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:
All reports indicated that the Broncos were keen to lure Mulitalo home. I'm not sure how serious that talk was, but in my mind they were the most serious threat.
What better way to land a blow after potentially missing Ronaldo than by signing Stonestreet? On $250k a season less no doubt also.
Selwyn Cobbo looks set for a move back to the wing. His future is still yet to be decided but it now seems as though he'll stay at Red Hill.
On the other wing, in a straight shootout between Stonestreet and Jesse Arthars ... I'm taking the Sharks speedster comfortably.
Again, this would be a big move for a young kid who has his life set close to the beaches of Cronulla, but First Grade spots are at a premium!
Having signed Ben Hunt and extended Reece Walsh to a mega money deal, the Broncos are another team who need to bargain buy.
If Cobbo does decide to chase riches in North Queensland, Stonestreet shapes as a perfect potential replacement and one that is far more cap friendly.
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.