Trindall puts Sharks' season on track in crucial win
Braydon Trindall has helped put Cronulla's NRL season back on track, unleashing 10 minutes of torment on St George Illawarra to inspire a 30-18 come-from-behind win.
Off the back of two straight losses and after trailing at halftime, Cronulla went from 18-6 down to 22-18 up between the 47th and 57th minutes on Thursday night.
The hosts then did enough to hold on for victory at Shark Park, making it 10 in a row against their arch-rivals and keeping the Sharks fifth on the ladder.
Trindall's kicking was at the centre of it all, while the Cronulla five-eighth also scored a double in the victory.
Blayke Brailey was among the Sharks' best with his running out of dummy-half, while Sione Katoa bagged a double in the win.
The winger's last try to seal the match will also go down as one of the best of the year.
With the Dragons down 24-18 with five minutes to play, five-eighth Lyhkan King-Togia chipped ahead and went to toe the ball on again.
But Katoa slid along the ground to catch the ball goalkeeper-style, before gathering his feet and sprinting 60 metres to score.
Katoa races away! 🏁#NRLSharksDragons Telstra Moment of the Match pic.twitter.com/za5YLRzlF7
— NRL (@NRL) June 12, 2025
The result makes it two losses in a row for the Dragons, with Shane Flanagan's men now 12th and at risk of sliding further south this weekend.
For the Sharks, this was a desperately needed win.
Beaten by an undermanned Sydney Roosters in Gosford and travelling Warriors in their past two matches, Cronulla travel to Brisbane and Melbourne in the next fortnight.
"It's too big of a picture to look at it like that," Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon said.
"We're where we're at, we haven't performed for a couple of weeks. Even the result today was irrelevant.
"It was the performance that was needed.
"We needed to see what we want to be and do. We just needed to play like the Sharks, that was the most important thing out of tonight."
Cronulla looked at their best with Brailey running out of dummy-half, and the hooker laid on the Sharks' first when he sent Trindall over early.
But after that, the Sharks defence began to break.
Dragons veteran Damien Cook turned back the clock for one try and King-Togia beat four defenders for another.
And when Jack de Belin went over with Sharks centre Jesse Ramien in the sin-bin for a professional foul it was 18-6.
Then after the break Cronulla's forwards started to get a roll on, the wind picked up and Trindall chose his moments to terrorise the Dragons.
The five-eighth first put Briton Nikora over with a short ball, before staying alive to score from one of his own bombs after Clint Gutherson and Tyrell Sloan failed to defuse it.
The go-ahead try then came when Nathan Lawson dropped Trindall's next bomb, and Katoa skipped to the outside of Dragons centre Moses Suli from the scrum to score.
"They ran a little harder in the second half, got good field position and all their kicks were contestable," Flanagan said.
"You have to make them kick long, and they were all contestable kicks. And we didn't handle the kicks.
"There's 12 points, there's the game off two kicks."
The only concern for Cronulla came in the form of a calf injury for Mawene Hiroti, just a week after fellow centre KL Iro was ruled out for two months with a pectoral tear.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Galal Yafai vs. Francisco Rodriguez Jr. preview: 'Great fight for the fans, not so good for myself'
The saying goes that comparison is the thief of joy, but you wouldn't know that from the look on Galal Yafai's face this week. The fresh-faced, beaming 32-year-old looked relaxed and composed at his final press conference on Thursday afternoon, edging closer to his 10th outing in a fast-moving professional boxing career. On Saturday night, live on DAZN, Yafai (9-0, 7 KOs) defends his WBC interim flyweight title against the experienced Mexican Francisco Rodriguez Jr. (39-6-1, 27 KOs) in front of a home Birmingham crowd. He does so while eyeing the next step in writing his own history as a fully-fledged world champion. Advertisement Since winning gold at the 2020 Olympic Games, Yafai has been compared to a litany of others in the sport. That list includes his older brothers Kal and Gamal, the stylistic technician that was the now-retired Vasyl Lomachenko, as well as fellow British Olympic gold medalists turned world champions Anthony Joshua and James DeGale. You could argue, easily, that it's a humbling group of fighters to be grouped with, but Yafai seems uninterested in such yardsticks. 'I don't want to be compared with anyone,' Yafai stated upon turning over into the pro ranks in 2022. Thrown into the relative deep end in a 10-rounder for his debut, the similarities between him and Lomachenko started, and they gained momentum when his southpaw style — accompanied by eye-catching front-footed flurries — started paying dividends against a plethora of challengers. 'I don't want to jump the gun too much and put myself in the same brackets as Lomachenko,' he claimed. 