Braydon Trindall leads Sharks to preliminary finals with a career-best performance

The Cronulla Sharks are just one win away from a place in the 2024 NRL grand final after a Braydon Trindall-inspired victory saw them break their finals hoodoo at Allianz Stadium on Friday night.

A 26-18 triumph in front of a crowd of 19,124 fans saw Cronulla set up a preliminary final showdown against defending champions the Penrith Panthers at Sydney’s Accor Stadium this Saturday.

The Sharks entered finals week two off the back of a 37-10 loss away from home against the Melbourne Storm six days earlier that extended their finals losing streak to seven since they crashed out of the 2018 campaign.

They were determined to finally get the job done in their pursuit of a spot in the decider for the first time since they won it back in 2016, and they came out firing as they outscored the Cowboys 24-0 in the first 40 minutes.

The half-time break halted their momentum and the Cowboys got on top in the second stanza as the North Queensland men outscored Cronulla 18 points to two, but the Sharks were able to defend their lead and finish the game ahead by eight points to go through to finals week three.

The star of the show in that match was a Wee Waa Panthers junior as Trindall proved too hot to handle in the first half. He went over for two tries and had a hand in the other two as he threw a brilliant flick pass off the ground to Cameron McInnes for the second four-pointer and then for the fourth created an overlap down the left edge and passed to centre Kyal Iro, who put his winger Ronaldo Mulitalo over in the corner.

Trindall also forced the repeat set in the second half that the Cowboys kicked out on the full from the drop-out to gift the Sharks two extra points to make it a three-possession game with 15 minutes to play, and he ended the match with 106 run metres.

His first try was a penalty try in the 14th minute after he spotted North Queensland fullback Scott Drinkwater in the defensive line and grubbered into the in-goal before being illegally taken out by Reuben Cotter.

It was the Wee Waa boy’s second that had everyone talking as he dove into the right corner (pictured) to score after he had put up a bomb earlier in the play before supporting and being in the right place at the right time to catch a Jesse Ramien flick pass and produce the leap and put-down.

Halfback Nicho Hynes converted all of those tries as the Sharks went into the break with the 24-point advantage.

Trindall has attracted plenty of well-deserved praise following his standout performance from the likes of Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon, immortal Andrew Johns, Sharks club legend Paul Gallen, State of Origin-winning half Josh Reynolds and one of the wisest minds in the game in Phil Gould.

The man himself was ecstatic after the full-time siren sounded.

“It’s unreal,” he told Channel Nine.

“It’s well-deserved. The boys put in a good effort tonight.

“I felt good. The forwards laid a good platform for us and it was easy to play off the back of that.

“The spine worked well together and it was a good effort.

“We didn’t keep the foot on the throat in the second half but we got there in the end.”

Injuries and suspensions have seen the Sharks’ halves partners Trindall and Hynes play just 13 games alongside one another in 2024, but their combination is starting to reach great heights.

“We’ve just got to keep building and stay connected,” Hynes told NRL.com.

“The balance is at a really good point right now. He’s kicking really well.

“I can’t come back in the team and demand to do everything, it wouldn’t suit our gameplay.

“Right now, what’s suiting our gameplay is him taking a bit more control and we’re balancing it out.”

Fitzgibbon also praised the duo.

“I thought that they combined really well,” the Cronulla coach said during the post-game press conference.

“Tricky’s a hell of a player.

“He’s been developing nicely, and tonight his kicking game was strong, his running game was strong, and when he had a moment he went for it and got it.”