Brailey knows running game must come to fore for Sharks
Blayke Brailey has heard the damning statistics that link his running game out of dummy-half to Cronulla’s win rate.
In the 16 matches that he has runs more than 30 metres this season, the Sharks have won 87 per cent of those contests.
And in the 10 games where he hasn’t run as much out of dummy-half, Cronulla have only won three.
“My partner actually saw this somewhere and told me about it,” Brailey told AAP.
“It was a stat I didn’t know, it’s actually pretty interesting.”
In theory, the importance of Brailey’s dummy-half runs make a lot of sense.
When the hooker is able to scoot out, it also allows Nicho Hynes and Braydon Trindall to play on the front foot.
But in reality, Brailey does not believe it is as simple as just trying to run more.
“I feel like there are a few moving parts that have to happen for me to run,” he said.
“I am not just going to run on a slow play-the-ball, because if you look at me I am not the biggest person.
“But I do know that once our middles have a roll on and I start to run, it takes the pressure off the halves and they start running too.
“I definitely have a goal to run as much as I can each week. I know for my own game it is better if I do run.
“And I know for the team, it helps them too. The washing machine in the middle is pretty tiring so if I can run it relieves some pressure on our middles.”
Brailey had had one of the more unique preparations for Saturday night’s preliminary final against Penrith.
He spent all of his 26th birthday on Monday with blu-tack in his right ear after suffering cauliflower ear after the win over North Queensland.
But a bigger challenge awaits for him and the Sharks pack on the field against the Panthers and their all-star middle.
Of all NRL rivals, Fox Sports Stats shows that Brailey averages less running metres against the three-time defending premiers than any other team.
In seven games starting against Penrith, he is yet to even run 20 metres.
And Cronulla’s 42-0 loss to the Panthers earlier this year marked Brailey’s quietest night of the season, getting out of dummy-half just once for 10 metres.
But as far as Brailey is concerned, that game is now history.
“We’re obviously a different team since that last encounter. I am sure everyone didn’t plan for the game to go that way,” Brailey said.
“They’re the in-form team at the moment and have obviously done so much in the past few years.
“They know how to win finals games, so we need to be at our best to beat them.”
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