'Name his own price': Cronulla facing tough battle to retain Braydon Trindall after '10 out of 10' semi-final display

Braydon Trindall could become the most "sought after" player in the NRL later this year in the wake of his "unbelievable" performance for the Sharks on Friday night.

The five-eighth was clinical in Cronulla's semi-final win over the Cowboys and has received enormous praise across the game over the weekend.

Phil Gould described it as a "breakout" game for the Sharks playmaker, but it could prompt an intense bidding war in November if his current club don't move quickly.

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Trindall is slated to come off-contract in just over a month's time and will be available to rival teams for the 2026 season and given the lack of quality halves available, the crafty Wee Wa product could be about to earn a huge payday.

Speaking on Nine's Sunday Footy Show, league great Andrew Johns claimed Trindall could "name his price" should he enter free agency.

"It was the closest thing that I've seen to a 10 out of 10 from a halfback," he said.

"He was unbelievable, everything he did on the field was absolutely top-class. Even though he was wearing the six [jersey], he was the dominant playmaker.

"If he was on the open market now, he could name his own price. When he first started, I spoke to Craig Fitzgibbon and he said, 'You are going to love this young bloke'.

"Ever since then, I have watched him closely and he has built his game every year. I was blown away by his performance the other night.

"Hypothetically, he would be up around $900,000 for sure - there is no one around." 

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Despite already having 70 games under his belt at first-grade level, Trindall has only locked down a permanent starting role at the Sharks over the past 12 months.

Trindall partnership with Nicho Hynes has shown plenty of potential, but given the latter is on a huge contract at Cronulla, it could be difficult to retain both stars.

Billy Slater also pointed out that the introduction of another expansion side could make matters worse for the Sharks in their bid to hang onto Trindall.

"He's not all that old either and with new teams coming into the competition, he is gonna be sought after," the Storm legend said.

Other spine options at the Sharks including Will Kennedy, Daniel Atkinson and Kade Dykes are also off-contract soon, with Hynes the only player locked up long-term.

St George Illawarra are one club who have earmarked the need for a long-term playmaking solution, with the future of Ben Hunt beyond 2025 still unclear.

Cronulla will take on the Panthers next weekend in the prelim final.