The Cronulla Sharks have been rocked early in their semi-final against the Sydney Roosters, losing Nicho Hynes to a concussion.
Hynes was taken from the field in the opening minutes of the game after getting his head into an awkward position trying to stop Roosters second-rower Salesi Foketi.
He was knocked over in the challenge, with the Roosters adding to the issue for the Sharks by racing down the park and scoring the opening points of the game off the miss.
Hynes, who fell to the ground, was then taken from the field showing Category 2 concussion symptoms, but went on to fail the test and miss most of the contest.
Should the Sharks win, it means Hynes will be subject to the NRL's 11-day no-fault stand-down rule, and will be unavailable for a potential preliminary final against the Dolphins next week.
The Sharks brought Niwhai Puru straight onto the park when Hynes came off in a sign they understood the chance their star halfback would pass was slim.
The Roosters quickly ran out to a 12-0 lead, with the Sharks then hitting back through a try-scoring double in back-to-back sets to bring the score back to 12 points to 10 just 15 minutes out from halftime.
Mawene Hiroti had been taken from the field in the lead-up to the tries with a knee injury that, at the time of publication, has not been diagnosed.
