Inside the secret camp that has Sharks in sight of glory
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Sharks skipper Blayke Brailey has opened up on the leadership camp that helped Cronulla regroup after the loss of Cameron McInnes and lay the foundation for a shot at the premiership.
Cronulla entered the bye in Round 25 reeling after scans confirmed their captain had town his ACL just a couple of days earlier.
The week off turned out to be perfectly timed, with the side’s leadership group assembling in Brighton for a camp to map out a path forward.
It was here that coach Craig Fitzgibbon informed Brailey he would be the new captain and the seeds were planted for a run to the post-season.
The Sharks have now qualified for their second consecutive preliminary final against the Storm on Friday night and the skipper said the leadership group used the camp to get their season back on track.
"The camp was massive," Brailey told NRL.com. "In that time Cam went down and we had to lean on each other. That's when I found out the news that Fitzy was going to put his faith in me.
"It was a big moment in our season and anytime we can get together and connect as a playing group and a leadership group, we're going to take it. We took a lot from that night together.
"We had a meal together, had a few talks, really got close to each other. It was a great day-and-a-half together, then we had training the next day so it was awesome to take that back to training."
The Cronulla leadership group is made up of a mix of high-profile stars and softly-spoken individuals who let their football do the talking.
Halves Nicho Hynes and Braydon Trindall, prop Addin Fonua-Blake and impact forward Sifa Talakai were among the players who attended the camp.
From the field: Trindall
The Sharks travelled to Canberra on Thursday to prepare for their 32-12 triumph against the minor premiers after impressive victories over the Bulldogs in the previous two weeks.
Cronulla haven’t lost a game since Brailey took over as skipper, winning five on the trot.
Rather than let the pressure of the job get to him, Hynes said Brailey has relished the opportunity to step up and lead from the front.
"It's been such a good development in him and his voice," Hynes said. "He usually doesn't say too much, can be a bit of a smart aleck sometimes but he's taken this in his stride.
"It was a great decision by Fitzy to make him captain. He's taken that extra workload really well and the players around him, the leadership group have stepped up too.
"Blayke being captain now sets him up to be an even better leader later. He's just signed long-term, he could be captain here for a long time. I feel it was a really good play and I'm excited to see him develop in that role."
Brailey grew up a stone's throw from Sharks Stadium and spent his childhood at the ground watching his heroes play, dreaming of one day running out for the side.
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The hooker was in the stands at Accor Stadium when Andrew Fifita crashed over to deliver Cronulla's first premiership in 2016 and gets emotional when talking about the moment Paul Gallen hoisted the Provan-Summons Trophy.
Having lived in the Shire and supported the Sharks his entire life, Brailey knows exactly how much the team means to this community. It's why he has vowed to do everything he can to join Gallen as a premiership-winning captain on October 5.
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"In 2016 I was 18 and starting to get a few training days with the side," Brailey said. "I still get emotional thinking about that day and the thought I could one day hopefully be in that situation too.
"To see Gal with that trophy was a long time coming. I'm really proud to be a Shire kid and to see him with that trophy was a dream come true. I want to bring that feeling back to the Shire.
"Until that day comes, I won't stop working hard and hopefully that day comes soon."
