Following a season that saw the NRL team win their way through to a preliminary final, where partner club the Newtown Jets won the NSW Cup, and during a year in which the under-21 Jersey Flegg team were narrowly defeated in their Grand Final, the Sharks can announce a series of player re-signings in a boost to the squad depth for 2025 and beyond.
Current NRL Squad members in experienced outside back Mawene Hiroti, half back Niwhai Puru, backrower Billy Burns, hooker Jayden Berrell, and young centre Chris Veaíla, have all signed one-year contract extensions that will keep them at the Cronulla club in 2025. All five players were members of the Newtown Jets NSW Cup Grand Final winning team against the North Sydney Bears.
Hiroti has proved to a valuable member of the Sharks NRL team when called upon over recent seasons, while Burns performed strongly in his four matches in the top grade in his first year at the club. As team captain, he also led the Jets to their ninth NSW premiership.
Berrell deservedly earned an NRL debut in 2024, taking to the field when the Sharks played the Cowboys in Townsville, with the clever number nine named alongside Burns in the NSW Cup Team of the Year.
Puru, the primary playmaker for the Jets in their run to the Grand Final and subsequent victory, will be back in the Sharks fulltime group next year, as will Vea’ila, a 21-year-old outside back who despite being eligible for the under-21 Jersey Flegg competition in 2024, played 21 matches in the NSW Cup for Newtown, performing strongly against senior opposition.
The five will be a part of the Sharks full-time NRL squad, with training to resume in late November.
The Sharks can also confirm the signings of three local juniors named in the Australian Schoolboys team in Nikora Williams, Tom Dellow and Alex Challenor, the trio playing in recent matches against France and PNG. All three have signed until the end of the 2027 NRL Season.
In rounding out a busy period of re-signings and player retention, barnstorming prop Felix Faatili, integral to the success of the Jersey Flegg team in 2024, has also extended his contract with the Sharks until the end of 2026 and will join the senior NRL group during the upcoming pre-season.
Promising youngsters from the 2024 Sharks Harold Matthews team in Callum Grantham (signed until 2028), Oliver Lester (2027), Blake Whatman (2027), along with Jai Davies (2026) who played SG Ball last year before moving up into the Jersey Flegg team, have also signed multi-year contacts with the Cronulla club. During the term of their contracts all will have the opportunity to train with the NRL squad for varying periods.
Sharks Re-signings
Mawene Hiroti – 2025
Outside back
Niwhai Puru – 2025
half/five eighth
Billy Burns – 2025
Back row
Jayden Berrell – 2025
Hooker
Chris Vea’íla – 2025
Outside back
Australian Schoolboy Signings
Nikora Williams – 2025 – 2027
Outside back
Tom Dellow – 2025 – 2027
Lock/backrow
Alex Challenor – 2025 – 2027
Lock/middle forward
