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Live sport on SN this weekend'It's sad': family-like Sharks feeling the break-up
Darren Walton, AAP •  September 18th, 2026 1:50 pm
Wrecking ball Siosifa Talakai has a last chance to win a premiership with his Sharks brothers | Photo: Steven Markham/AAP
The band is breaking up and one last chance for Cronulla's special "brotherhood" to capture an NRL premiership is driving the Sharks' do-or-die NRL finals tilt.
Will Kennedy, Sione Katoa, Ronaldo Mulitalo, Siosifa Talakai, Braydon Trindall, Toby Rudolph, Teig Wilton and Blayke Brailey were all members of Newtown's triumphant 2019 NSW Cup side.
But that group of eight will be reduced to six next season when Katoa - along with centre Jesse Ramien - joins North Queensland and Talakai heads to the Perth Bears.
Teig Wilton (left) and Will Kennedy (right) helped the Newton Jets to a NSW Cup title in 2019 | Photo: Dan Himbrechts/AAP
And Wilton says it's impossible for the lifelong friends and teammates, many of whom first suited up together in the Harold Matthews Cup under-17s competition, not to be feeling sentimental.
"It's been good that we've been able to play together for so long and build that connection and you definitely feel it amongst our group," Wilton told AAP.
"It's everything. We probably spend more time with each other than our families sometimes, and we've been together so long it's a strong brotherhood we've got going in and it's definitely a strength of ours for sure."
The impending departures of cult figures Katoa and Talakai is the elephant in the Sharks' dressing room.
"You'd be silly not to recognise that it's happening," Wilton said ahead of Saturday's elimination semi-final against the Sydney Roosters at Allianz Stadium.
"We've spoken about it. It is a driving force of ours. Yeah, it's not ideal. We've just got to make the most of the time we have left together."
Brailey pointed out that the eight all first played together in the SG Ball under-19s competition.
"Most of us grew up together, played together. We've seen ourselves grow up together and seen our families grow up and see people I grew up with have kids now," the skipper told AAP.
"So we are really close and it's good to have that connection off the field and we're all very close and we've spoken about where we want to end up and how we want our year to finish.
"So hopefully we can do that and send off some really quality players and people that have shaped our club in the best way possible moving forward.
"Give them something to leave with would be really special."
Also leaving the club, Sione Katoa has become a favourite with the Sharks faithful | Photo: AAP
Talakai, a one-man wrecking ball and former NSW State of Origin rep, was mighty off the bench in Cronulla's 26-16 victory over North Queensland last Saturday night.
"Sifa might have to backflip. He could take some of my contract to stay if he's going to keep playing like this," Mulitalo said, only half-joking.
"He knows what's going on. He understands that time's limited at the moment. It's sad. We've been together for a long time, me and 'Chief'.
"But we'll enjoy these last moments we have together. I'm sure he'll empty the tank and the boys will honour him as well."
