Finucane, with cauliflower ears for a simpler time and at least a stitch for all 249 NRL games he has played, gears up for number 250 this week.
Away from the game he is more than handy with a guitar, a doting dad to two boys and growing increasingly skilful with a microphone in hand.
Dale Finucane and Josh Jackson as fresh-faced Bulldogs rookies in 2012 and the barbecue that never had any gas in it.Credit: Edwina Pickles
But when the Deep Heat hits the nostrils and studs clatter on Shark Park concrete?
“When you see it, it’s uncomfortable sometimes,” coach Craig Fitzgibbon says of Finucane’s famed training intensity.
“He just won’t relent sometimes. Some days you watch him training and think ‘my gosh, is he unhinged? Is he crazy? Or is this just who he is?’
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“He’s the most humble, unassuming, nice guy and just prepares on the red line all the time… His brakes don’t work.”
Finucane’s bull-at-a-gate training approach has endured since he first arrived at Canterbury, Cronulla’s opponents on Friday. Back then the boy from Bega answered to ‘Kaos’, shared an apartment with Josh Jackson and ate his breakfast in the shower so he wouldn’t be late for training.
Stocks in Elastoplast have never been as healthy as when Finucane is plastering himself together in tape, to the point where playing through endless knocks have raised two questions: not only if he will play on beyond his current 2025 contract, but see it out.
“I had a biceps rupture midway through last year which held me back a little bit,” Finucane says, neglecting to mention he played on with that ruptured biceps against Manly last year before surgery ended his season.
“The body feels good, I’ve got this year and next year under contract and I’m not looking to much further forward than this week and the upcoming games.
“If I’m [still] passionate about playing and the body’s feeling good then I’ll play as long as I can.”
For Fitzgibbon and Cronulla, his signing in 2022 on a four-year deal worth about $2.5 million has been regarded as critical even while the ink was still drying.
The contract’s front-loading – Finucane will earn a little more than $300,000 next year – left the Sharks with cap space to sign Addin Fonua-Blake for about $1 million a season from 2025.
Battered, bloody and loving it: Finucane during his Storm days.Credit: NRL Photos
And in Finucane and co-captain Cameron McInnes, Cronulla have two of the NRL’s toughest and most committed players to lead a squad Fitzgibbon believes is ready to hit its sweet spot.
“Dale’s recruitment to the club has changed the way a lot of players think about their preparation, and the way a lot of players think about how you approach a game,” Fitzgibbon says.
“He just does not have a day off on that. That’s the sort of player that our younger guys have looked up to and they marvel at a guy, still 250 games deep, with no shortcuts.
“I sit in my office and the way he charges through the door to the stadium, he even walks in with intensity here.”
Tigers turn to schoolboy star and unknown centre
Benji Marshall has backed the Tigers next generation in his first major selection call, handing NRL debuts to prodigious 18-year-old playmaker Lachlan Galvin and unknown centre Solomone Faataape.
Galvin will partner Jayden Sullivan at the scrum base against Canberra on Saturday with veteran recruit Aidan Sezer on the bench in jersey No.14.
Faataape, 23, will start out wide in place of injured star Justin Olam just three months after signing with the club on an NRL development deal.
At 193cm, Galvin has impressed as one of the Tigers’ fittest players and a standout in a disappointing trial loss to the Dragons.
Lachie Galvin is being considered to make his NRL debut.Credit: Wests Tigers
Marshall himself was thrown into first grade as a teenager and has stressed his belief that Galvin is ready for the top grade after he was once cut loose by Parramatta, who considered him too small before a late growth spurt.
Faataape, meanwhile, turned down a four-month train-and-trial deal with Brisbane to link with the Tigers late last year having impressed in the Queensland Cup with Easts Tigers.
His Tigers deal later made headlines given he is managed by Rich Digital, the company co-founded by interim Tigers CEO Shane Richardson, who denied suggestions of a possible conflict of interest.
Faataape may well prove a character to remember too if a recent club podcast is anything to go by, as he wore earrings in each ear, promised to bleach his hair blond if he landed an NRL debut and quipped that his favourite thing about first grade is “the free lunches and free bottles of Powerade”.
The Tigers’ front office overhaul continues ahead of Marshall’s first game in charge as coach as well, with former Central Coast Mariners CEO Shawn Mielekamp in talks with the club.
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Mielekamp, who is highly regarded for the Mariners’ turnaround during his nine-year tenure, is in discussions with the Tigers around a senior community development role.
In other team news, Canterbury have named star winger Josh Addo-Carr in their reserves list for Friday’s clash against Cronulla.
Addo-Carr was cleared of what was feared to be a broken collarbone at one point last week and will push to play through the pain, though Connor Tracey has been named on the wing against his old Sharks side.
English recruit Dominic Young returns from a neck injury for the Roosters against Manly alongside Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, who did not play in Las Vegas due to a seven-game ban.
Premiership-winning hooker Mitch Kenny also returns from suspension for Penrith’s local derby against Parramatta, while Melbourne will be without stars Cameron Munster (groin) and Nelson Asofa-Solomona (hamstring) against the Warriors.
Dragons recruit Luciano Leilua has been named on the bench against the Dolphins, who have brought in Jake Averillo and Isaiya Katoa after Sunday’s heavy loss to North Queensland.
Bunnies sweat on Arrow’s rotator cuff recovery
South Sydney back-rower Jai Arrow will miss at least the next month due to a rotator cuff injury suffered during the Rabbitohs’ round one loss to Manly.
Arrow returned from Las Vegas with teammates last week and underwent medical assessments from specialists after being limited to 53 minutes by the issue.
At this stage the Rabbitohs are prepared to rehabilitate Arrow’s injury without surgery.
Jai Arrow in action for Souths in Las Vegas.Credit: Getty
At least a month-long lay-off is expected, though that could extend further depending on how the injury responds. In a worst-case scenario it could require a season-ending operation.
Rising youngster Tallis Duncan was named as Arrow’s replacement for this week’s marquee clash against Brisbane at Suncorp Stadium.
The Bunnies are already without star centre Campbell Graham for half of the season after he went under the knife to repair an ongoing sternum injury.
Arrow shifted to the right edge this season to allow NSW Origin rookie Keaon Koloamatangi to move back to the Rabbitohs’ lethal left edge alongside Cody Walker and suspended recruit Jack Wighton.
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