Sharks hooker Blayke Brailey has set his sights on an Australian jumper as he looks to upstage Kangaroos incumbent Harry Grant in Friday's preliminary final.
The two form No.9s in the competition will go face to face at AAMI Park, with more than just a grand final berth on the line.
The Kangaroos will travel to England at the end of the season for an historic Ashes tour and finals performances will play a key role in selection of Kevin Walters' squad.
Brailey runs the show for the Sharks
Brailey has made no secret of his desire to play representative football and knows a big performance on Friday night will take him one step closer to achieving that goal.
"The Ashes is definitely something I want to be part of," Brailey told NRL.com. "Harry will probably be the No.9 for Australia, he's done a great job for them for many years but I want to be part of that squad and part of that tour.
"That's a big focus for me and I know that comes off the back of a good finals performance and winning finals games, so that's my focus at the moment. If I do get the opportunity, I'll be over the moon and extremely grateful."
Match: Storm v Sharks
Finals Week 3 -
home Team
Storm
2nd Position
away Team
Sharks
5th Position
Venue: AAMI Park, Melbourne
Match broadcasters:
- WatchNRL
Long viewed as one of the more underappreciated players in the game, Brailey has enjoyed a breakout season this year to rocket into representative calculations.
The hooker has benefited from the arrival of star prop Addin Fonua-Blake and has developed into one of the most dangerous running dummy halves in the game.
Brailey is averaging 50 running metres a match and has 14 try assists this year. Both stats are career highs. His attacking potency hasn't blunted his defensive work-rate either, with the hooker making 1169 tackles this year, the most he's made in a single season.
The 26-year-old has also stepped up as Cronulla's captain after lock Cameron McInnes tore his ACL and has played a key role in the side's late-season surge to the finals.
Blayke Brailey Try
While quick to praise those around him, the local junior said he has looked closely at the best hookers in the sport in a bid to take his game to the next level.
"I look at everyone at the top of their game," Brailey said. "I watch pretty closely to see what they do and try to put it into my game. I always want to evolve and keep taking my game to the next level.
"Harry is such a threat close to the line and all throughout the field. He's a great player and hard to slow down but we'll try our best."
Brailey has watched closely as Grant has controlled NRL and Origin games from the base of the ruck with the hooker the master at picking apart opposition defences.
So much of the Storm's attack runs through Grant, particularly when halfback Jahrome Hughes is off the field.
All the angles: THAT Harry Grant match winner!
The reigning Dally M Medal winner is racing the clock to return from a fractured arm on Friday night and his availability will likely be a game-day decision.
Hughes or no Hughes, Grant is set to play a big role in the preliminary final and Brailey said his side must contain the Melbourne skipper if they are to cause an upset at AAMI Park.
"It's going to be tough," Brailey said. "He's been the best hooker in the game for a long period and the way he plays is great. He's their captain too so he's such a leader for them.
"He's going to be tough to slow down in the middle. A lot of teams try to do it but they can't. He's a great player so it's going to be a good match up between the two of us."
