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AAP
AAP
Jasper Bruce

Sore leg won't snap Blayke Brailey's incredible streak

Blayke Brailey says he's a certain starter against Canterbury despite a sore thigh. (Mark Evans/AAP PHOTOS)

Cronulla hooker Blayke Brailey has declared there's no chance the leg injury that forced him from the field in round three will break his famous streak of NRL appearances.

But the news is not as good for forward Braden Hamlin-Uele, who will miss the Sharks' round-four clash with Canterbury after suffering a knee cartilage injury at the weekend.

The round-three defeat of South Sydney was Brailey's 106th consecutive game for the Sharks, a run that stretches back to the 2020 finals series and eclipses all others held by active players.

Brailey's streak would span 125 games to round one of the 2020 season had he not been rested from the Sharks' last match before finals that year.

The 26-year-old limped from the field in the final 10 minutes of the Sharks' 27-12 win on Saturday with what coach Craig Fitzgibbon described as a "good cork" in his thigh.

Braden Hamlin-Uele
A knee injury is going to sideline Cronulla's Braden Hamlin-Uele for at least round four of the NRL. (Dan Himbrechts/AAP PHOTOS)

But Brailey said his streak was in no jeopardy ahead of Saturday night's heavyweight clash against Canterbury at Shark Park.

"I just copped a knee to the quad," Brailey told AAP.

"I won't be missing any games. I'll just manage it through the week but, all in all, I'll be good to go."

On Monday, a Sharks representative told AAP Hamlin-Uele would miss at least round four with the injury that sidelined him early in the second half of the win over South Sydney.

The Sharks are still determining the larrikin prop's return-to-play timeline.

Fellow Sharks forward Siosifa Talakai is rated a 50-50 chance of returning from the ankle injury he suffered in a hip-drop-style tackle from Souths fullback Jye Gray in Saturday's second half.

Siosifa Talakai
Siosifa Talakai suffered an ankle injury playing against his old club. (Dan Himbrechts/AAP PHOTOS)

After pre-season questions as to how the pair would share the playmaking load this season, Sharks halves Nicho Hynes and Braydon Trindall struck excellent chemistry setting up the 20-0 half-time lead that won Cronulla Saturday's game.

Trindall impressed with two 40/20 kicks and the try that put the result beyond doubt after half-time, while Hynes opened the scoring and then put Briton Nikora in for the Sharks' second try.

The two playmakers have been teammates since Hynes arrived at the Sharks for the 2022 season.

But injuries, suspension and the presence of former half Matt Moylan has restricted them to only 26 games together as a starting duo at Cronulla.

"Still to this day, we haven't played many games together so we're still working on our combination," Trindall said.

"It's good to put in a performance like that and combine well with Nicho."

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