Johnson facing long layoff

Rugby league: The carnage of Cronulla’s season is set to leak into next year with Shaun Johnson set to miss the first two months of Cronulla’s 2021 NRL campaign.

The 30yearold has undergone surgery on a ruptured achilles he suffered in round 19 and is not expected to play the first third of next season.

In a huge blow for the Sharks, the former New Zealand international is unlikely to be unavailable until at least round eight after the season kicks off in March.

Surgery last month was hailed a success but Johnson will require a ninemonth recovery.

The star half will be joined on the sidelines by prop Royce Hunt, who suffered a ruptured patella in the same illfated game as Johnson.

Hunt is also expected to endure a ninemonth recovery.

Secondrower Siosifa Talakai played out the year with injury and is in doubt for the first few rounds of 2021 after undergoing a shoulder surgery.

The club does not yet have a return date for Talakai but it is hoped that if he misses any game time it will be just a few weeks. — AAP