{"id":155606,"date":"2025-09-20T01:43:12","date_gmt":"2025-09-20T01:43:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/155606\/"},"modified":"2025-09-20T01:43:12","modified_gmt":"2025-09-20T01:43:12","slug":"nrl-2025-cronulla-sharks-blayke-brailey-finals-leadership-camp","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/155606\/","title":{"rendered":"NRL 2025, Cronulla Sharks, Blayke Brailey, finals, leadership camp"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Sharks skipper Blayke Brailey has opened up on the leadership camp that helped Cronulla regroup after the loss of Cameron McInnes and lay the foundation for a deep run into the finals.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Cronulla entered the bye in Round 25 reeling after scans confirmed their captain had town his ACL just a couple of days earlier.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The week off turned out to be perfectly timed, with the side\u2019s leadership group assembling in Brighton for a camp to map out a path forward.<\/p>\n<p>      &#13;<br \/>\n        599&#8243;, &#8220;&gt;809&#8221;, &#8220;&gt;959&#8243;]&#8221;<br \/>\n          data-eqio-prefix=&#8221;video-post-screen&#8221;<br \/>\n          ref=&#8221;root&#8221;<br \/>\n        &gt;<\/p>\n<p>            &#13;<br \/>\n              &#13;<br \/>\n                  Up Next&#13;<br \/>\n              &#13;<br \/>\n              &#13;<\/p>\n<p class=\"card-content__topic o-topic u-color-white u-display-flex u-flex-wrap-yes u-font-weight-500\" v-if=\"isTvContent\">&#13;<br \/>\n                &#13;<br \/>\n                \/&#13;<br \/>\n                &#13;\n              <\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n              &#13;<br \/>\n              &#13;<br \/>\n              &#13;<\/p>\n<p>            &#13;<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n                &#13;<br \/>\n                  &#13;<br \/>\n                  &#13;<br \/>\n                    Replay&#13;<br \/>\n                  &#13;<br \/>\n                &#13;<br \/>\n                &#13;<br \/>\n                  &#13;<br \/>\n                  &#13;<br \/>\n                    Play Next&#13;<br \/>\n                  &#13;<br \/>\n                &#13;\n              <\/p>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<p>        &#13;<\/p>\n<p class=\"video-player__title\">Brailey runs the show for the Sharks<\/p>\n<p>It was here that coach Craig Fitzgibbon informed Brailey he would be the new captain and the seeds were planted for a run to the post-season.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The Sharks will take the next step in their premiership bid when they face the Raiders in Saturday night&#8217;s semi-final and the skipper said the leadership group used the camp to get their season back on track.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The camp was massive,&#8221; Brailey told NRL.com. &#8220;In that time Cam went down and we had to lean on each other. That&#8217;s when I found out the news that Fitzy was going to put his faith in me.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It was a big moment in our season and anytime we can get together and connect as a playing group and a leadership group, we&#8217;re going to take it. We took a lot from that night together.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We had a meal together, had a few talks, really got close to each other. It was a great day-and-a-half together, then we had training the next day so it was awesome to take that back to training.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The Cronulla leadership group is made up of a mix of high-profile stars and softly-spoken individuals who let their football do the talking.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Halves Nicho Hynes and Braden Trindall, prop Addin Fonua-Blake and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nrl.com\/news\/2025\/09\/18\/how-dominant-bench-is-changing-the-game-for-cronulla\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">impact forward Sifa Talakai<\/a> were among the players who attended the camp.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The Sharks travelled to Canberra on Thursday determined to pull off an upset at GIO Stadium and book a preliminary final date with the Storm.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The two teams enter Saturday&#8217;s match in starkly different positions.\u00a0The minor premiers rested 11 players for a 62-24 Round 27 loss to the Dolphins before letting a 28-12 lead slip and falling to the Broncos in a 94-minute extra-time marathon last Sunday afternoon.<\/p>\n<p>Cronulla haven\u2019t lost a game since Brailey took over as skipper, winning four on the trot, including impressive victories over the Bulldogs and Roosters in the last two weeks.<\/p>\n<p>Rather than let the pressure of the job get to him, Hynes said Brailey has relished the opportunity to step up and lead from the front.<\/p>\n<p>      &#13;<br \/>\n        599&#8243;, &#8220;&gt;809&#8221;, &#8220;&gt;959&#8243;]&#8221;<br \/>\n          data-eqio-prefix=&#8221;video-post-screen&#8221;<br \/>\n          ref=&#8221;root&#8221;<br \/>\n        &gt;<\/p>\n<p>            &#13;<br \/>\n              &#13;<br \/>\n                  Up Next&#13;<br \/>\n              &#13;<br \/>\n              &#13;<\/p>\n<p class=\"card-content__topic o-topic u-color-white u-display-flex u-flex-wrap-yes u-font-weight-500\" v-if=\"isTvContent\">&#13;<br \/>\n                &#13;<br \/>\n                \/&#13;<br \/>\n                &#13;\n              <\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n              &#13;<br \/>\n              &#13;<br \/>\n              &#13;<\/p>\n<p>            &#13;<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n                &#13;<br \/>\n                  &#13;<br \/>\n                  &#13;<br \/>\n                    Replay&#13;<br \/>\n                  &#13;<br \/>\n                &#13;<br \/>\n                &#13;<br \/>\n                  &#13;<br \/>\n                  &#13;<br \/>\n                    Play Next&#13;<br \/>\n                  &#13;<br \/>\n                &#13;\n              <\/p>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<p>        &#13;<\/p>\n<p class=\"video-player__title\">Sharks v Roosters\u00a0&#8211; Finals Week 1, 2025<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s been such a good development in him and his voice,&#8221; Hynes said. &#8220;He usually doesn&#8217;t say too much, can be a bit of a smart aleck sometimes but he&#8217;s taken this in his stride.