Ben Murdoch-Masila was taken to hospital with a dislocated elbow as the Warriors slumped to defeat in Redcliffe against the Sharks, blowing an early two-try lead to be beaten easily.
The incident basically marked a complete 180 in the Warriors fortunes, as they raced out to a 12-0 lead before going on to lose 38-16.
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It’s been a tough season for Murdoch-Masila on the injury front, having previously missed several weeks as a result of a hip-drop tackle by Brisbane’s Thomas Flegler in April.
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The 31-year-old is set for another lengthy stint on the sideline, with confirmation coming during the second half of his new ailment.
The injury occurred midway through the first half as he tried to make a tackle on Sharks fullback Will Kennedy and got his arm pinned in an awkward position.
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It came just after two quick-fire Cronulla tries, the first eight of 24 unanswered points for Craig Fitzgibbon’s men.
Save for a glorious put-down in the corner from Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, there was very little to be happy about in the second half for the Warriors, who lost their first game under interim head coach Stacey Jones.
The Warriors have now lost six games in a row, their last win coming back in April, via a field goal against the Raiders.
It doesn’t get any easier next week, as they welcome the Panthers on Saturday night.
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