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:
Young gun Fletcher Sharpe looks set for a move into the halves. I didn't totally believe it but if he stars in the six in this weekend's trial, the spot could be his.
Despite the recruitment of James Schiller, you'd have to imagine Stonestreet looks an incredible option to partner Greg Marzhew on the flanks.
Dane Gagai is not 21 anymore and Schiller went beast mode in the centres for the Raiders last season in NSW Cup. The Knights are, somehow, cap-strapped despite only boasting two genuine megastars. They need value signings.
Stonestreet, despite his obvious talents, is still a kid with under 10 games to his name. Therefore couldn't expect the bank to be broken re his contract.
Newcastle have more pressing issues than wing, so this shouldn't be the be-all and end-all of signings. However, if Sharpe lands the five-eighth role, that's a huge step forward, and Stonestreet's potential signing makes the world of sense.
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.