'To even be put in them brackets is so humbling, he's an unbelievable fighter that I've watched for years. Advertisement 'When I won the gold medal, I had people telling me I've joined greats who aren't even from Great Britain like Oscar De La Hoya, Pernell Whittaker, Muhammad Ali and all these fighters who have won Olympic gold. I'm not as good as them, but one thing we've all got in common is we're all Olympic champions and that's one thing that will live with me forever.' Fast-forward three years and Yafai is now just two fights away from becoming just the third male Briton to be crowned a world champion after winning an Olympic gold. Japanese star Kenshiro Teraji (25-1, 16 KOs) holds the full title at 112 pounds, and Yafai is targeting a return later this year to Japan — the site of his Olympic triumph — to challenge the champion monikered 'The Amazing Boy.' But Rodriguez Jr. is the man that stands in the way of Yafai and that dream, and Saturday's blend of styles suggests that we could be in for a memorable dust-up between two offensive protagonists. 'He's a great fighter, Rodriguez,' Yafai explained on Thursday. 'Anyone that knows him, he comes forward, I come forward. It should make for a great fight for the fans, not so good for myself and him. Advertisement 'Rodriguez should be my hardest fight, on paper. Let's hope it's not in reality on Saturday. I've had to fight Sunny [Edwards], who was number one with the Ring Magazine, then I've had to fight the WBC number one Rodriguez, and then I'll have to go to Japan probably and fight the pound-for-pound fighter who's got the WBC and WBA belts in Teraji. I've not had it easy, have I?' If Yafai is longing to be recognized by his own achievements in the sport, then a fire-fight victory over Rodriguez this weekend could go some way to laying those foundations. The further down the weight classes you ply your trade, the more pressure that is (unfairly) put on you to make sure you "entertain'" — and Yafai's smooth attacks crafted by heavy hands appear up to the task. He claims not to have had it the easy way, but fighters like Yafai wouldn't want it any other way.
Newsweek
2 days ago
- Newsweek
Apple CEO Tim Cook Confirms New Documentary on Lewis Hamilton
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Apple CEO Tim Cook has revealed that a documentary is being made on Lewis Hamilton, inspired by his story of coming from a working-class family who began his racing career in karting and went on to become one of the most successful drivers in Formula One. The topic of the documentary came up as Cook and Hamilton spoke about their roles in the upcoming F1 movie, produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Joseph Kosinski, scheduled to hit theaters on June 25 (June 27 for North America). Hamilton serves as a co-producer in the movie, who was entrusted with the task of ensuring the movie maintains F1 authenticity. Cook highlighted the role of producing partner Apple Studios in the movie. The tech giant's film and television production division has been producing films since 2019. Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Ferrari seeks shade under an umbrella in the pit lane during the F1 Grand Prix of Canada at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve on June 15, 2025 in Montreal, Canada. Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Ferrari seeks shade under an umbrella in the pit lane during the F1 Grand Prix of Canada at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve on June 15, 2025 in Montreal, Hamilton spoke about his role in an interview, Cook admitted he was inspired by the seven-time world champion and shared his eagerness to share Hamilton's story with the world. He said: "Lewis is very inspiring for me. He came from a working-class family. He broke all of the 'then rules' about who was going to be driving and who couldn't drive. Started with a go-kart and now he's an F1 driver. That's an incredible life story. "Fortunately, we're also doing a documentary on Lewis, and I can't wait. I can't wait, because I think it's the ripple in the pond that will inspire millions of people." Further details about the documentary are yet to be known, especially Hamilton's role in its production. As for the F1 movie, the Briton carried a significant responsibility on his shoulders to ensure it portrayed the sport most realistically. Newsweek Sports reported Hamilton's comments on his role as a co-producer. He said: "I really wanted to make sure the authenticity was there, and it worked for both the younger and the older audience, and then making sure that the racing was true to what it is. "All the other drivers, all the teams, are relying on me to make sure that it does." Hamilton left no stone unturned to maintain F1 realism. He even checked if Brad Pitt was race-ready before filming commenced. The Ferrari driver added: "I really wanted to see, you can actually drive? He already had the knack. He really went in deep." Related: F1 Movie Breaks Boundaries with Apple iPhone Tech For Onboard Cameras
New York Times
2 days ago
- New York Times
What I'm hearing about the Canucks' positioning ahead of NHL Draft, free agency
We're approaching that most dreaded moment of the NHL calendar. That moment when the industry's entire world turns upside down. Call it the 'silly season,' call it the 'frenzy,' call it the most dangerous time of year. As the offseason gets underway, mistakes will be made, ambitions will be dashed and Stanley Cups will be won — even if we won't know the outcome of all of the moves that are made until it plays out on the ice. Advertisement This offseason promises to be especially topsy-turvy. The salary cap is set to rise by a historic amount, both proportionally and in terms of raw dollar value, and there's a reasonable expectation — and a fixed agreement — for similarly sized lifts that will work their way through the cap system over the next three league years. Having weathered the long winter of flat cap austerity, NHL general managers