The Tackle: Cronulla’s No.7 dilemma over Braydon Trindall and Nicho Hynes, Stephen Crichton’s special presentation to Brian To’o

Braydon Trindall has been given the keys as the Sharks’ dominant playmaker and should be the front runner to wear the no.7 jersey in 2025, but where does that leave Nicho Hynes? FATIMA KDOUH has that and more in The Tackle.

An explosive preliminary finals weekend sparked multiple talking points, with Storm giant Nelson Asofa-Solomona’s high shot on Roosters opposite Lindsay Collins drawing much debate.

FATIMA KDOUH reveals why Asofa-Solomona can’t be cleared for the grand final, while also revealing her likes and dislikes in The Tackle.

PRELIMINARY FINALS DISLIKES

DO THE CRIME, DO THE TIME

The antiquated talk about letting illegal tackles slide simply because a grand final is at stake does not wash in the modern game.

Storm behemoth Nelson Asofa-Solomona was hit with a four-game ban for a high shot on Lindsay Collins in the opening minute of Friday’s preliminary Final that rubbed the Roosters prop out of the match.

It shouldn’t matter that Melbourne’s next game is the grand final or that there was no intent from Asofa-Solomona to maim Collins.

The match review committee cops a lot of flack, but it made the right call on Asofa-Solomona. So did referee Grant Atkins in sin binning Asofa-Solomona at the time.

Many have tried to argue that Asofa-Solomona’s tackle was an accident.

That his height (6’6) had an impact on the outcome of the tackle.

All those things might be true, but if the match review committee starts showing leniency based on the accidental nature of a careless tackle, the incentive for the defender to ensure good technique, good decision making and to lower their target zone is diminished.

Nelson Asofa-Solomona high shot on Lindsay Collins. Video: Fox League

There has got to be an onus on the defender not to put the ball carrier in a dangerous position, or in a position to suffer a concussion.

At least former South Sydney coach Jason Demetriou wasn’t afraid to tell it how is.

“You do the crime, you do the time,” Demetriou said on Triple M.

The latest addition to Nelson Asofa-Solomona’s growing rap sheet. Picture: NRL Photos

And Asofa-Solomona has done the same crime twice in the regular season before Friday night’s clash. It shouldn’t matter that his latest indiscretion happened to come on the eve of Melbourne’s biggest game of the year.

Storm coach Craig Bellamy went in to bat for his charger, as expected, after the game telling reporters that not only was Asofa-Solomona’s hit not a sin bin but that he didn’t think there “was a whole heap in it.”

But there was enough in that tackle to rule Collins out of the game from the kick-off.

Worse still, had the Roosters made it through to the grand final Collins would have been forced to miss the clash under the NRL’s 11-day stand down protocols after showing category one concussion symptoms.

If as a game we can accept Collins should be subject to a stand down that would have lead to him missing a grand final, then the same school of thought should apply to the player that is deemed to have caused the head injury.

TRIP FARCE

Ivan Cleary didn’t hold back on the controversial Siosifa Talakai obstruction call that denied his side a try and the Penrith coach didn’t miss the bunker on Toby Rudolf’s trip either.

“Used to be a send off in my day,” Cleary said after Saturday’s preliminary final win.

The trip should absolutely still be a sin bin offence in today’s game.

It should elicit the same sense of disdain that players and fans feel about cheap shots and the feigning of injury.

Ashley Klein should have sin-binned Toby Rudolf for blatantly tripping Penrith lock Isaah Yeo early in the game, a mere penalty was not sufficient.

At this point, video bunker official Chris Butler should have intervened to sin bin Rudolf.

The fact referees have been encouraged to “put away the whistle” and for the bunker to keep their intervention at a minimum, fans and players alike should not have been a reason for Rudolf to stay on the field.

Illegal play like tripping should be a line in the sand indiscretion regardless of the enormity or importance of the game.

The match review committee whacked Rudolf with a one-game ban after charging the Cronulla prop with a grade two dangerous contact (tripping) on Sunday.

It’s the right call. Now it’s on the on-field referees and bunker officials to clamp down the illegal tactic during matches.

Toby Rudolf was only penalised for this blatant trip on Isaah Yeo.

CHEAP SHOT

Speaking of cheap shots, Cronulla’s Siosifa Talakai was as lucky as teammate Toby Rudolf in staying on the field on Saturday night.

The NRL is working hard to protect players from head injury and concussion but player welfare should extend to late shots on playmakers.

Talakai clearly hit Penrith five-eighth Jarome Luai with a late, and forceful, tackle in the back.

“I hate that tackle, it is the biggest cheap shot in the game,” Andrew Johns said on Channel 9.

“The ball player passes the ball and then relaxes and you go ‘I’ll rearrange the kidneys’.

There was no way for Luai to protect himself from Talakai.

But again both the referee and bunker ruled that a penalty was sufficient.

Later in the match, Penrith forward was penalised for pushing Tom Hazelton in what appeared to be minimal contact in the 58th minute.

The fact that both incidents drew the same punishment left fans scratching their heads.

It sets a dangerous precedent ahead of Sunday’s grand final, that a defending player could try to take out a playmaker and the only punishment would be a penalty.

Or that minimal contact could lead also to a decisive penalty when it should be play on.

Penrith coach Ivan Cleary won’t be the only one feeling anxious over the refereeing, Panthers and Storm fans would be feeling the same.

