NRL star Braden Hamlin-Uele wins 2021 with insane post-try celebration

Sharks forward Braden Hamlin-Uele paid homage to pro wrestling with what will go down in history as one of the best post-try celebrations.

The new rules were meant to eliminate the wrestle from the game, but Braden Hamlin-Uele must have missed the memo after he dished out a People’s Elbow that would have made the Rock proud in Cronulla’s 20-12 win over the Warriors.

We’ve seen some solid post-try celebrations as part of Try July, but this one takes the cake and deserves more than a $5000 donation from Sportsbet to the Men of League Foundation.

With his side on the front foot, Hamlin-Uele charged onto a short ball and steamrolled Reece Walsh to make it 18-6. What happened next will go down in NRL folklore forever.

The big man got up and appeared to punch teammate Jack Williams. For a split second it looked like he’d lost the plot and committed the craziest act ever seen on a footy field, but it quickly dawned that he was performing a celebration that was more scripted than a WWE tag team title fight.

Pretending to come off the ropes, Hamlin-Uele then landed the Rock’s famous People’s Elbow in a moment that brought a brief moment of joy to a fanbase that is on tenterhooks as it waits to see how the game will handle the Covid situation.

“I’ve never seen it (at training),” Sharks caretaker coach Josh Hannay said.

“I didn’t see it at first because we were looking at the play that led to the try, and then I saw a glimpse of it. It’s for a good cause, so at least that money is going to a worthwhile cause.”

“Hopefully he’s putting as much focus into his footy as he did that try celebration.”

Bus boys

As the NRL moved to resolve another Covid-19 scare, the New Zealand Warriors found themselves trapped on their team bus prior to the game.

The NRL was notified on Sunday that a member of the game day catering staff at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium had been identified as a casual contact of a Covid-19 case.

The employee left the stadium immediately, as did other staff members with whom they had contact on game day.

Alternative catering measures were arranged and the stadium underwent thorough cleaning, during which time the Warriors were delayed on their team bus.

An NRL spokesperson confirmed to NCA NewsWire that both teams, as well as employees at the venue, adhered to the league’s Covid-19 protocols throughout the ordeal.

Walsh (R) scored the first try of the afternoon. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

Hub life

It appears 12 teams will head to south-east Queensland as the NRL looks to get players out of NSW following another day of alarming cases in the state.

It’s yet another setback for a Warriors team that has been away from home for more than 12 months in a selfless act that has kept the competition alive.

Despite their gameday Covid-19 holdup, the Warriors started the match well and opened the scoring through Reece Walsh, but they lacked a spark in attack with Roger Tuivasa-Sheck kept quiet on the wing until he injected himself into the contest with a try midway through the second half.

The Sharks have soldified their spot in the top eight (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

Tricky or treat

It remains unclear who will partner Nicho Hynes in the halves next year, but Braydon Trindall did his chances no harm with a terrific audition on Sunday afternoon to help the Sharks secure two crucial competition points.

On his 22nd birthday, Trindall was the one handing out presents when he set Connor Tracey up for Cronulla’s first try of the afternoon. For good measure, he then sliced through for the first try of his NRL career.

Trindall was only moved to the halves after Tracey shifted to the centres, and he should be one of the favourites to wear the No.7 jersey in 2022 ahead of Matt Moylan, who missed Sunday’s clash through injury.

The man he could replace, Shaun Johnson, overcame a leg injury picked up at training and picked apart the team he’ll rejoin next season with a number of forced line dropouts.

“He (Johnson) is probably less the ‘big play’ guy these days but he’s more that veteran half,” Hannay said.

“I think he’s understanding as he gets older the tempo of rugby league and when to pull the trigger. I thought Braydon was a good foil for him.”