have the flexibility to spend. And trade. And fix their mistakes, improve their teams and revamp their lineups. Beyond the flexibility, the desire to spend cap space and the willingness to get aggressive are about to shape this offseason. This is currently a league where absolutely no hockey operations executive is comfortable with the idea that they could get left behind and fall into an eternal rebuild in a fashion like the Chicago Blackhawks or the San Jose Sharks. There are very few sellers as the market clicks into gear, with the possible reported exception of the Pittsburgh Penguins, though perhaps another team or two will surprise us and enter that market. There are at least 25, maybe as many as 30, motivated buyers. That level of competitiveness is shaping up to be a complicating factor that Vancouver Canucks hockey operations leadership is sifting through this week. As preparations continue for a formative offseason in which the Canucks have an existential short-term goal in mind — bounce back from a nightmare season, get back to winning and competing atop the Pacific Division and appeal to Quinn Hughes to commit long-term in 12 months when he becomes extension eligible — and a precarious overall position from which to achieve that goal. Vancouver's needs up front are significant. And the path to adding the sort of pieces the club is hopeful for is fraught and getting narrower by the day. Advertisement At this point, the Canucks expect pending unrestricted free agent forwards Brock Boeser and Pius Suter to make it to July 1, further weakening their forward group. Meanwhile, an already shallow unrestricted free agent market is getting thinner seemingly hour by hour. On Thurday, Matt Duchene became the latest example of a potential Canucks target signing with their current team well in advance of July 1. Duchene's sudden absence from the free-agent frenzy means that only Toronto Maple Leafs star Mitch Marner, who isn't expected to consider signing with teams based in Canada, is likely to be both available when the market opens and be coming off a season in which he recorded 80 points or more. The Canucks, who entered the offseason hoping to add a 'top two-line centre' and two or three impact forwards to their group this offseason, are increasingly pessimistic about their ability to accomplish as much as that as they begin to get a better sense of what the offseason free agent and trade markets look like. It won't be for a lack of trying. General manager Patrik Allvin is working the phones as the offseason begins to kick into high gear, and the Canucks are open-minded about the possibilities of adding to their group on the trade market. It's becoming apparent as the meat of the NHL offseason approaches, however, just how difficult the challenges that Vancouver faces this summer are. The Canucks have some cap flexibility, after all, but not nearly as much cap flexibility as about 20 of their NHL rivals. They have some good prospects, but not nearly as many or as high-quality prospects as about 20 of their NHL rivals. And they're willing to part with their first-round pick, but so is nearly everybody else in the middle of the first round. It's in this environment that the Canucks will attempt to chart a path forward, and get back to being at least a playoff team and ideally a playoff team that can realistically aspire to making a run. Advertisement It won't be straightforward, however, and contingency plans may be needed. That's something that's becoming increasingly evident to Canucks leadership with each passing day in the early stages of the offseason. Here's some of what I'm hearing about their overall goals and positioning heading into the offseason. Duchene's decision to re-sign with the Dallas Stars on a four-year, $18 million extension is something of a blow to Vancouver's hopes of completing the intended renovation of the forward group this offseason. Duchene will turn 35 during next season, which makes a deal with significant term something of a risk. His age, however, was also an angle that could've reasonably caused him to shake loose if the Stars hadn't found the will to sign him to a deal with term attached to it. Once a player turns 35, their standard player contracts are governed by different rules designed to prevent cap circumvention shenanigans. A '35-plus' contract is trickier to hold over a multiyear horizon because of those associated risks. After signing consecutive one-year contracts with the Stars following his surprising Nashville Predators buyout, this summer was Duchene's final opportunity to sign a deal with term at fair market value. It was an opportunity the player couldn't afford to miss. If he'd made it to July 1, Vancouver would've been eager to get to the front of the line to pitch Duchene on signing in British Columbia. According to a team source, the Canucks would've been willing to offer both term and at a higher per year dollar amount than what Duchene ultimately signed for in Texas, which, of course, is a no-state tax jurisdiction. While Duchene struggled to produce in the playoffs, he was really one of the only credible top-of-the-lineup centre-capable forward options that were poised to be available on July 1. That he signed beforehand is a genuine blow for Vancouver. It takes a possible solution to the forward needs off the table. Advertisement The Canucks are already beginning to consider pivot options and work out contingency plans with the way the market is shaping up. Though trades could still provide the sorts of upgrades