Crowned as one of Australia's fastest ever athletes, Matt Shirvington has joined the Cronulla Sharks staff as a sprint coach for 2026.
The Olympian has been working with the NRL squad since the start of preseason, in a bid to increase the high-end speed of players across the park.
The Sharks have identified how the fast-paced style of Rugby League in the modern game will benefit from having the forwards be nimble on their feet, bearing dividends on the scoreboard.
Shirvington was immediately caught by surprise at the speed of the playing group, revealing to Sharks Media how it is some of the best he has seen in the NRL.
"The guys are moving really well – they're super fast from a standing start right through to top speed. They're looking really good," Shirvington said.
"And their agility – arguably the best team I've seen in the way that they move around the field. They're very impressive at the moment."
Shirvington spent time at the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and the St George Illawarra Dragons in the past, where he formed connections that led him to the Shire.
In a bid to take advantage of the modern game, a large focus has been set on the Sharks' forward pack, with glowing praise being set on the senior group and the players in the engine room.
"And then some of the older boys move well on the field too. Will Kennedy, when he's up and running, Sam Stonestreet as well, he's got a beautiful stride once he gets going", Shirvington said.
"And the funny thing with some of the bigger boys, too, is they don't think they're fast, but the power that they can produce off the ground once they're up and moving... the momentum they create is just mind-blowing."
The tactical decision made by the Sharks will be looking to get them to take the next step further into their premiership hunt, after four seasons of reaching the finals without a Grand Final berth.
"It's a fast game, isn't it?" Shirvington added.
"The modern game of rugby league is super fast.
"Their turnaround speed, their defensive line speed... Once they find some space as well, the ability just to use that space and to leave everyone behind."
Great enthusiasm is being shown by the Sharks playing group, with Shirvington receiving extra enquiries after training from players in order to soak up as much information possible.
"All the boys came up, shook my hand, said g'day, were genuinely interested in how I was going, what I was doing, and the contribution that I was going to be able to make to this program. They've been really responsive to that," he said.
"Some of them have even called me personally to get a few tips and ideas and to even go beyond the sessions that we're doing here."
A crop of youngsters has really impressed Shirvington, including speedster centre Michael Gabrael, who is set to light up the NRL competition when he makes his eventual debut.
"Some of the young boys are really impressive," Shirvington said.
"They come through with a lot of enthusiasm and willingness to impress as well. Mickey Gabrael is one of the young boys coming through and he's just super fast on his feet. It's nice to be working with some of those guys."
The Sharks will get to showcase their newly-improved speed for the first time when they take on the Parramatta Eels in the Pre-season Challenge at Henson Park on February 15.
