Newcastle Knights star Fletcher Sharpe hospitalised with lacerated kidney following concussion
Sharpe reported abdominal soreness after suffering a concussion in the Knights' 26-20 win over the Dolphins in Perth on Saturday.
It is understood he suffered the damage in the same tackle as the concussion, when his body hit the ground hard when brought down from behind.
The five-eighth has since been taken to hospital, and is set to remain in Western Australia for several days as he deals with the issue.
Sharpe would already have missed Friday night's clash with Canberra due to concussion issues. The Knights have a bye the following week.
Newcastle do not yet have a timeline on how much longer they expect the 21-year-old to miss.
Sharpe has been one of Newcastle's best threats this year, scoring 11 tries and setting up another three in a side that has the worst attacking record in the NRL.
Newcastle have several back-up options in the halves, with Tyson Gamble available again and Jackson Hastings having returned to the NRL against Manly this month.
Elsewhere, there are fears Dolphins winger Jack Bostock suffered a dreaded ACL rupture in the Perth match.
The potentially season-ending injury comes just a week after the flyer scored four tries against North Queensland last Saturday.
The Warriors are also waiting on scans on halfback Luke Metcalf's quad and winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak's ankle after their loss to Penrith.
Watene-Zelezniak is expected to be sidelined for some time with a syndesmosis injury, but the fourth-placed club hold some hope that Metcalf's is not serious.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
16 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Owen Farrell opens door to England return after sidestepping social media ‘poison'
Owen Farrell is considering making himself available for England again despite the social media 'poison' that contributed to him stepping back from Test rugby last year. Farrell, who has been picked as captain of the British & Irish Lions in their final midweek tour game, now says he would love to emulate Johnny Sexton and keep playing at the highest level for as long as possible. Farrell, who will turn 34 in September, has not played for England since the 2023 World Cup but has loved his involvement on the current Lions tour of Australia and sounds more open to the idea, if selected, of rejoining the England fold than at any stage since announcing his intention to take a break from international rugby 'to prioritise his and his family's mental wellbeing.' Several of Farrell's Lions colleagues, having seen him slot seamlessly back into a leadership role since replacing the injured Elliot Daly this month, have asked the former England captain about his future plans and he freely admits to being inspired by the example of Sexton, who was still playing for Ireland at the age of 38. 'I'm determined to enjoy what I'm doing and love every minute of however long that I've got left,' said Farrell, who will start at 12 for the Lions against a First Nations & Pasifika XV at Marvel Stadium on Tuesday. 'I'm not old yet. Johnny played forever and I'm obviously a half-back as well. There's loads left in us and I'm just determined to enjoy it. I've come back to make the most of what I am doing. We'll see what happens.' Farrell, sounding as upbeat in public as he has done in many years, has now returned to Saracens after an ill-starred and injury-hit spell at Racing 92 and is clearly relishing his fourth Lions tour since being called up by his father, Andy. His selection prompted a significant reaction on social media, however, and Farrell Jr admits he has not always found the attention easy to cope with. 'There's times where people can say this, that and the other and it just goes over your head. And there's times where you're not in the best place of all time and you're almost waiting for something to set you off. 'I understand that it's different now. I understand that times are different … sometimes [social media] catches fire and just takes a life of its own. It goes wherever it goes and there's momentum behind it. But I don't always understand it, no. If you go and knock on someone's door and ask them their opinion of how you played at the weekend, you wouldn't really listen to their answer. Both [good and bad reactions on social media] are a poison. That's not to say it's all bad but the things that should matter to me and to us as players are the people that matter to us. 'The people I think we should listen to are proper rugby people. Your mates … they'll give you a real answer. If you're in a good place yourself then you can deal with it. There's obviously a lot of external factors that can creep in but ultimately it's up to me how I am. Making sure I'm looking after myself, making sure I'm giving myself a break at times. I'm not someone who needs revving up too much. It's normally the other way, of coming back down and relaxing. So having some perspective and making sure I look after myself in that way will, I think, lead to me being more myself.' If Farrell does return to the England fold it will further increase the options available to the head coach, Steve Borthwick. Fly-halves Fin Smith and Marcus Smith are both on tour alongside Farrell in Australia while George Ford has just reached 100 caps while steering his country to victories against Argentina and the United States. Sign up to The Breakdown The latest rugby union news and analysis, plus all the week's action reviewed after newsletter promotion For now, though, Farrell is more intent on serving the Lions than fixating on his own prospects of featuring in the last two Tests. 'I think the most important thing is that I come here, be myself and then see where that goes,' said Farrell, chosen as midweek captain by his father ahead of the Wales captain Jac Morgan and England's Jamie George. 'And I mean that genuinely. I'm not saying that but don't mean it. We'll see what happens.' The Lions are also collectively keen to extend their winning momentum ahead of Saturday's second Test against the Wallabies following their 27-19 victory in Brisbane. 'Obviously there is going to be a reaction from the weekend,' said Farrell. 'We need to be ready for that and more.' Those who know Farrell best of all, however, are convinced the Lions have a 'Test match animal' at their disposal if needed. 'The better we train as a non-23 team, the better prepared the Test team are going to be and he has driven that massively,' said George, delighted to be back in the same dressing room as his Saracens teammate. 'He's unbelievably impressive. You don't play with him for a year and it still takes your breath away.'
