NSW Origin skipper Gallen injured in Sharks win

SYDNEY (AFP) –

Australia’s Paul Gallen scores the first try against Fiji during their Rugby League World Cup semi-final match in Sydney on November 16, 2008. New South Wales skipper Paul Gallen suffered a knee injury playing for Cronulla Sharks on Sunday, putting him in doubt for next month’s State of Origin opener against Queensland.

New South Wales skipper Paul Gallen suffered a knee injury playing for Cronulla Sharks on Sunday, putting him in doubt for next month’s State of Origin opener against Queensland.

Gallen, who was substituted, had his leg in a brace after Cronulla’s 21-20 National Rugby League win over the Newcastle Knights and early reports said he had suffered a torn medial ligament which could sideline him for up to six weeks.

The opening Origin game takes place in Sydney on June 5.

The Sharks won the first golden point extra time contest of the NRL season after a Jeff Robson drop goal in the 85th minute.

It was only Cronulla’s third win of the season, in which they have been at the centre of the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority’s investigation into alleged doping at the club in 2011.

Melbourne Storm’s unbeaten 15-match run was ended by the Canberra Raiders on Saturday.

The Raiders upset the defending NRL champions 24-20 in Melbourne for Storm’s first defeat since going down 26-18 to St George Illawarra Dragons in Wollongong last July.

Canberra survived late Storm pressure to hang on for only their fourth win in eight games this season.

Storm also lost the outright lead in this season’s competition when they were joined by the South Sydney Rabbitohs, who beat the Brisbane Broncos 26-12 in Brisbane on Friday.

Souths sent another warning to their NRL rivals that the club’s 42-year premiership wait could be over with their aggressive win over Brisbane coming a week after a brutal 80-minute battle with Manly.

Michael Jennings came back to haunt his old club Penrith on Sunday with two tries as the Sydney Roosters eased to a 30-6 win.

The NSW centre left the Panthers in the summer and after a slow start to his career with the Roosters, he has found form in recent weeks — scoring a brace for the second successive game.

The New Zealand Warriors survived a late scare to beat Gold Coast 25-24 in Auckland on Sunday.

Up 24-6 with 15 minutes to go, the Warriors almost blew a late lead for the fourth match in a row but Shaun Johnson’s drop goal with just over a minute left took them out to a seven-point buffer, before Anthony Don replied with a consolation converted try for the Titans.

Canterbury, inspired by returning props Englishman James Graham and Sam Kasiano, thumped the injury-hit Wests Tigers 40-4 in a performance that could kick-start their season.

St George Illawarra Dragons host Manly in the remaining match of the round on Monday.