Braydon Trindall can feel the end of era coming as in-form Cronulla brace for a torrid test of their NRL title credentials in a season-shaping month of crunch matches.
After a hot-and-cold start to 2026, the Sharks have strung together three straight wins for the first time, finally muscling up in "D" as Trindall nominates defence as the must-improve area for the league's perennial under-achievers.
After bowing out in the preliminary finals the past two years, the Sharks head to Auckland to tackle the second-placed Warriors on Friday night knowing conceding less points against the competition heavyweights is key to taking the next step towards another elusive grand final.
Eighteen of the last 20 NRL champions have been among the top-three defensive performers during the regular season.
