NRL ironman to take another step towards all-time record in Vegas

Sharks hooker Blayke Brailey is set to cement his position as the NRL's ironman when he runs on to Allegiant Stadium on Saturday night and the forward has his sights on the league's all-time record. 

The clash with Penrith, which will be broadcast at 3.30pm AEDT on Sunday afternoon for fans back in Australia, will be Brailey's 104th consecutive appearance since making his first-grade debut in Round 1, 2019. 

According to stats compiled by rugby league historian David Middleton, the hooker sits well clear on the list of current active players, with another man to feature in Vegas next on the leaderboard. 

Raiders outside back Matt Timoko is second on 82 games, with Reed Mahoney, Ben Hunt and Daly Cherry-Evans rounding out the top five. 

Canberra will take on the Warriors in the second of four games at Allegiant Stadium, kicking off at 11am AEDT on Sunday.

While he is the clear leader among current players, Brailey has a way to go to catch former Shark and Titan Luke Douglas' all-time record of 215 games. 

Brailey initially managed to keep track of his streak throughout the first couple of years of his career but concedes he lost count somewhere along the way. Now, the mindset is on simply adding to the tally one week at a time and accumulating wins for Cronulla in the process. 

"I was keeping count for a little bit there but I lost count and now I try not to think about it too much," Brailey told NRL.com. "I put it down to the people around me. I've got some pretty handy middles who protect me and make me feel like I'm not on my own. 

"[Douglas'] streak is a massive streak but anytime I get to put on the black, white and blue jersey is a privilege. I want to make sure I put it on every week."

Douglas caught up with the Sharks players prior to their departure for the US, the former Scotland international dropping into the club's Woolooware training base while in the area. 

Like Brailey, he was a hard-working forward who preferred to toil away out of the spotlight and often didn't receive the plaudits he deserved. 

Brailey has developed into a crucial figure in the Cronulla attack and a rock through the middle in defence, making 93.65% of his tackles throughout his career.

The hooker has retained the starting No.9 jumper despite the arrival of Cameron McInnes from the Dragons in 2022 and has won the Porter Gallen Medal as the club's NRL Player of the Year for the past two seasons. 

Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon has come to appreciate the comfort that comes with knowing exactly what Brailey is going to produce each week and said the rest of the team also benefits from the dummy half's consistency. 

"He's very consistent in his life and his preparation," Fitzgibbon told NRL.com. "You generally become consistent at footy if you prepare similarly and have a similar focus each week. 

"Consistency gives you a level that you know what to expect out of yourself and helps you put it together. Being a smaller guy, Blayke has had to develop a unique toughness and learn how to navigate his way through tough periods, he's got a lot of resilience about him."

As Brailey has grown into an NRL centurion, his increased influence in Cronulla has been clear to see.

It should come as no surprise that McInnes, the current Sharks skipper, has acted as a mentor for the hooker, with the pair among two of the toughest players Fitzgibbon has coached. 

Whether individual representative accolades follow is a separate question, but Cronulla officials are excited for Brailey, a lifelong Sharks fan, to lead the club back to the top of the NRL mountain. 

Fittingly, the journey begins against the defending premiers under the bright lights of Las Vegas.