Will Kennedy broke the Rugby League world when he pulled off a freakish charge down catch to help Cronulla beat the Warriors last month.
But no one was more shocked than Kennedy’s 4-year-old daughter, Rose.
“When he pulls off those freaky catches, Rose thinks he’s an absolute superhero,” Will’s partner Grace McDonald told Sharks media.
If you ask Will though, he’ll tell you Grace is the real hero.
“All she’s sacrificed to help me with my career,” Kennedy shared.
“I can’t appreciate her enough for what she’s done. Raising my little girl, Rose, and my little boy, James. They keep me happy off-field, and I love them so much.”
The Sharks will wear a special black, blue and neon pink jersey for Women in League Round this Friday night against the Knights.
Players will swap their last names on the back of their jerseys with the name of a female loved one.
The Sharks' fullback couldn’t pick one name though, so he’ll run out with three initials on the back. K-G-R. Standing for Kerrie, his mum, Grace, his partner, and Rose, his daughter.
“They mean so much to me,” Kennedy said.
“From when I was young, my mum drove me to games. All the sacrifices she made. Everything she did through my junior footy. She would drive me back and forth from Sydney to Bathurst for games, and she drove me to Cronulla when I first moved here.”
And then it wasn’t long before Will and Grace came into each other's lives.
“We met in 2019. It was the year Will debuted in the NRL, but I wasn’t actually aware of him,” Grace laughed.
“We are from different suburbs, so I didn’t really know him.
“I had a connection to Sharmaine, Briton Nikora’s wife, and Will ended up stalking me on Instagram. He found my account, messaged me, and it all went from there.”
Seven years and two wonderful kids later, the pair have built an incredible life together.
“It’s been a journey to get here, but we’ve loved every minute of it,” Grace said.
“Will puts everything into his teammates, and he’s made sacrifices being away from his family along the way, and he’s found a family at the Sharks as well.
“He gets to see all his best mates every day. It’s so nice when your partner loves to go to work, and he comes home so happy.
“Will is so present at home, and he loves the kids. The kids absolutely adore him. They think he’s the coolest person ever. We feel really complete as a family.”
This week, we honour the amazing women on and off the field who have made, and are making, the game of rugby league better than ever.
