Sharks fans received the news yesterday that they had been waiting upon for months. The very news that threatened to never arrive.
Ronaldo Mulitalo re-signed withe club for a further three seasons.Despite interest from numerous clubs, the 25 year-old will spend his peak years in the Shire.
The re-signing ensured that the Sharks can now field their try scoring freak pairing of Ronaldo Mulitalo and Sione Katoa.
Which potentially leaves one of the game's best young talents potentially on the outside looking in.
Sam Stonestreet, the 22-year-old local junior, is either going to have to make himself impossible to overlook or bide his time to join Mulitalo on the run-on side.
Full disclosure, if there was a Sam Stonestreet fan club, I am member number one. I feel it's important to stress that this list is being compiled through a grimace and I'm hoping clubs two through five are never even considered.
With that said, below are five potential landing spots for Sam Stonestreet:
If there is a rugby league higher power, they will not let this happen! Craig Bellamy is the king of turning young, talented prospects into Origin regulars.
If a player of Stonestreet's abilities lands in Melbourne, it is over for those of us hoping to enjoy wins in the Victorian capital.
I'm just fantasy booking here but with Grant Anderson on his way to Brisbane, Will Warbrick is over 105 kilos and could very easily move one spot on.
A backline consisting of Coates, Warbrick, Meaney and Stonestreet may be the tallest backline in the competition.
Of course this is pure speculation, with the Storm boasting a brilliant wing pairing and perhaps Jack Howarth stays in the centres. Craig Bellamy always finds a way though.
โ Iโm hoping clubs two through five are never even considered.โ
I think you mean โone through fourโ but I get the idea.
If Iโm Stonestreet I might go to St George. Donโt even need to move house. If Iโve got friends in Cronulla (outside the other players in the club) then I donโt need to lose any of them.
If Iโm Sharks head of recruitment, Iโd have that four year contract ready, and let it be known on the grapevine that if anyone wants to pick up Sione Katoa, Sharks will pay the freight to move him on.