Shock Blayke Brailey return date revealed after broken arm

Cronulla and New South Wales have received a major boost despite Blayke Brailey’s horror arm injury, with the Sharks hooker now targeting a remarkably quick return that could see him back in time for State of Origin III.

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Brailey was officially ruled out of Origin II after suffering a broken arm during Cronulla’s clash with Manly on Friday night, but initial fears the injury could sideline him for months have eased significantly following medical assessments according to reports at the Daily Telegraph.

The Sharks co-captain is scheduled to undergo surgery on Monday and is aiming to return within just three weeks in what would represent an extraordinary recovery timeline given the nature of the injury.

While the setback will force him to miss the second match of the Origin series, the revised recovery outlook means Brailey could still feature later in the series and importantly avoid an extended absence for Cronulla during a crucial stretch of the NRL season.

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The injury occurred during a tackle against the Sea Eagles, with Brailey revealing he immediately knew something was seriously wrong.

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“I knew something wasn’t right as soon as I came out of the tackle. I felt down at my arm and could see that there was a break there,” Brailey explained.

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In an incredible admission, Brailey revealed he even reset the injury himself before heading for treatment.

“I went back into the dressing rooms and actually pushed it back in to be honest. I didn’t feel any pain at all. It’s all about the recovery process,” Brailey said.

For Cronulla, the updated timeline could hardly be more important given the club is already battling injury concerns around several key players during the demanding Origin period with boom centre KL Iro ruled out for round 13 alongside superstar Nicho Hynes.

Had the break been more severe, Brailey risked missing a significant portion of the Sharks’ premiership campaign and potentially the remainder of the Origin series altogether.

Instead, the tough hooker is now eyeing a rapid return that could see him back on the field far sooner than many initially feared.

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