Siosifa Talakai levelled Jarome Luai with this forceful late hit on Jarome Luai.

PRELIMINARY FINALS LIKES

TRICKY TRINDALL SITUATION

Some coaches will tell you that it doesn’t matter what number a playmaker wears on his back.

That these days the role of a playmaker is not dedicated by the no.7 or no.6 on his jumper.

But the symbolism of wearing the no.7 as the side’s general remains unchanged.

It poses an interesting question for Cronulla coach Craig Fitzgibbon over the summer.

Nicho Hynes might be the man on the $1 million dollar salary but he has been usurped as Cronulla’s general by Braydon Trindall?

Trindall has been given the keys to the Sharks as the side’s dominant playmaker and should be the front runner to wear the no.7 jersey in round one in 2025.

Has Braydon Trindall usurped Nicho Hynes as Cronulla’s No.1 playmaker?

Already there has been talk that Hynes will make a shift into five-eighth, or even fullback, next year such has been Trindall’s dominance running the show for Cronulla.

It will give Hynes the chance to run the ball with freedom but without the pressure of feeling like he has to take control of the team. It worked wonders for perennial Tigers whipping boy Luke Brooks when he ditched the no.7 jumper to play as a foil for halfback Daly Cherry-Evans at Manly.

Moving Hynes to fullback will create a bigger selection dilemma for Fitzgibbon in what the coach does with Will Kennedy, who has been the unsung hero of Cronulla back five in recent seasons.

Kennedy is off-contract from November 1 and any move to relegate him to second choice fullback behind Hynes could see the 27-year old opt to look for an opportunity at a rival club.

TO’O’s NO.1 FAN

Canterbury skipper Stephen Crichton braved the rain to join the 35,000 fans in the stands for Saturday’s preliminary final at Accor Stadium.

Crichton, who won three premierships with Penrith, was on hand to cheer on his former Panthers teammates and best friend Brian To’o.

He celebrated with To’o in the stands after the match even presenting the powerhouse winger with traditional Samoan ula lole leis – which are leis made from candy and ribbon to celebrate success and achievement in Polynesian culture.

Stephen Crichton was in the stands to cheer on former Penrith teammates and best friend Brian To'o.

The touching moment between the teammates turned ‘brothers’ was captured and shared on social media by Crichton on Sunday morning.

“Proud of my uso (brother),” Crichton shared on Instagram.

“Go get another one (premiership) my brother.”

Crichton was a revered member of Penrith’s three-straight titles and is again likely to be in crowd for Sunday’s grand final to witness his former side’s quest to make history by winning a fourth premiership.

Brian To'o embraces Stephen Crichton in the crowd. Video: Instagram

MARK OF RESPECT

Storm coach Craig Bellamy delivered a classy show of respect on Friday night, going out of his way to seek out departing Roosters Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Luke Keary – who are bound for the English Super League in 2025.

The Roosters’ loss to Melbourne marked an end of an era for the experienced duo and Bellamy was sure to pay tribute to both players.

The coach even revealed he rated Keary so highly that he had tried to lure playmaker to Melbourne after his messy exit from South Sydney as a premiership winner in 2016.

Jared Waerea-Hargreaves shares a moment with Storm coach Craig Bellamy. Video: Fox League

“I remember when Luke left Souths, we tried to get him here. I thought we were a really good chance, we spoke to him and I could see what a good player he was,” Bellamy revealed.

“But when I met him … he was just a good bloke too, a good person. A person you want in your club.

“I really admire how they play the game and that consistency they’ve shown over a long period of time, they probably deserve a few more wraps than what they’re getting.”

Craig Bellamy's post-match moment with Roosters stars Luke Keary and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves. Picture: Fox Sports

TANTALISING SPINE DUEL

Sunday’s grand final winner will rest on the shoulders of the star-studded spines of Penrith and Melbourne.

In one corner is the result of the Storm’s recruitment and retention theory of ‘saving money by spending it’.

The club has opened the cheque book to secure Ryan Papenhuyzen, Cameron Munster, Jahrome Hughes and Harry Grant – which it believes has helped to recruit players willing to take a haircut to play alongside the star quartet.

But against the Roosters on Friday, it was Melbourne’s huge investment in the four spine players that paid off big time.

The Melbourne Storm 'Big Four'. Video: Fox League

Papenhuyzen and Munster tormented the Roosters defence splitting it open with ease, Grant was at his scheming best at dummy-half and Hughes again was in complete control. They scored seven of Melbourne’s eight tries in 48-18 win over the Roosters.

In the other corner is Penrith’s own playmaking arsenal of Dylan Edwards, Mitch Kenny, Jarome Luai and Nathan Cleary.

While Kenny might not be as heralded as Grant in the no.9 jumper, the Panthers have an edge at lock in Isaah Yeo.

Ryan Papenhuyzen and Harry Grant celebrate. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Yeo, who became Penrith’s most capped player, combined seamlessly with Edwards and Cleary to pick apart Cronulla’s defence in the second half of Saturday’s preliminary final.

Like Hughes, Cleary was in complete control of his game, pulling the right reign at the right time, whether it was his pass or kick selection.

While the bookies can’t separate the two powerhouse clubs, the difference on Sunday will come down to which spine is able to dominate the contest.

But even that is too hard to predict.

Originally published as The Tackle: Cronulla’s No.7 dilemma over Braydon Trindall and Nicho Hynes, Stephen Crichton’s special presentation to Brian To’o