A bleed apart: Why even 300 stitches can’t stop Cronulla’s hard man

1 week ago 5

Cronulla warhorse Cameron McInnes reckons helium whitethorn person cracked 300. Stitches, that is, successful some eyebrows implicit the years.

“Maybe more,” helium says. “I couldn’t propulsion a fig retired there. It goes backmost to my SG Ball days. I’ve divided some eyebrows astatine slightest 50 times.

“It’s similar boxers erstwhile they split, they proceed to split. When it comes to my eyebrows, it doesn’t instrumentality overmuch for them to commencement to bleed.”

McInnes had humor pouring down his face, was nursing a achromatic oculus and missing a bony erstwhile helium popped up connected the TV past Sunday pursuing the Sharks’ 40-0 thumping of Canberra. Fox Sports should person added a contented warning.

During the post-match interview, Nathan Hindmarsh joked that McInnes looked truthful frightening, helium resembled a “Chucky Doll”. It’s a changeless taxable for a antheral universally regarded arsenic 1 of the toughest to lace connected a boot.

He struggles to get done a grooming league without spilling immoderate “claret”. The humor was each implicit the 30-year-old’s look again astatine Sharks grooming again during the week.

“There is not a time that goes by astatine grooming that Cam does not person humor connected his face,” says precocious retired Cronulla skipper Dale Finucane, himself a genuine hard antheral of the game.

“He is ever bleeding. It could beryllium coming from his ears, his feature oregon his eyebrows. He conscionable brushes it disconnected similar it’s nothing. I watched him wrestle connected Thursday, helium had the stitches successful from the weekend, and the boys said, ‘You’re bleeding’, truthful each helium did was drawback immoderate ‘Vaso’, enactment it connected and kept going similar thing had happened.”

There are truthful galore stories astir McInnes spilling humor for the cause, his singular toughness and dedication. But he’s not ever connected the receiving end.

Like the clip McInnes dislodged a screw successful winger Ronnie Mulitalo’s jaw during a wrestling session. Mulitalo kept the screw arsenic a keepsake – and a reminder.

After past Sunday’s game, McInnes was told helium resembled a “Chucky Doll”.

Or erstwhile Craig Fitzgibbon was watching a wrestling drill connected his archetypal time arsenic Sharks caput manager and McInnes divided unfastened teammate Teig Wilton. “And it wasn’t adjacent an aggravated drill; the boys were inactive warming up,” Fitzgibbon recalls.

Even Dragons caput manager Shane Flanagan, whose broadside goes up against the Sharks connected Sunday afternoon, laughed astir McInnes needing to acquisition the afloat contact; different helium would locomotion disconnected the grooming paddock feeling similar he’s missed out.

“There were immoderate grooming sessions wherever the interaction level was meant to beryllium astatine 50 per cent; he’d comply and spell astatine 50 per cent, but past he’d locomotion disconnected and deed the tackle bags astatine 100 per cent – helium needed that afloat contact,” Flanagan says.

“He’s arsenic pugnacious arsenic nails, he’s committed, and there’s lone a matchstick quality betwixt his champion and worst game. He conscionable trains and tries truthful hard. He’s precise akin to ‘Gal’ [Paul Gallen] – they got everything retired of their footy careers from moving really, truly hard.”

It’s an uncomplicated, and refreshing, attack successful this time and age.

“For me, getting acceptable means giving my champion [at training], and by doing that, I privation to marque definite my teammates are successful the champion information to instrumentality the tract arsenic good — I’ll proceed to effort my champion each day,” McInnes says.

The take-no-prisoners attack to the crippled is wherefore McInnes is truthful respected by each manager helium has worked under.

Cameron McInnes spilling humor for erstwhile employers St George Illawarra.

Fitzgibbon, Flanagan, erstwhile Dragons manager Paul McGregor this week utilized words similar “relentless”, “honest” and “someone who doesn’t instrumentality shit” to picture the erstwhile dummy-half who has made the Cronulla No.13 jersey his ain since his power from the Dragons successful 2022.

Even Michael Maguire viewed McInnes arsenic a aboriginal skipper astatine Souths erstwhile the brace were astatine the nine unneurotic from 2014 to 2016.

Which brings america to Origin and Maguire, and whether McInnes volition yet realise his Blues dream. He has gone adjacent a fewer times, but this could beryllium his champion accidental yet.

Wests Tigers skipper Api Koroisau played hooker for the Blues past year, but is battling a backmost problem. Reece Robson came disconnected the seat successful games 2 and three, portion Warriors No.9 Wayde Egan is besides making a lawsuit for the dummy-half job.

Isaah Yeo has a owe connected the NSW No.13 jersey, but with Cam Murray’s hip-flexor injury, McInnes tin screen fastener and dummy-half.

Maguire wants players who volition bleed for the jersey. We each cognize McInnes is bully for that.

McGregor said McInnes would beryllium the perfect No.14 due to the fact that of his quality to treble arsenic a dummy-half and ball-playing lock.

Fitzgibbon says: “I was an adjunct [at the Blues] erstwhile helium was adjacent then. ‘Madge’ [Maguire] knows Cam wouldn’t fto anyone down.”

Finucane adds: “The happening with Cam, helium doesn’t inquire anyone to bash thing helium wouldn’t bash himself.

“I surely deliberation helium deserves a spot. He’s 1 of the toughest players successful comp, helium has versatility and isn’t conscionable a plodder. He handles the shot a batch for america successful the mediate and moves our ruck around. He’s not the biggest bloke successful the middle. But helium makes up for it with ticker.”

What astir McInnes himself? Is helium acceptable to beryllium unleashed against Queensland? Or, are Queensland acceptable for him?

“It’s ever been a extremity of mine,” helium says. “I’ve had my sanction mentioned a fewer times successful the past, and I’ve astir apt been blameworthy wherever I’ve thought astir it much than I request to.

“I was successful that extended squad successful January, which was a chill experience, and the 30 oregon truthful players that were there, they volition each play an important relation for this full campaign. Whether I play oregon not, I’ll beryllium cheering them connected and doing my portion by playing good for the Sharks.”

Cronulla are flying precocious connected apical of the ladder and would emotion a large triumph implicit their neighbours. McInnes’ acquisition is truthful important fixed Finucane’s aesculapian status past week.

Flanagan played his portion successful convincing McInnes to articulation the Sharks. When helium was an adjunct astatine the Dragons, Flanagan had a fewer conversations with McInnes, who was unwanted astatine the Red V, and told him helium would settee successful good successful the Shire.

“I’d emotion to person him successful my team, that’s for sure,” Flanagan says. “It’s a fewer years since he’s left, but I inactive respect the mode helium plays, and I emotion watching him play and however helium tries.”

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