Cronulla Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon has praised halves pairing Nicho Hynes and Braydon Trindall for their performance in the semi-final win over the Cowboys after a "difficult week" for the pair.
The Sharks came into the match on a seven match losing run in finals matches and a sobering defeat to the Storm, where Hynes' performance led to suggestions he should be dropped for the elimination match.
Hynes and Trindall answered back in a big way, playing a key role in a 26-18 victory that saw them qualify for a first preliminary final since 2018.
Trindall was the star of the show as he ran the attack, scoring two tries and getting an assist, but Hynes' was impressive in the way he allowed his halves partner to take control of the show whilst still contributing in his own way; a big tackle on Val Holmes early in the match emphasised this.
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Given the media scrutiny on the pair in the lead up to the match, Fitzgibbon was proud of how they owned up to a disappointing game in Melbourne and rebounded strongly.
"They were really good," Fitzgibbon said after the match.
"We were disappointed with Tricky's [Braydon Trindall's] performance, and same with Nicho, but [they] just owned it.
"We tried to block it all [the media attention] but it was impossible, the phones were going off everywhere you go. [I was proud of] how [Hynes] dealt with it, he walked in and he didn't shy away from anything at all this week.
"I haven't seen too many be able to deal with that and just turn up and play like that."
There has been lots of discussion on whether Hynes and Trindall can co-exist as a pair, with Hynes' absence due to injury not helping matters, but Fitzgibbon believes Friday's win is proof it can still be a winning formula for the Sharks.
"We've got trust, confidence, and belief [in them]," he said.
"The combination with [Trindall] and Nicho worked really well. They didn't get in each other's road, they used each other really well sometimes."
The Sharks face the unenviable task in next week's preliminary final of knocking off the four-peat chasing Penrith Panthers.
