NEWCASTLE, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 15: Bradman Best of the Knights is tackled by the Panthers defence during the round seven NRL match between Newcastle Knights and Penrith Panthers at McDonald Jones Stadium on April 15, 2023 in Newcastle, Australia. (Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)
The Cronulla Sharks have been a consistent picture of almost, but not quite good enough in recent seasons.
That trend continued in 2023 when the side found themselves falling short in Week 1 of the finals despite playing against a horrendously undermanned Sydney Roosters outfit.
That came after the year before where they finished in the top four on the back of Nicho Hynes' brilliance, but were still bounced out of the finals in straight sets.
The side clearly needs things to change if they want to hit the next level, and free agency ahead of 2025 could give them the opportunity to do just that.
In this series, Zero Tackle will run the rule over where each team currently stands for 2025, and what they will need to do when players off-contract at the end of 2024 become available for negotiation from November 1.
Current squad for 2025
Daniel Atkinson, Blayke Brailey, Kade Dykes, Dale Finucane, Royce Hunt, Nicho Hynes, Sione Katoa, William Kennedy, Cameron McInnes, Ronaldo Mulitalo, Briton Nikora, Jesse Ramien, Sam Stonestreet, Siosifa Talakai, Braydon Trindall, Teig Wilton
Current best 17 for 2025
1. William Kennedy
2. Sione Katoa
3. Jesse Ramien
4. Siosifa Talakai
5. Ronaldo Mulitalo
6. Braydon Trindall
7. Nicho Hynes
8. Royce Hunt
9. Blayke Brailey
10. Dale Finucane
11. Briton Nikora
12. Teig Wilton
13. Cameron McInnes
14. Daniel Atkinson
15. Kade Dykes
16. Sam Stonestreet
17. No player signed.
Players off-contract at end of 2024
Jayden Berrell, Jesse Colquhoun, Braden Hamlin-Uele, Mawene Hiroti, Kayal Iro, Matt Moylan, Niwhai Puru, Toby Rudolf, Siteni Taukamo, Connor Tracey, Jack Williams
Here are five players available to negotiate on November 1 from outside of the club the Sharks could target for 2025 and beyond.
EVERY PLAYER OFF-CONTRACT AT THE END OF 2024
Other clubs
» Brisbane Broncos
» Canberra Raiders
» Canterbury Bulldogs
What the Sharks need more than just about anything is a - and potentially more than one - forward with size and strength in the middle.
The forward pack as it stands, and moving into the future, features the likes of Dale Finucane, Cameron McInnes and Toby Rudolf, as well as the far more power-punching options of Braden Hamlin-Uele and Royce Hunt.
They still have a decision to make on the future of Braden Hamlin-Uele and Toby Rudolf for 2025, as well as promising talent Jesse Colquhoun, but it's arguable that a couple of good forwards joining could be the difference between Cronulla continuing to plod around the edge of the top eight, or making a push for a premiership.
The youngest May brother may not be a top-echelon prop in the NRL yet, but he is certainly heading in that general direction.
The Roosters are yet to secure his future, and while he may be unlikely to leave Bondi given the opportunity he has received there, a number of clubs should be banging down the door for his signature.
Another conundrum the Sharks have moving forward is in their centres.
While Jesse Ramien is locked in and Siosifa Talakai is signed through to the end of 2025, there is no guarantee the latter of the duo will remain in the centres.
He has had some strong performances, but the middle, or the second-row is likely where his long-term future stands despite the odd game where he flattens the opposition.
The Sharks still have a decision to make on Kayal Iro, granted, but it looks for all money as if he will leave the club without a significant uptick in playing time during 2024. And fair enough too.
That means the Sharks are going to be in the market for a new centre, and it's hard to go past Bradman Best when you look at the list of players coming off-contract at the end of 2024.
He has been linked to an exit from the Knights for much of the year, and with his finish to the campaign, he has only added value to his next contract.
With November 1 almost here, it looks as if he will hit the open market, and the Sharks should be making a play.
The Sharks have Blayke Brailey signed long-term. This move isn't about replacing him, although plenty of the club's fans are on the record saying they ultimately need to.
Cronulla are also yet to make a decision on the future of the under-utilised Jayden Berrell, who has barely been sighted since being picked up out of the QLD Cup.
But taking he won't re-sign - and what reason would he have to do so at this point? - it could well be a player like Jake Simpkin who makes the switch to Cronulla.
In backing up Apisai Koroisau at the Tigers, he has proven he can play more than just the nine, and the former Queensland under-20s player is yet to be given a real opportunity to show his worth in the NRL.
Playing a spark-style role off the bench in combination with Brailey could change the fortunes of the Sharks at dummy half each week, but having an NRL-capable player like Simpkin would also give coach Craig Fitzgibbon options if Brailey's form doesn't turn a serious corner in 2024.
While this list features two younger forwards, the Sharks could also need a replacement - or replacements - at the top end of their squad as well.
Jai Arrow, who has been on big money during his present deal at South Sydney and is a Queensland State of Origin forward, presents that option if Dale Finucane does elect to hang up the boots.
They don't play the same position, but the beauty of it is, the Sharks don't need his replacement too. That's because they already have two versions of Finucane with Cameron McInnes in the squad.
The real beauty of Arrow is that he can play in the middle and on the edge, and has done both throughout his career at a level that could get him selected for Origin level.
I expect a number of clubs to be targetting Arrow, with the Rabbitohs unlikely to have the funds to hang onto him after shelling out big money for the re-signings of the likes of Keaon Koloamatangi, Latrell Mitchell, Cody Walker, Damien Cook and the addition of Jack Wighton from the Canberra Raiders over the next four years.
On the topic of forwards, and at the other end of the experience spectrum, Mariota is going to be in a similar boat to Terrell May, albeit not quite as far through his career yet.
Still, he is rated as one of the best youngsters in the game, and certainly within the Canberra system, and by the end of 2024, could have added plenty of value to his contract.
It is something of a surprise that the Raiders are yet to lock him up on a long-term deal. His 16 games in 2023 were all strong enough to suggest he has a long future in the NRL, making the most of limited minutes before starting and playing 56 minutes in that crunch final against the Knights, where he came up with a career-high 193 metres and only missed a single tackle despite defence certainly not being the order of the day in that particular contest.
He has size and strength, and there is a real school of thought that suggests the Sharks should be one of the clubs entering the battle for his signature.