After nearly a full year of rumours, young player Kayal Iro of the Cronulla Sharks has officially signed a new two-year contract with the team.
With two seasons left to prepare for the long term, the contract guarantees his stay in the Shire until at least the end of 2026.
Iro, who can play centre, wing, or fullback, has been talking about wanting to leave the Shire for up to a year now. During the previous season, he had difficulty getting regular playing time in first grade.
After being benched during the first three rounds of the new season, it seemed like the same thing would happen this year. However, since making his way into the starting lineup at centre during Round 4, he hasn’t given it much thought.
Although he has only scored twice and assisted on four other tries in his 14 appearances, he has made an astounding 55 tackle busts, averaged 162 metres per game, and tackled at nearly 90% – a very impressive stat for an outside back.
Iro now has 15 NRL games under his belt, including his debut from the previous year.
Iro claimed that being a Sharks player means “everything” to him.
In a club statement announcing the news, Iro said, “The Sharks mean everything; they’ve given me my first shot to live out my childhood dream.”
“I’m happy and excited to stay here for the next two years because I like what we’re building here. It’s fun for me.
“I’ve spent a few years working here. I fell in love with the area, the boys, the crew, and the coaching staff during my first season in 2021, and I have continued to love it ever since.
“I want to express my gratitude to my parents for supporting me during the last few years, especially during difficult times. above all, my parents, who helped me get through all the difficult moments, including the early mornings when I was a child.”
This year, Iro has made the most of his opportunity, according to coach Craig Fitzgibbon.
Fitzgibbon stated of Iro, “We’ve always rated Kayal extremely highly.”
“He put in a lot of effort while waiting for his chance, and this year, he has seized it completely.
“Kayal is still just 15 games into his NRL career and will only get better in the seasons ahead.”
At the Dally M awards in September, Iro is probably going to be one of the players up for rookie of the year.
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