Former Cronulla Sharks' squad member Fine Kula has made a major breakthrough in his battle against cancer.
Diagnosed at the start of 2020 with an aggressive form of brain cancer known as medulloblastoma, Kula immediately began ten months of intense chemotherapy.
The NRL and his teammates rallied around him, and despite an original diagnosis suggesting he had little chance of defeating the cancer, Kula is now officially in remission.
“This has been a journey. But I’m happy to say it ends today. I go into remission so my battle with cancer is officially over,” Kula said in an Instagram post.
“There are so many people I wanna (sic) thank, family, friends, the rugby league community, Endeavour Sports High, the Cronulla Sharks.
“I am forever grateful for the support during my battle with cancer”
Kula won't return to the field in a playing capacity, but he will return to the club who have supported him through his journey.
The former forward, who may have been earmarked to make an NRL debut if not for cancer, will now return to the Sharks Academy as a specialist forwards coach for the junior teams, including Harold Matthews and SG Ball, which serve under-17 and under-19 players respectively.
Sharks pathways manager Glenn Brailey told the Sharks website that it was emotional being told the news.
“He told me when we he arrived for Junior rep training and we both got a bit emotional,” Brailey said.
“I told him how fantastic the news was and now we’re going to put plenty of time and energy into making him a coach.”
