Graham: Feki, Katoa in the running after Dugan injury
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Sharks back-rower Wade Graham says he expects wingers Sosaia Feki and Sione Katoa to come into calculations for an NRL berth following the untimely injury to fullback Josh Dugan.
Coach Shane Flanagan has tinkered with the fullback role on an almost weekly basis this year before seeming to settle on NSW and Kangaroos centre Dugan in recent weeks.
However a broken foot suffered late in his team's 10-9 win over Gold Coast last week will sideline Dugan for roughly six weeks, putting him out of contention to retain his NSW jersey for game one of the 2018 Origin series and forcing Flanagan into yet another reshuffle.
One option is to return Matt Moylan to fullback and recall Trent Hodkinson.
The other is to give Valentine Holmes another crack in the No.1 jersey despite the Test and Origin winger failing to put his stamp on the role in his two games there so far this year, with Feki or Katoa coming in on the wing.
"Flanno's got a couple of options there," Graham said at the launch of the NRL's 'Out for Blood' campaign, which in partnership with the Australian Red Cross Blood Service aims to encourage NSW and Queensland fans to out-do each other in the blood donation stakes through this year's Origin series.
"Sosaia Feki hasn't been playing for us the last couple of weeks so he's someone that could slot straight back into that wing position and young Sione Katao who had a tremendous pre-season but then unfortunately broke his jaw in round one, he's back now playing good footy too so Flanno's got a few options there."
Graham also said he would give his own injured hamstring every chance to recover before rushing back, though he hoped to be available for the injury-hit Sharks this weekend against Parramatta.
"It's getting there, it's a tricky little injury," he said.
"I've got to run again tomorrow (Wednesday) then I've got the captain's run so as long as I get through that all right I should be right for the weekend.
"I'm pretty confident within myself but we won't be rushing it. I thought I was going to be right last week to play but then I pulled up a bit tight at the back end of the week. Hamstrings are one of those things, you can't push them."
