‘It won’t happen again’: Trindall breaks silence on drink-driving, drugs charges

Sharks star Braydon Trindall has pledged there will never be a repeat of an incident in which he was caught driving to training under the influence of alcohol, and with an illicit substance also in his system, by stating: “It won’t happen again”.

In his first interview since being stood down as he faced police charges in April, a situation which threatened to torpedo his season, Trindall admitted he’s “continuing to work on myself” after making an NRL return.

Trindall recorded a mid-range alcohol reading of 0.125 at a roadside test, which also came back positive for recreational drugs, the morning after the Sharks thumped North Queensland in April.

He was fined and disqualified from driving for three months when he faced court in May.

The 24-year-old expressed his remorse to the club and missed more than a month of action, having been handed a breach notice. The NRL deemed the time he was out from the game until he faced court was included in his penalty.

“It won’t happen again,” Trindall said. “We’ve gone over that and it’s been dealt with. I’m continuing to work on myself in the background.

Sharks star Braydon Trindall.Credit: Getty Images

“I’ve definitely come out the other side as a better person for it. I want to repay everyone that’s supported me by playing some good footy.”

It was a sour note for what had started as such a promising season for Trindall, having won the Preston Campbell Medal as man of the match in the pre-season All-Stars fixture and helping the Sharks to top the competition in the early months.

But his campaign came crashing down when news emerged of the drink-driving and drugs charges, with coach Craig Fitzgibbon expressing disappointment in Trindall’s actions. He has since returned as Nicho Hynes’ halves partner.

“He’s [Fitzgibbon] been awesome,” Trindall said. “He supported me the whole way. I just want to repay him. I just wanted to focus on [what was happening] and getting through that first.

“But I’m feeling good [now]. The boys showed a lot of support. It’s good being back and I’m keen to work hard for them.”

The Sharks are clinging to a top four spot after losing four of their last five matches, including a golden-point cliffhanger against the Bulldogs on Friday night.

Hynes hooked what would have been the winning field-goal in extra time, only to watch Matt Burton boot a miraculous one-pointer off the post in the next set.

“We were talking as a team and we will win plenty of games if we play like that,” Trindall said. “We’re not too worried.”

Said Burton on Hynes: “I feel sorry for him a bit. He had the opportunity to ice it there, but that’s only going to make him better. I’ve been through the same thing, and it only makes you better. He’s a class player and I have no doubt he’ll bounce back and be better for it.”

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