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AAP
AAP
Sport
Jasper Bruce

No bad blood with NRL's Walker: McInnes

Cronulla hooker Cameron McInnes has great respect for former teammate Cody Walker. (James Gourley/AAP PHOTOS) (AAP)

Cronulla forward Cameron McInnes insists there's no hard feelings between himself and former South Sydney teammate Cody Walker ahead of Saturday's NRL semi-final.

The Sharks targeted the emotional Walker the last time they met South Sydney and eventually got the result they were after.

A Nicho Hynes field goal in golden point ensured the Sharks were the first side to defeat the Rabbitohs since Latrell Mitchell's return from a hamstring injury.

McInnes had a busy night in that round 20 clash, running for more metres than any other Sharks forward, and was brushed when he went to shake Walker's hand at full-time, something which drew commentators' attention.

But McInnes said he only needed to look at the pair's time together at the Rabbitohs to know there was nothing lingering about Walker's snub.

"I remember when I was there with him, he was very competitive at training, as am I," McInnes told AAP.

"We'd always have those sorts of battles. Afterwards, it's always fine.

"He's such a competitive person. (The round 20 loss) would have been heartbreaking for him."

McInnes played hooker for Souths the day Walker made his NRL debut in round one of the 2016 season.

The pair remained friends after McInnes joined St George Illawarra in 2017 and reunited in NSW's State of Origin camp two years ago.

"I've had a great relationship with Cody," McInnes said.

"I have nothing but respect for him, for his career. He's a remarkable one.

"It's unfortunate the cameras caught (Walker's snub) because it happens all the time. In this day and age, a lot of things get read into more than they need to.

"There was nothing in it at all."

The Sharks come into the second week of the finals having lost a brutal 93-minute encounter with North Queensland last Saturday.

But McInnes said the golden-point loss would prop the Sharks up, not weigh them down.

"If anything it'll give us a little boost because it was a great game," he said.

"We had our opportunities, we didn't always take them, but we can take confidence out of it.

"It's sudden-death (this week). If you can't get up for do-or-die, then you never will."

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