The search for a playmaker to partner Nicho Hynes on the Shire next season is beginning to become "a good headache" for incoming Cronulla coach Craig Fitzgibbon.
Having moved on veteran half duo Chad Townsend and Shaun Johnson, a large void had opened up in Cronulla's No.6 and No.7 jumpers for the latter half of this season as the club looks to land a top-eight finish under interim coach Josh Hannay.
Currently placed in ninth with a 9-13 record, the Sharks have a chance to leap back into a finals placing with a win over Brisbane on Saturday.
A victory at Suncorp Stadium would also see the Sharks land consecutive wins for the first time since rounds 14 and 15 thanks to last weekend's dominance over the Wests Tigers.
The 50-20 thrashing over their Sydney rivals saw the emergence of young half Luke Metcalf flourish in a partnership with halfback Braydon Trindall.
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The pair were electric in veteran Matt Moylan's absence, with the 30-year-old battling a calf complaint.
Hannay revealed toย The Sydney Morning Heraldย that the club has taken a more conservative approach to aid his senior five-eighth's recovery, with Metcalf having a "phenomenal" outing against the Tigers in his place.
โWe didnโt want to jump from โA to Zโ with Matt and go from 20 minutes to 80 minutes with him, which is a plan that sat well with โMoyzaโ,โ Hannay said.
โAnd the fact Luke went so well last weekend [against the Tigers], we donโt feel pressured to push Matt.
โI was stoked with Luke. We needed to win that last week. I had seen enough in him in his two or three cameos and around training to be confident that it was going to be more of a calculated risk than a risk.
โBy no means did I envisage him having the game he had. I thought he was phenomenal. I was quietly confident heโd hold his gloves up and do enough to keep us in game before we rolled Matt out.โ
While Metcalf received plenty of plaudits from Hannay and the Sharks faithful, the interim manager was just as glowing in Trindall ahead of Saturday's clash with Brisbane.
The 22-year-old has taken his chances since securing a starting spot for the Sharks in Round 16 after after nine prior performances from the interchange.
Trindall has since shined in eight outings from the starting 13, split evenly between five-eighth and halfback.
Hannay stated that by the time Fitzgibbon arrives at the club, Trindall will hold aneven greater role within the Sharks' squad for the future.
โWhat we are seeing would certainly lead us all to believe, and I think Craig would be seeing it as well, thereโs a good young half in Braydon,โ Hannay said, perย The Daily Telegraph.ย
โAnd the more opportunity he is getting in first grade, the better he is getting.
โThe last couple of months where he has had to step into some really big shoes has been wonderful for his development.
โHeโs probably made a lot of people sit back and go, โWell this kid, he might be the guy for our futureโ.
โI think thatโs a really good headache for Craig to have coming in next year.โ
Collectively, with Hynes set to hold the five-eighth duties from next year, Trindall and Metcalf will be hoping to steer their side into the September action in what may double as a dress rehearsal for the 2022 season.
Next season is sure to see the Sharks rise even further up the ranks of the competition, with Hynes' teammate and fellow New South Welshman Dale Finucane also joining Cronulla.
Injured Dragons forward Cameron McInnes will also venture to the Shire from season's end, forming a tenacious attack that will be orchestrated by Fitzgibbon and Hannay for the near future.
