Craig Fitzgibbon is facing a tough situation at the Cronulla Sharks, with the three quality halves at his disposal almost certainly needing to become two by 2026 or potentially earlier.
Nicho Hynes, Braydon Trindall and Dan Atkinson have shared the playmaking duties in 2024 but Trindall’s certain to double his salary or better come 2026 and Atkinson will also be in line for a huge raise in the same season.
Hynes will receive his much-publicised $1 million salary for five more seasons.
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It’s impossible to have huge dollars in your salary cap tied up by three halves – the only way they all stay at the club is some form of positional switch, potentially with Hynes moving to the No.1 jersey if Will Kennedy is not extended by the club after his current deal expires in 2025.
Hynes’ bumper salary is unlikely to appeal to many clubs, meaning one of Trindall and Atkinson will be the odd man out at PointsBet Stadium.
Braydon Trindall scores. (Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)
Both have excelled at different stages of the campaign but Trindall has been trusted by Fitzgibbon at the business end of the season as the 25-year-old has taken over primary playmaker duties from the two-time NSW Blues representative.
Not many pundits give Cronulla much of a hope in Saturday’s trip to Accor Stadium where the four-peat-chasing Panthers await but should Trindall preside over the club’s first preliminary final triumph since the 2016 premiership the dollar value of his next contract could skyrocket.
That could price the Shire club out of retaining his services, leaving Atkinson and Hynes as Fitzy’s likely halves pairing from 2026 onwards.
Where could Trindall land in 2026?
When the calendar turns to November, Trindall will be a hot commodity given the dearth of top-quality halves currently in the NRL – especially young ones.
Currently in his mid-20s, his next contract will be likely be the richest of his career regardless of where he signs but just how much money he’s able to get will also depend on how ambitious Trindall is.
Jarome Luai’s big money move to Concord shows clubs towards the bottom of the NRL ladder are willing to splash the cash for proven match-winners. The Luai case may prove to be a cautionary tale for both player and club in terms of on-field success but what’s for sure is the Blues five-eighth will be one of the top earners in the competition for much of the deal.
Benji Marshall’s side won’t be in the market for Trindall with very promising 19-year-old Lachlan Galvin also on their books but fellow strugglers South Sydney may be interested considering the ill-fated Lachlan Ilias experiment.
Despite his form barely dipping, Sea Eagles captain Daly Cherry-Evans is no spring chicken at 35 years of age and could be keen on a return home to one of the Sunshine State clubs – with one in particular probably unlikely.
The one-club man could certainly re-sign on the Northern Beaches and is not really showing signs of slowing down in the near future but perhaps Manly will look at future-proofing their halves.
After reports of a less than favourable end-of-season review, rumours about Ben Hunt leaving the Dragons have swirled – could Trindall be wearing the red and white in 2026?
Adam O’Brien tried multiple halves combinations in 2024 with Phoenix Crossland and Jack Cogger seemingly the preferred pairing but looking around the NRL, that’s hardly a top-quality duo. Those two Knights are on the books until 2026 but in this day and age of rugby leage, all manner of squad composition issues can be solved one way or another.
Adam Reynolds. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
The Broncos could be an interesting landing spot for Trindall with 2025 looming as current No.7 Adam Reynolds’ last season.
Reynolds still brings quality when fit but that is becoming rarer, with injury worries limiting him to 13 appearances this season. He will be 35 before the start of 2026 so if they don’t convince Sam Walker to leave the Roosters, the timing lines up for Trindall to succeed Reynolds at Suncorp Stadium.
Come November 1, Trindall will likely be looking at multiple lucrative offers and his decision looms as a tough one as he weighs the lure of a premiership title against squeezing every cent out of a career that could end within a decade.
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