DALE FINUCANE INJURY: CRONULLA SHARKS VETERAN CITES CONCUSSION ISSUES AS REASON FOR RETIREMENT
Dale Finucane has called a premature time on his career in the NRL after the Cronulla Sharks veteran cited struggles with concussions as the reason for his immediate retirement.
The forward will walk away from the game having played 251 first grade matches and earned five caps for New South Wales in State of Origin, while winning two premierships.
Why is Cronulla Sharks forward Dale Finucane retiring? Veteran cites concussion issues
"There was no decision to be made," Finucane said while fronting a press conference at Shark Park.
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"The medical advice was that I needed to retire and obviously that was from two independent medical experts.
"I spoke with the RLPA to talk about potential avenues to return to play - potentially against medical advice.
"But at the end of the day, it just wasn't able to come to fruition. I'm obviously extremely disappointed about it, but I'm also excited about the next part of life as well."
Finucane admitted he was still feeling numb to the circumstances around his retirement after failing to prove he would be able to return.
"It was quite a stringent process since the Wests Tigers game to try and tick boxes to potentially play but it just wasn't possible," the 32-year-old said.
Finucane also paid tribute to his coach Craig Fitzgibbon for his input during the difficult process, thanking him for his compassion.
"I'd like to thank Fitzy for the process," Finucane stated.
"He came over to my house to speak with me and my wife and he alleviated any fears she had around what was happening with me.
"He gave her peace of mind around how I wouldn't be playing until my health was put first.
"I can't say that it would be the same for every coach - to put the man ahead of the player, so I'm super grateful for that.
"My wife Maddie has been at the forefront of me wanting to put my health first," Finucane continued.
"Over the last few concussions that I've suffered she's probably showed a lot more worry around the frequency with which I was getting them and potentially how easy I was getting them.
"So, whilst I'm disappointed about finishing, I'm grateful that she was adamant about getting all of this stuff done."
Finucane made his NRL debut in 2012 for Canterbury and went on to play 66 games for the Bulldogs before linking with Melbourne Storm in 2015.
He featured 152 times for Craig Bellamy's side during a successful era which saw him claim his two premierships in 2017 and 2020.
"The thing for me in always admiring him as a player was he was just so consistent – you knew he would give his absolute best every single game; he was so reliable," Bellamy told nswrl.com.au ahead of Finucane's 250th game earlier this year.
"Dale was always the first bloke in and the last to leave. He knew what worked for him and what he had to do with his body to get the best out of it every weekend.
"He’s also the nicest bloke in the world."
Dale Finucane contract
Finucane had one year to run on a long-term deal which he signed in 2022, when he departed from the Storm after seven years in Victoria.
He made 33 appearances for the Sharks across a three-year period at the club.
"I was super excited about coming to the club, whilst I was at Melbourne at the backend of 2021 I remember talking to Nico [Hynes] and being super excited about signing for this club," Finucane said.
Finucane is one of 10 players in the Shire who are due to come off contract in 2025, with the likes of Braydon Trindall, Briton Nikora, Cameron McInnes and Ronaldo Mulitalo also in the same boat.
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Who will be Cronulla Sharks captain this year?
Finucane and McInnes were named as the club's co-captains to start the season, with the latter now set to continue on with the role in a solo capacity.
McInnes has led the Sharks to the top of the ladder after seven rounds of action, excelling in the lock position which has seen him gain far more game time than in 2023.
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Dale Finucane stats 2024
Finucane had a season interrupted by injury and suspension in 2023 which ultimately ended in him missing a large chunk of the business end of the campaign due to a biceps issue.
He played just 13 games last year with part of his pre-season disrupted by his recovery process. As a result, he started 2024 on the bench, featuring for just 19 minutes in Cronulla's season-opening win over the New Zealand Warriors.
He remained on the pine for what turned out to be the final two games of his career, playing 42 minutes in the win over Canterbury, before seeing just 20 minutes of action during the Round 3 loss to the Wests Tigers.
This cameo proved to be his final match with a facial fracture bringing him from the field.
"I only definitively decided [to retire] last Thursday afternoon," Finucane revealed.
"But as the boys had a few major milestones - Blayke Brailey's 100th and Samuel Stonestreet's debut - I didn't think it was right to make the announcement then."
| Games | 3 |
| Avg. Run Metres | 62m |
| Tackle Efficiency | 98% |