the Bulldogs clash.

While the transition of play ended successful fullback Will Kennedy icing a long-range Cronulla try, it besides resulted successful Johnson limping disconnected the tract instantly and ne'er returning.

Eels fable Peter Sterling said Johnson looked "distressed" arsenic helium near the field, but the Sharks playmaker was defiant successful an interrogation with Nine.

"We'll look aft it arsenic champion I tin and hopefully it's not excessively agelong (until I'm backmost connected the field)," Johnson said.

"This isn't the mode I privation to spell retired successful a Sharks jumper. I privation to decorativeness disconnected the twelvemonth beardown with these boys playing footy games. I'll bash my champion to get backmost retired determination and hopefully the boys tin support rolling."

Johnson's latest wounded stroke follows the rupture of his close Achilles successful Round 19 of past season, which sidelined him until Round Seven of his 2021 campaign.

The 30-year-old besides suffered a strain to his near hamstring earlier this season, which ruled him retired of Magic Round and Round 11.

Sharks halfback Shaun Johnson. (Getty)

For a regular dose of the champion of the breaking quality and exclusive contented from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here!