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Cronulla appear to have the toughest recruitment puzzle to solve now the player market has opened but have retained a key player in Braydon Trindall.

Cronulla has solved a major piece of its recruitment puzzle by tying Braydon Trindall to a three-year deal at the end of the five-eighth's whirlwind season.

Of the 17 NRL clubs, the Sharks had the most star players hit the open market on November 1 with nine members of their preliminary final team out of contract after 2025.

Trindall became the first of those to re-sign following a breakout 2024 campaign, with the 25-year-old now tied to the Sharks through 2028.

"I didn't want to go anywhere else," the Sharks junior said in a club statement.

"The club has put a lot of trust in me over the years, so I'm just looking forward to repaying them and repaying the fans."

After years waiting for an opportunity as a full-time starter, Trindall's future was plunged into doubt when he tested positive to cocaine during a roadside drug test in April.

But after returning from a six-week absence, he saw off a stiff selection challenge from Daniel Atkinson to hit top gear as a starting half on the run to a grand final qualifier.

He had a career-best night in the Sharks' semi-final win over North Queensland, which ended a six-year finals losing streak that pre-dated Craig Fitzgibbon's coaching tenure.

The Sharks struck the perfect balance between Trindall and Nicho Hynes's playmaking abilities in that win, and finding the right mix in 2025 will be key to their hopes of making the leap to become genuine premiership contenders.

Trindall's new deal turns attention on breakout star Atkinson, highly-rated internally but now unlikely to start in the halves long-term at the Sharks.

Atkinson is without a deal beyond 2025, with Will Kennedy, Briton Nikora, Teig Wilton and Ronaldo Mulitalo among other key players also able to negotiate with rivals from Friday.

Trindall made his NRL debut for the Sharks in 2020 and has scored 21 tries across 71 games.