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It was a great decision by Fitzy to make him captain. He&#8217;s taken that extra workload really well and the players around him, the leadership group have stepped up too.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Blayke being captain now sets him up to be an even better leader later. He&#8217;s just signed long-term, he could be captain here for a long time. I feel it was a really good play and I&#8217;m excited to see him develop in that role.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Brailey grew up a stone&#8217;s throw from Sharks Stadium and spent his childhood at the ground watching his heroes play, dreaming of one day running out for the side.<\/p>\n<p>      &#13;<br \/>\n        599&#8243;, &#8220;&gt;809&#8221;, &#8220;&gt;959&#8243;]&#8221;<br \/>\n          data-eqio-prefix=&#8221;video-post-screen&#8221;<br \/>\n          ref=&#8221;root&#8221;<br \/>\n        &gt;<\/p>\n<p>            &#13;<br \/>\n              &#13;<br \/>\n                  Up Next&#13;<br \/>\n              &#13;<br \/>\n              &#13;<\/p>\n<p class=\"card-content__topic o-topic u-color-white u-display-flex u-flex-wrap-yes u-font-weight-500\" v-if=\"isTvContent\">&#13;<br \/>\n                &#13;<br \/>\n                \/&#13;<br \/>\n                &#13;\n              <\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n              &#13;<br \/>\n              &#13;<br \/>\n              &#13;<\/p>\n<p>            &#13;<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n                &#13;<br \/>\n                  &#13;<br \/>\n                  &#13;<br \/>\n                    Replay&#13;<br \/>\n                  &#13;<br \/>\n                &#13;<br \/>\n                &#13;<br \/>\n                  &#13;<br \/>\n                  &#13;<br \/>\n                    Play Next&#13;<br \/>\n                  &#13;<br \/>\n                &#13;\n              <\/p>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<p>        &#13;<\/p>\n<p class=\"video-player__title\">GF glory: Fifita breaks the Storm wall<\/p>\n<p>The hooker was in the stands at Accor Stadium when Andrew Fifita crashed over to deliver Cronulla&#8217;s first premiership in 2016 and gets emotional when talking about the moment Paul Gallen hoisted the Provan-Summons Trophy.<\/p>\n<p>Having lived in the Shire and supported the Sharks his entire life, Brailey knows exactly how much the team means to this community. It&#8217;s why he has vowed to do everything he can to join Gallen as a premiership-winning captain on October 5.<\/p>\n<p>      &#13;<br \/>\n        599&#8243;, &#8220;&gt;809&#8221;, &#8220;&gt;959&#8243;]&#8221;<br \/>\n          data-eqio-prefix=&#8221;video-post-screen&#8221;<br \/>\n          ref=&#8221;root&#8221;<br \/>\n        &gt;<\/p>\n<p>            &#13;<br \/>\n              &#13;<br \/>\n                  Up Next&#13;<br \/>\n              &#13;<br \/>\n              &#13;<\/p>\n<p class=\"card-content__topic o-topic u-color-white u-display-flex u-flex-wrap-yes u-font-weight-500\" v-if=\"isTvContent\">&#13;<br \/>\n                &#13;<br \/>\n                \/&#13;<br \/>\n                &#13;\n              <\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n              &#13;<br \/>\n              &#13;<br \/>\n              &#13;<\/p>\n<p>            &#13;<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n                &#13;<br \/>\n                  &#13;<br \/>\n                  &#13;<br \/>\n                    Replay&#13;<br \/>\n                  &#13;<br \/>\n                &#13;<br \/>\n                &#13;<br \/>\n                  &#13;<br \/>\n                  &#13;<br \/>\n                    Play Next&#13;<br \/>\n                  &#13;<br \/>\n                &#13;\n              <\/p>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<p>        &#13;<\/p>\n<p class=\"video-player__title\">Iconic speeches: &#8216;Turn your porch lights off&#8217;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;In 2016 I was 18 and starting to get a few training days with the side,&#8221; Brailey said. &#8220;I still get emotional thinking about that day and the thought I could one day hopefully be in that situation too.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;To see Gal with that trophy was a long time coming. I&#8217;m really proud to be a Shire kid and to see him with that trophy was a dream come true. I want to bring that feeling back to the Shire.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Until that day comes, I won&#8217;t stop working hard and hopefully that day comes soon.&#8221;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Sharks skipper Blayke Brailey has opened up on the leadership camp that helped Cronulla regroup after the loss&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":155607,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[568],"tags":[64,63,761,762,158,85],"class_list":{"0":"post-155606","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nrl","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-national-rugby-league","11":"tag-nationalrugbyleague","12":"tag-nrl","13":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/155606","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=155606"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/155606\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/155607"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=155606"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=155606"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=155606"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}