required, they're also prepared to make peace with the notion of utilizing Filip Chytil as their second-line centre next season. New Canucks bench boss Adam Foote sees a path to making that work next season. That path, however, is understood to require the more robust centre depth further down the lineup. The Canucks are open to trading the No. 15 pick, and will aggressively explore their options to do so in order to acquire win-now talent. If the right piece is available for a package built around that pick, however, the Canucks are almost certain to have to add more pieces to it in order to close the deal. If you look through the long history of Jim Rutherford team's trades — the Elias Lindholm, Phil Kessel and Doug Weight trades are all good examples of this — you'll notice that this is a pattern. Rutherford's teams will often add additional pieces in volume — sometimes significant pieces — to their trade packages in order to land their target. After years of rebuilding Vancouver's blue line, it's that surplus that we'll be keeping a close eye on this summer. Impressive first-year defender Elias Pettersson, referred internally as 'Petey Junior' by Canucks brass and coaches, is an untouchable on this score. The club values his character and skill set too highly for him to be an option. I believe that Vancouver is similarly attached to 2023 first-round pick Tom Willander, although he belongs in a different category, somewhat, especially in the wake of the tense negotiations that preceded him agreeing to his entry-level contract. In terms of marketable assets on the back end, that leaves Victor Mancini and Sawyer Mynio as key add-ons that we should be conscious of as trade chips. The organization is outright excited about both players and would prefer to find less painful answers to its forward needs, but there's a recognition that some level of pain must be tolerated if the Canucks are going to land the required difference-makers up front. Advertisement We should also note in this space that Kirill Kudryavtsev has really impressed Canucks brass during Abbotsford's run to the Calder Cup Final. He's unlikely to factor into NHL plans this summer, but there's a growing sense of confidence internally that he's got the hockey IQ, work ethic and jam to carve out an everyday NHL job down the line. Some other scattered notes that I'm hearing around the Canucks as the offseason begins: • Another under-the-radar Abbotsford player that's impressed during this run is Ty Mueller. Mueller, who made his NHL debut at the end of the regular season, is somewhat undersized but is viewed as a gritty, creative forward with legitimate NHL potential. • Arshdeep Bains, Linus Karlsson and Max Sasson — all of whom have performed exceptionally well in the Calder Cup playoffs — have certainly increased their chances of landing full-time NHL jobs next fall. In all of their cases, and for Aatu Räty, who's dealt with injury, the Canucks aren't going to view them as players that they need to leave a spot open for in the NHL lineup this fall, though. As a matter of developmental philosophy, they will have to earn it at training camp. • I still expect the Canucks to find a way to get an extension done with goaltender Thatcher Demko this summer. Despite the commitment they made to Kevin Lankinen in-season, Vancouver's strong preference is to have a strong goaltending tandem. Locking up both goaltenders at an expensive clip over a six-month stretch is certainly an eyebrow-raising investment of cap resources, but I don't get the sense that the Canucks are risk-averse on this score, especially in light of anticipated salary cap growth over the next several seasons. • In seeking to upgrade their forward quality, there's a variety of young players that are rumour mill headliners going into this offseason, including Minnesota Wild centre Marco Rossi, Buffalo Sabres forward JJ Peterka and Anaheim Ducks forward Trevor Zegras, for the Canucks to consider. For various reasons like size (Rossi), defensive commitment (Peterka) and hardness and speed (Zegras), this is a class of player that, while exceptionally talented and productive, will come attached to some level of question marks. It's going to be a player-by-player determination for Canucks brass in considering their options on the trade market, but the sense I get is that they're willing to swing on some riskier player profiles this summer. There are no perfect players, after all, and the Canucks need to add creativity, upside and offensive talent to their roster. • Over the past few years the Canucks have carved out a path that they've followed closely in negotiating second contracts with young players at the fringes of their NHL lineup. Including Jack Rathbone, Nils Höglander, Akito Hirose, Artūrs Šilovs and Vasili Podkolzin, Vancouver has repeatedly signed its promising but not-quite-full-time-NHL-level young players to two-year, one-way deals. The cap growth era, however, could necessitate something of an augmented approach, and Vancouver is considering becoming somewhat more flexible in working through the optimal strategy in agreeing to second contracts with its young players. The Canucks already found a compromise this summer with Willander, jettisoning their below-market preferences on entry-level contracts and Schedule A bonuses. It's a new world in the NHL, it seems, and in adjusting to it, Vancouver could be open-minded in revisiting its preferred approach to second contracts as well. (Photo of Patrik Allvin and Jim Rutherford: Jeff Vinnick / NHLI via Getty Images)
