The Newcastle Knights will be sweating on scans for Fletcher Sharpe after he was ruled out midway through the first half of the club's season opener in Las Vegas against the North Queensland Cowboys.
The five-eighth suffered a non-contact knee injury about 25 minutes into the game in defence.
In immediate pain, an ACL test was conducted by Newcastle medical staff, only for the thumbs up to be given despite Sharpe clearly having movement issues.
A try would be scored close to his defensive position a short time later, and Sharpe left the field.
From the sideline at Allegiant Stadium, Fox Sports sideline reporter Lara Pitt suggested the club had found the knee to be stable and were hopeful it was not an ACL injury, but scans would be needed to confirm the extent of the damage.
Sharpe had set the game alight during the opening minutes of the contest, scoring the opening try and playing a role in the second for the Knights who galloped out to a 12-0 lead just 14 minutes into the contest.
The Cowboys, who were also left without star fullback Scott Drinkwater early in the game, had scored two tries in a row to bridge the deficit, with the game locked at 12 points a piece shortly before halftime.
North Queensland are hopeful Drinkwater will be able to return from what has been reported to be a rib cartilage injury.
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