NRL

Cronulla’s difficult weekend has become even worse, with star prop Addin Fonua-Blake suspended for one match following the high tackle that saw him sin-binned during Sunday’s shock loss to St George Illawarra.

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Fonua-Blake was charged with a Grade 2 careless high tackle on Dragons forward Hamish Stewart in the 67th minute, with the incident already proving costly after the Sharks enforcer was sent to the sin bin at a crucial stage of the contest.

The Sharks were desperately trying to mount a comeback against the Dragons when Fonua-Blake was dismissed, with his absence helping extinguish Cronulla’s hopes of turning the result late.

Fonua-Blake will miss one match after entering an early guilty plea, avoiding the possibility of a two-game suspension if he unsuccessfully fought the charge.

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The result will almost come as a relief for both the veteran prop and the Sharks, however, with many expecting the tackle could result in a longer stint on the sidelines when it happened and he was marched from the field.

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Instead, Fonua-Blake will be unavailable for just one match, although his suspension adds another complication to a Sharks side that can ill afford setbacks at this stage of the season.

Cronulla’s defeat to the Dragons was a major blow to their hopes of climbing into the top two, while they are now also facing a battle to hold onto their position inside the top four.

Losing one of their most important forwards for a crucial game against the Raiders only makes that challenge more difficult.

The Sharks will now need to regroup quickly, with their star prop watching from the sidelines as they attempt to recover from the Dragons defeat and protect their place inside the top four in what should be a tight finish to the regular season heading into the NRL finals.

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