On Saturday night, rising fullback Liam Ison (Shark #561) will make his Cronulla Sharks debut, adding his name to the club’s history and becoming the latest player to don the Sharks uniform alongside Paul Gallen, Steve Rogers, and Andrew Ettingshausen.
Ison, who was once tipped to succeed Dylan Edwards at the Penrith Panthers, will join Isaiya Katoa, Mavrik Geyer, and Hohepa Puru as the four members of the storied Panthers 2022 Jersey Flegg Cup premiership squad to play in the NRL this coming weekend.
Junior for St Marys Saints, the 19-year-old speedster will replace the suspended Will Kennedy in the lineup following a breakthrough season for the Newtown Jets in the NSW Cup and Jersey Flegg Cup.
He has elevated his play to a new level in ten reserve-grade games, averaging 146 running metres per game, making 72 tackle busts, seven line breaks, five try assists and nine tries scored.
Liam Ison talked to Zero Tackle about his path to the NRL, why he chose to move from Penrith to the Shire, and the value of his friends and family before making his debut.
“I was a touch football player growing up and I was at the stage in my footy career when I was like 14 (and) I wasn’t really getting picked for the teams,” Ison stated to Zero Tackle.
“After I had a touch football coach named Scott Buckley, who kind of believed in me, I didn’t really hit puberty and I kind of just transferred into rugby league.
“He provided me the abilities and self-assurance necessary to become the player I am today. I wasn’t the most physically gifted child growing up.
“You wonder why you weren’t selected for the junior teams when you see everyone else getting selected. Everything pays off, in my opinion, if you just give it time and follow the training instructions.”
While playing for the Junior Blues, Ison has previously worked with Brad Fittler and Andrew Johns, though this Saturday will be his first NRL match.
Prior to joining Cronulla prior to the current season, he participated in the Jersey Flegg Cup, SG Ball Cup, and Harold Matthews Cup with the Panthers from 2020 to 2023. He can play fullback but prefers to play five-eighth.
Ison stated that the primary reason he joined the club from the Penrith Panthers was because “Cronulla have always been a tough side.”
“They’ve been here through all the dramas and stuff that’s happened. They’ve been hard-working, and it’s simply a fantastic route for children to follow.
“I kind of decided to move because of this. I think the club is creating something really unique here. Moving away from Penrith was obviously a very difficult decision, but for that, I am very thankful.
“Whenever someone moves clubs you obviously miss your teammates having grown up with them, playing alongside them.”
A lifelong Cronulla Sharks supporter, he acknowledged that after moving up the ranks, he briefly backed the Penrith Panthers. However, as he prepares to take the field for the team he has supported since he was a young child, he is now back on the Sharks’ side.
Growing up, I did support Cronulla, but after joining Penrith and rising through the ranks, I made the decision to become a Penrith fan, but nah, I’m Sharkies now.”
Having grown up idolising superstar fullbacks Ben Barba and Billy Slater, Ison acknowledged that he has studied teammates Will Kennedy and Kade Dykes’ plays intently after spending time with them at training both during the regular season and the off-season.
“I consider Will’s actions and everything he and Dykey [Kade Dykes] contribute to the role. I see that on the pitch, but everyone is hanging out with each other because they are a close-knit group,” he continued.
He said that going to the Shire for training is “tough most days” and that he wouldn’t be where he is now if it weren’t for his family, especially his parents. He still resides in Penrith with them.
“They have played a significant role.” Every parent wants their son or children to make a meaningful life for themselves,” he said.
“I am grateful for everything they do for me. Mum still packed my lunches when I was in school, so I’m really appreciative of everything they do and think they’re the best parents ever.”
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