Daily Mail
16 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Owen Farrell breaks silence on Lions return and the 'poison' that drove him away from international rugby after the 2023 World Cup
Owen Farrell insisted he has learned to deal with any 'poison' thrown at him as he prepares to captain the Lions in their final midweek match. The Englishman quit international rugby after the 2023 World Cup, where he was booed in stadiums and targeted with abuse on social media. He spent last season playing in France and after 12 months out of the spotlight, he has found ways to not be overcome by outside noise. 'I understand that times are different and that things catch fire quicker, grow legs and just take a life of their own,' said the 33-year-old. 'Both are a poison… the good and the bad. There's times when people can say this, that and the other and it just goes over your head. And there's times where you're not in the best place of all time and you're almost waiting for something to set you off. 'You have to take it for what it is. Have some perspective. It's making sure I'm looking after myself, making sure I'm giving myself a break at times. I'm not someone who needs revving up too much. it's normally the other way of coming back down and relaxing.' Farrell has been selected at inside centre for the game against the First Nations & Pasifika XV, starting outside England No 10 Fin Smith. It was a tour-ending injury to Elliot Daly opened the door for Farrell to fly out to Australia as injury cover. 'When I got asked to come, the first thing that popped into my head was 'yes',' said Farrell. 'I'd just finished playing golf for Jackson Wray's testimonial. It was his testimony about four years ago, but he still had a golf day that he'd auctioned off! 'I just got asked to come on Tour and I thought I'd love to. Like this obviously massive. I went and did something different for a while and I'm coming back now. I appreciated my time in France. It obviously didn't go well and I was injured for a large period of it but I don't regret it. I'm happy with being back. The opportunity was there. I wanted to take it and I'm glad I'm here.' Having stepped back into the international picture with the Lions, Farrell may soon face a decision on whether to return to England duty. His move back to Saracens makes him eligible for Steve Borthwick's but Farrell is yet to confirm his intentions. 'I don't know at this moment in time,' he said, when asked about playing for his country. 'I'm focused on what is happening now. I said before and when I signed for Saracens, I'm determined to enjoy what I'm doing and love every minute of however long that I've got left in the game that I love. 'My focus is what is in front of me here and when I get back to Saracens making sure that I'm myself. If I do that, I will enjoy it and we'll see what happens. There's loads left in us and I'm just determined to enjoy it. I'm really enjoying this tour.'
Daily Mail
16 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Titans quarterback Will Levis to miss entire 2025 season with shoulder injury
Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis will be undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery and will not play in 2025, according to the team. The Titans released a statement announcing that their starter in the 2024 season will be out for the entirety of the upcoming campaign in a blow to his hopes of fighting for the top spot on the depth chart. 'After consulting with doctors and his representatives, Will Levis has decided to undergo shoulder surgery that will sideline him for the entire 2025 season,' the statement read. 'We support his decision to focus on his long-term health. He approached the offseason with professionalism and showed clear growth as a leader. We remain confident in his full recovery.'
