Ronaldo Mulitalo set for return as Sharks name Nrl Team Lists move
Ronaldo Mulitalo is set to make his long-awaited comeback from an ACL injury in the Sharks’ nrl team lists for Magic Round against the Bulldogs. The Sharks have also shuffled their spine, while Canterbury’s late injury losses leave both teams making changes at Suncorp Stadium.
Mulitalo back for Sharks
Mulitalo has been kept on ice for a number of weeks, and Craig Fitzgibbon said he has been training consistently with the team before this return. The Sharks winger now shapes as the biggest inclusion in a Round 11 match that kicks off at 6.00pm AEST at Suncorp Stadium.
Fitzgibbon said: “We’ve been keeping him on ice for a number of weeks now and he’s been training pretty consistently with the team for a number of weeks... it’s exciting for the team and he’s such a valuable player and he brings energy to our team,”
Hohepa Puru has been moved to starting hooker, with Jayden Berrell shifted back to the bench. Braden Hamlin-Uele has been promoted onto the six-man bench and could make his first appearance since suffering a knee injury in Round 4.
Bulldogs lose Hughes and Curran
The Bulldogs have taken two late hits with Sam Hughes ruled out with a neck injury and Josh Curran sidelined by a rib injury. Jack Underhill has been called up into Canterbury’s squad after the NRL granted the club an exemption.
That leaves the Bulldogs covering for two forward losses in the same game where Latrell Mitchell has also been cleared to return in Magic Round. Simi Sasagi is out for four to six weeks after a shoulder injury against the Panthers in Round 10, and the Raiders said: “Sasagi has no structural damage to his shoulder but will require 4-6 weeks to recover before making a return to the field,”
For the Sharks, the late reshuffle centres on getting Mulitalo back on the field and balancing the pack around Puru, Berrell and Hamlin-Uele. For Canterbury, the exemption for Underhill is the immediate answer to a pair of outs that arrived after the original squad was named.
