In the final minutes of a run-of-the-mill Sunday afternoon game at Shark Park in early June, Phil Gould, in commentary, saw something in a late try from Braydon Trindall that piqued his interest.
asserted
that → see → interest
“Braydon Trindall will be the next Cody Walker,” Gould opined after the Sharks five-eighth dummied his way over for a 77th-minute try in Cronulla’s comfortable 34-12 win over the Dragons.
asserted
Sharks → opine → Dragons
Cody Walker didn’t debut until he was 26.
asserted
he → debut → ?
Trindall is going to be a really dominant player when he gets to the back end of his 20s, and into his early 30s when most of the playmakers are excelling these days.
asserted
most → go → playmakers
“I won’t be around, but mark my words, he’s going to be a dominant playmaker in this competition for a long time.
asserted
he → mark → time
He’s only just getting started.
asserted
He → start → ?
But also consider Trindall – back from a dislocated shoulder, grimacing through every moment of contact and all 80 minutes against the Cowboys last week – a dominant playmaker.
asserted
Trindall → consider → Cowboys
Across the remaining finals teams, the offensive linchpins and most important players are obvious.
asserted
linchpins → remain → teams
For the Roosters, while Sam Walker is injured, it’s James Tedesco.
asserted
it → injure → Roosters
The Warriors are a fascinating outlier because you could argue captain and spiritual leader James Fisher-Harris is their key, or even underrated attacking figures Wayde Egan and Erin Clark.
uncertain
Harris → argue → ?
But Trindall’s recent absence at the Sharks has only rammed home the unavoidable.
asserted
absence → ram → unavoidable
The 27-year-old is the single most indispensable player in their attack, and on a salary of about $700,000 a year, does so at excellent value.
asserted
old → do → value
Of those key playmakers, the likes of Cleary, Ponga, Walker and Tedesco all earn $1 million and above, while at Cronulla, Nicho Hynes and Addin Fonua-Blake pull in seven-figure pay packets, too.
asserted
Hynes → earn → packets
Trindall leads the NRL with 31 try-assists this season despite his injury lay-off.
asserted
Trindall → lead → off
But in his return against North Queensland, the rest of rugby league met the “Tricky” Cronulla teammates know all too well.
asserted
teammates → meet → league
“Oh, I never once doubted that he was playing,” co-captain Blayke Brailey said with a laugh.
asserted
Brailey → doubt → laugh
“For all his brilliance and that cheeky, happy-go-lucky side of him that everyone sees, there’s a mongrel competitor in him.
asserted
everyone → go → him
He wasn’t letting that shoulder stop him.
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shoulder → let → him
“You should see him play cards.
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him → see → cards
He’s not so happy-go-lucky then, I promise you.”
asserted
I → ’ → you
The two sides of Trindall collided beautifully when he chanced an early second-half goal line dropout for himself against the Cowboys.
asserted
he → collide → Cowboys
Dodgy shoulder be damned, Trindall dived straight onto it in the hope of regathering an audacious short kick no one knew about, coming up with a rueful grin instead of the Steeden afterwards.
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one → damn → Steeden
Back-rower Teig Wilton has made his NRL career running off Trindall’s sublime short balls on Cronulla’s left edge.
asserted
Wilton → make → edge
Against North Queensland, he made 42 tackles to ensure Trindall only needed to shoulder up for 10, because that’s what good back-rowers do.
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rowers → make → what
But just as Wilton will gleefully run over the top of opposition halves at Trindall’s direction, he also points out the marked defensive improvement in his playmaker’s game.
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he → run → game
“Tricky’s always had the flashy stuff in his game – the name says it all right?” Wilton said.
“
asserted
Wilton → have → it
But I think what’s most pleasing is the effort plays and big defensive efforts.
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’s → think → ?
What he’s done off the ball this year is just as impressive to me.
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done → do → me
Things where he’s chasing back and doing the stuff that might not come as naturally to him.
uncertain
that → chase → him
That’s what I really like to see.”
asserted
I → ’ → what
Wilton then points to Trindall’s running down of Dolphins flyer Jamayne Isaako in round 19.
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Wilton → point → round
Cronulla led 48-0 and Trindall had other teammates looming in cover defence, too.
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teammates → lead → defence
As Gould points out, Trindall still has years ahead of him in this game.
asserted
Trindall → point → game
Like Walker was during his first few years in the NRL, he remains a somewhat shy, bashful interview, too.
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he → remain → NRL
Reporters are met with a handshake and a grin, but rarely two words when one will do.
asserted
one → meet → handshake
And when the media joined Cronulla’s recovery session at Oak Park rock pool this week, Trindall obliged and hammed it up for the Herald’s photographer, because again, that’s what good playmakers do.
asserted
playmakers → join → what
“I think he’s pretty quiet in front of the cameras and I wouldn’t say he loves that side of footy,” Brailey said.
asserted
Brailey → think → footy
“But he’s a great reader of the game and a loud voice for us.
asserted
he → ’ → us
He’s definitely not shy about where he wants the team going with him and Nicho controlling our team.
asserted
him → ’ → team
I think people can see that.
asserted
people → think → that
…and 2 more, not listed.
The Aporia
