And we wait
The Sharks are expected to announce their Nines team next week with coach Shane Flanagan whittling his squad down from 32 full time squad members to 22. The final number in the travelling party will be 18 with Flanagan likely to name his team early next week for the special event which kicks off on January 31.
Flanagan has announced his intention to hold back the likes of Michael Gordon, Jeff Robson, Paul Gallen and Michael Ennis, however it came as somewhat of a surprise that Ben Barba is still in the mix to make the trip across the ditch later this month.
Barba, who is also likely to play a part in the All Stars game on February 13, would relish the open spaces in a format that certainly suits his skills. Will he or won’t he travel to the Nines? All will be revealed next week when the Sharks announce their Nines squad.
Stay tuned the Sharks website for the team announcement.