Cronulla Sharks winger Sione Katoa has provided an update on his condition after he underwent shoulder reconstruction surgery during the pre-season and has urged the club to re-sign off-contact winger Sam Stonestreet.
A mainstay of the Sharks' backline for several years, Katoa has been a consistent performer at the club. Not only has he represented Tonga on six occasions - most recently at the 2024 Pacific Championships - but scored an incredible 76 tries in 113 first-grade matches.
However, his time on the field came to a halt during the pre-season when he sustained a shoulder injury against the New Zealand Warriors in the side's first match of the year.
This would see him undergo shoulder reconstruction surgery and be ruled out for at least the second half of the season.
Rehabbing his injury at the moment, the winger admitted that it has been a "good challenge" for him as he looks to return to the field as quickly as possible.
"It's going good, enjoying it at the moment. It's a good challenge for me," Katoa said on Monday at the Multicultural Round launch.
"I'm alone most of the time but I enjoy it. I feel like it's good sometimes being alone, you think of stuff that you could do better and come up with ideas for field training.
"All the injuries I've been through and what I've learned is that you can get through even bigger ones."
With Katoa sidelined for an extended period, Sam Stonestreet has replaced him on the wing. After limited opportunities beforehand, Stonestreet has been impressive to begin the 2025 NRL season.
In four matches to start 2025, the 22-year-old has scored two tries, made seven tackle busts and made six line-breaks while averaging 163 running metres per match.
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However, he is still off-contract at the end of this season and will likely attract interest from rival teams if his form continues.
This has seen Katoa urge the Cronulla Sharks to tie him down on a new deal, so he remains in the Shire for the foreseeable future.
"It'd be good (to keep him at the Sharks)," Katoa said.
"He's a talented player, still young and still learning the game."
Although he hasn't been able to return to the field just yet, Katoa has been fishing in his spare time and even has his own YouTube channel.
Some of his guests include Tongan skipper and teammate Addin Fonua-Blake, former NSW Blues representative and Sharks teammate Siosifa Talakai and South Sydney Rabbitohs and representative superstar Latell Mitchell.
"I can be out for six or seven hours and catch nothing but I still enjoy it. I love just being out there and (trying to) catch fish," he added.
"That time alone, I find it fun. I've been taking a couple of the boys out and they've been on my YouTube channel.
"Fishing was part of the culture back in the islands and I'm used to living off what you catch from the ocean."
