Young talent time: Why the Sharks are in deep on development over signings spree

When Sharks GM of Football Darren Mooney scrolls through his phone to find a screenshot of the 2019 NSW Cup grand final team, a sense of immense pride washes over his face.

Not just because of the Newtown Jets victory but because so many of the squad, including Will Kennedy, Ronaldo Mulitalo, Sione Katoa, Braydon Trindall, Toby Rudolf, Blayke Brailey, Teig Wilton and Siosifa Talakai, still call Cronulla home.

At a time when many clubs are hitting the market on end-of-year signing sprees, Cronulla have been flying under the radar in the pre-season - and there is a reason for that.

It’s not to say Mooney and his staff aren’t browsing the market to ensure they have a chance to land any big names, but for now the Sharks are pinning their faith on their homegrown heroes to bring success to the club.

Cronulla has had great success in recruiting juniors, developing them and earning a trust and loyalty which has led to an impressive retention in recent seasons, with 16 of this year's squad having come through the club's pathways.

And now the Sharks are ready to pin their faith in the next generation of talent.

Bred v Brought: The Balance

Every club would like to say they value developing their junior nurseries first and foremost like we've seen the Panthers do in recent seasons but also seen with Penrith, strategic signings are an integral part of building a premiership powerhouse.

Rewind to the 2021 off-season and it was Cronulla on the signing spree, luring star trio Nicho Hynes, Cam McInnes and Dale Finucane, who have all proved to be a success for Cronulla.

Some clubs have been busy in the off-season rebuilding their roster, such as the Bulldogs, who have bought 18 players with NRL experience over the last two years.

However, Cronulla have signed just two as they focus on developing their up and comers in recent seasons.

“Oregon Kaufusi was our main signing last year, a lot of the other additions were elevations among our current group and we just needed another forward there with Andrew (Fifita) and Aiden (Tolman) leaving,” Mooney told NRL.com. 

“Then we went and got Billy Burns this year because we didn’t have a lot of depth in the back row with Wade Graham leaving.

“Jesse Colquhoun, Kade Dykes, Kayal Iro, Daniel Atkinson, Sam Stonestreet, Jayden Berrell, Niwhai Puru, Tuku Hau Tapuha - we have great faith in all of them but they’ve all had none or limited NRL game time.

“It is a really difficult job to try and keep everyone happy and you just can't.”

Development signings often fly under the radar but the Sharks have been busy recruiting young talent over the past two seasons, with Chris Vea'ila, Max Bradbury (Knights), Liam Ison, Riley Pollard (Panthers), Dylan Coutts (Sea Eagles) and latest signing Michael Gabrael (Bulldogs) joining the club.

While firmly believing Cronulla's current roster is in a good position, Mooney said the club's recruitment staff also must be planning for the future.

“I'm looking at 2026 lists at the moment, so it's just about constantly strategising where we're at with our lists and predicting which young player could get to here, but you don't always get it right,” he said.

“Then it's also understanding what we've got in our pathway system and if we need to then go and complement that with another young player from another system, which is why we've brought in these young players.

“We’ve got a lot of good, young players and we know they might not all come through but we aim to give them the best environment they can and leave no stone unturned in helping them reach their potential.

“We're happy with our depth and we’ve still got one spot available before Round 1 so whether we elevate one of these guys or go and get someone from out in the market, we're not sure yet but it’s something Fitzy and I are looking at every day.”

Planning and patience

It might be years before they see it come into fruition but the Sharks have a plan for every player that is brought to the club or through the pathways.

After starring for the Panthers SG Ball earlier in the year, Australian Schoolboy Riley Pollard was lured to the Sharks' academy in 2023 with the aspiring halfback set to line up for Cronulla’s SG ball side in 2024.

It’s a long road ahead for the highly touted 18-year-old but Pollard doesn’t have far to look for inspiration in 24-year-old Braydon Trindall, who emerges as Cronulla's first-choice five-eighth in 2024.

Trindall, who was spotted by the Sharks while playing Under 20s with Melbourne Storm, has been biding his time behind the likes of Shaun Johnson, Chad Townsend, Matt Moylan and Nicho Hynes since he joined the club in 2018.

“We signed Braydon until the end of 2025, showing him that we believed in him and want him to be part of our plan and just to be patient with us and the coaching staff to show that we're going to bring him through,” Mooney said.

“And he's believed in that and stuck with us. They've just got to believe but there might come a time where their pathways blocked and they do leave, like Luke Metcalf (Warriors).

It's just about showing those guys what the plan is for them longer term and then believing in what the coach is telling them.

Darren Mooney, Sharks GM of Footy

“In the end it's all about actions. They’ve got to play well to get their spot.”

Rookies on the rise

Reaping the rewards of hard work, planning and development can be a slow burn for clubs as players work their way up through the system.

Giving players an opportunity too early can come as a risk but when a captain’s run turns into chaos and a player's timeline is accelerated, Mooney said he expects each of the squad's members to be ready to go.

“Looking forward, there's a good crop of younger boys which makes us really excited about our growth and how much we can improve,” he said.

“Look at Tommy Hazelton. He wasn't supposed to play that many games last year but he played 18 games and was outstanding and got our rookie of the year.

“We’ve also got a few players like Kayal Iro and Kade Dykes that we know are ready but it’s just about waiting for their opportunity and they just need to make sure that when their opportunity comes that they’re ready.

“We wouldn't have let Connor Tracey go if we didn't have Kayal here. He has the hunger and desire and as a club we’ve got full confidence that if he gets his opportunity we won’t let anyone down.

"And Kade has come right through all the lower grades and we can see him also playing multiple positions, whether he's at fullback, centre or five-eighth, he's just a natural talent and that’s why we’ve re-signed him until the end of 25’."

Adding in Fitzy's flavour       

The Sharks development program has existed for many years but was formalised in 2015 with the appointment of the club's first elite pathways and development coach John Morris.

The club reaped instant success, taking out the Harold Matthews, SG Ball and National Championship competitions that same year but, more importantly, those two representative teams yielded eight first graders.

The club has continued to enjoy success in their junior programs since with the Sharks also taking out the Jersey Flegg competition in 2018 and the Newtown Jets lifting the trophy in the 2019 NSW Cup grand final.

That is something that separates Cronulla from many other clubs; their ability to get the best out of their juniors and invest in their development. 

Mooney proudly pointed out that 14 of the top squad have debuted for the Sharks, with the addition of Royce Hunt, Braden Hamlin-Uele and Daniel Atkinson who previously played just one game with another club.

"I credit the success of our great pathways to the coaches we've had over the years in Glenn Brailey, Daniel Holdsworth, Dave Howlett, James Shepherd, Brad Kelly, Michael Ennis and John Morris," Mooney said.

“The club has done a really good job in development for a long time and we’re just continuing that on really.

“Back then it was Shane Flanagan, myself and John Morris who spent a lot of time over the years setting programs up and now Fitzy's putting his flavour on it as well and it's just getting better and better.

“I know Fitzy said to me that one of the attractions of coming here was the young side who have grown up together and feel that their best footy was in front of them.

"Fitzy definitely has a passion and a belief in good development programs and is certainly looking to put his own flavour on the systems we have in place here.

"We believe in our young players, we've got a great group coming through and we will continue to invest in our pathways."