Cronk: The player Sydney must expose in semi-final clash

If anyone knows about playing through injury during a key final, it’s Cooper Cronk.

The halfback played the 2018 Grand Final with a 15cm fracture through his scapula as the Roosters went on to beat Melbourne 21-6.

And with Cronulla five-eighth Braydon Trindall having just returned from a dislocated shoulder, the four-time premiership player believes his former side must expose him to help ensure Sydney’s progression into the preliminary final.

Having been out for their last three games of the home and away season, the 27-year-old played in the Sharks’ elimination final against the Cowboys, managing a try assist and kicking for 574 metres.

But having been required to make only 10 tackles (missing three), the 375-game player thinks the Tricolours must force Trindall into making more tackles to create try-scoring opportunities.

“There is a little bit of an art trying not to get involved as much as you can,” Cronk explained on SEN’s Kick Off.

“You gotta understand the game style of the opposition, where they like to play, where some of their back rowers sit and whether you have to make a tackle or not.

“But I think this is a chance for the Roosters to really power through the halves of the Sharks, like you've got Nicho Hynes on one side and yeah, they just can't miss the mark.

“Trindall only made less than a dozen tackles on the weekend, and I think you've gotta target him. It'll probably be Siua Wong on that side; you gotta go inside shoulder, outside shoulder.

“So, if the Roosters win, I think they've gotta set the game up in the first 20 minutes, just play short balls to the back rower, make Trindle make tackles.

“And as we saw on the weekend, he was brave, like he was hanging on by a thread, but if he makes 20 tackles, he's gonna miss a couple. It's probably gonna lead to a try or a quick play the ball.

“I definitely think the Roosters need to expose it."

The Sharks will face Sydney at Allianz Stadium this Saturday with kick-off taking place at 7:50pm AEST.

SEN League will have live coverage of the clash across our radio network and on the SEN app from 7pm, with the match beginning at 7:50pm.

The winner of this semi-final plays the Dolphins in a preliminary final at Suncorp Stadium on September 25 (Friday night).