Sharks’ halves are most talked about in the NRL. They just learned a brutal finals ‘lesson’

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“We’ve played two prelims now and I think the most recent one we’ve played is the better performance out of the two.

“We’re just back at training now working hard to put ourselves in that position again and hopefully go on to another bigger game in the grand final.”

However, Trindall agreed with the critics on one point: the Sharks playmakers need to deliver when it matters most and ice the big moments.

“The lessons to take out of it is you need to stand up in those big games,” Trindall said.

“That run at the back end of the year was nice, but I think if we do that for the whole season, we’ll put ourselves in a better position to finish the year stronger, so consistency will be key.”

After their best season together as a halves combination and with another pre-season under their belt, Trindall is confident he and Hynes are the men to silence the doubters and lead the Sharks to a first Grand Final appearance and premiership since 2016.

“We haven’t done too much different, I’ve always said it and I think he has too, but it just comes with the more time played with each other and the more experience we get as a pairing,” Trindall said.

“We haven’t even really talked about it and we’ve just jumped into training and it just feels so much clearer and easier already.

“It just comes with the more games you play and obviously hanging out and getting to know each other on deeper levels outside of training and just coming in and being a good teammates to each other.”

Hynes agreed that repetition was the key for bringing out the best in his partnership with Trindall.

“The gold standard would be for me and him to play every game together again and put runs on the board,” Hynes said of his combination with Trindall.

“The more time we spend in the middle of the field together coming up against opposition, the better for us and I feel like it’s trending in the right direction.

“Still a lot of hard work, it’s definitely not an end result there yet and we’ve got players like Blayke (Brailey), who’s stepped up and Will (Kennedy) is going to step up again this year.

“It obviously falls a lot on us halves, but I reckon Will and Blayke are in for a big year and us as a spine together will hopefully play our best footy this year.”

Premiership winning teams often have a settled spine, which has certainly been the case in recent history involving the Panthers, Storm, Roosters and Broncos’ title winning sides.

Hynes is confident that the combinations built up over a long time will hold the club in good stead when the whips are cracking at the end of the 2026 season.

“All our connections and our culture is the same, so no one really has to come in and learn any new systems and we’ve kept the nucleus of the group for the last four or five years,” Hynes said.

“We know each other’s game play back to front now, so another year our spine’s together, another year Tricky (Trindall) and I are going to be gelling together.”

With plenty of changes across the NRL where spines are concerned, Trindall believes the Sharks have an advantage in having a settled combination, who know each other’s games inside out.

“It doesn’t take too long for us to gel when we get back to pre-season,” Trindall said.

“We don’t have to do too much conditioning and when the boys come in fit and everyone knows their role in the team, that helps us just get straight into footy and hit the ground running ahead of a big season.”

Another element that will improve Trindall and Hynes’ combination is the fact they have some rising young guns nipping at their heels.

Trindall believes the youngsters are already ready to play first grade and are creating a competitive environment amongst the playmakers at the club.

“There’s a few exciting young halves coming through the ranks and pushing us hard,” Trindall said.

“We’ve got Niwhai Puru and Rizla (Riley Pollard), who are excellent young players and always willing to learn.

“All the halves are working really well together and they’re getting a crack in the starting team throughout training as well, so it’d be good to see when they get an opportunity.”

Trindall believes it is part of a wider trend in the squad, with a number of exciting youngsters pushing the regular first-graders for spots and that healthy competition bodes well for the team’s title chances.

“There’s plenty of young guys training with us and putting their hands up,” Trindall said.

“The whole young group that’s come in this year has been awesome and I think with the right timing and if an opportunity comes up, there’s plenty of them that can definitely play first grade this year.”

Trindall signed a lucrative three-year extension with the Sharks in November of 2024, that will see him remain at the club until 2028.

That will take the 26-year-old to the verge of his 30th birthday and with 28 tries in 97 games for the Sharks since his debut in 2020, Trindall hopes he wears the club’s colours for the rest of his career.

“I definitely want to stay here, I love this club and I don’t really see myself playing anywhere else at the moment, so it’d be good to stick around,” Trindall said.

“The big goal is to win a premiership with this group and that’s what matters most to me.

“I also have some representative goals as well that I will keep to myself, but I just want to keep playing consistent footy for the Sharks and hopefully one day play a bit of representative footy.”

Coach Craig Fitzgibbon has overseen a period of stability and consistency over the last five seasonsat the Sharks, but without a Grand Final to show for it, he is under pressure in a results driven business.

Trindall defended his coach’s style and approach, but admitted the boss knows the magnitude of delivering on their promise and potential as a team in 2026.

“Nothing’s changed too much since he started,” Trindall said of Fitzgibbon.

“I think it’s just building and looking to improve each week and each year and he’s just happy that we’re just moving in the right direction, but he knows this year is going to be big year for this group.”

With 15 players coming off-contract in 2026, there is a feeling this could the last chance for the current squad to go all the way.

Trindall admitted there is an unspoken feeling of destiny about the 2026 Sharks a decade on from the club’s drought-breaking maiden title, but the challenge for the players is to channel that into performances on the field.

“It feels like this could be our last shot with this particular squad, but we’re not really talking about that too much,” Trindall said.

“We’re just ripping in with our training and getting ready to start the year strong.

“There’s not been much talk about that, but the boys can definitely feel it.”