Cronulla are confident Braydon Trindall is well placed to move up to another level in the NRL semi-final after he came through the knockout win over North Queensland unscathed.
Playing his first game since dislocating a shoulder four weeks ago, Trindall booted the Cowboys into submission in Cronulla's 20-10 win on Saturday night.
The Sharks' five-eighth forced three errors from his kicks, with Cronulla capitalising on one of those mistakes with Sione Katoa going over from the ensuing scrum.
Trindall did cop a knock to the shoulder late, but was able to shake off the blow and finish his comeback match unscathed.
That will leave the No.6 fit for next week to take on the losers of Sunday's qualifying final between Penrith and the Sydney Roosters.
Crucially, though, Cronulla believe Trindall only just scratched the surface in his first game back, after being close to the Sharks' best this year with 31 try assists.
"He kicked well, but there was some detail stuff he is normally really good at but was a little bit rusty," Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon said.
"The timing was a little bit off, a bit of cohesion there where we didn't play a number of players last week.
"I think he will be better for the run, it was a month out.
"And then for him there is a 'what-if?'. He is going into a game, going 'I haven't played for a month and it is an elimination semi'."
Fitzgibbon also noted Trindall's return had helped free up halfback Nicho Hynes' running game, with the No.7 scoring late against the Cowboys.
Also clear was the job Cronulla did protecting Trindall.
While the 27-year-old's strapping made it hard for him to hold his arm in a regular position, the Cowboys were rarely able to get at the No.6.
He defended out wide at centre or on the wing at times, while Teig Wilton made the most tackles by any Shark as he stood next to Trindall and protected him from a Cowboys' right edge led by Heilum Luki.
"I spoke to Heilum and the guys who touch the ball a bit at halftime," Cowboys coach Todd Payten said.
"I think he'd only made three tackles by then. But that was because we kept turning the ball over.
"We didn't get enough opportunities with the ball ... that's part of the reason we didn't get enough traffic in his direction."
