Preparing for the 2025 NRL season, Cronulla Sharks forward Braden Hamlin-Uele has opened up on the struggles of last season which were marred by injuries and inconsistent form.
Once seen as the Sharks' most damaging and impactful player, Hamlin-Uele has struggled to reach those heights and live up to expectations over the past two seasons, especially in 2024.
A regular fixture of the side's first-grade team from 2019 to 2023, the forward entered a downward spiral last season which saw him relegated to the NSW Cupย with the Newtown Jets for most of the year and missed out on playing in theย NRL Finals.
Admitting that he was far from his best last season, Hamlin-Uele revealed that it was a wake-up call and that he wants to reclaim his dominance on the field that saw him register appearances for New Zealand and Samoa.
Playing the fewestย NRLย games in a season since 2018, the international forward is eager to change his fortunes and cement a regular spot in the team alongside fellow big menย Addin Fonua-Blakeย andย Oregon Kaufusi.
"It was a hard one. You sort of know what you're capable of, and not being able to achieve it sort of takes a hit to the confidence," Hamlin-Uele toldย Zero Tackle.
"I had a chat with Fitzy [Craig Fitzgibbon] about it and obviously decided that getting my feet back in Cup was probably the best thing for me to be honest.
"It allowed me to play with a bit more freedom instead of being uptight and allowed me to showcase and gain those layers of confidence in myself again and I think that last few games for the Jets and winning the championship is a blueprint for this year.
"I feel like having the goal of playing regular first-grade is too broad of a goal. My goal for this year is to dominate first-grade and be the guy I can be and people think that I can be.
"Outside people are going to say whatever they want, but as long as I know what I'm capable of and the boys have that trust in me, then why can't I do it?"
Turning down interest from the New Zealand Warriors, the 30-year-old will remain in Sharks colours for the next two seasons after agreeing to a contract extension at the start of 2024.
One of the more experienced members of the forward pack, he intends to remain at the club for the remainder of his playing career and help mentor the younger players coming through the pathways system such as Felix Faatili and Samuel McCulloch.
"Being injured at the time and coming off an injury, for the club to show faith in me to stick around for another two years meant a lot," Hamlin-Uele added.
"The Warriors were very interested and to the last second it was a tough decision to decide to stay but it was the right decision for me and my family.
"I've got a son and a partner that moved down from Brisbane and moved their life here for me, so to have us both uproot again and create a whole new life in New Zealand, we just thought it was a bit too hard.
"I don't regret the decision to stay here at all. I love this club. I love the voices here.
"I love the coaching staff and it's home for me. I hope to be here for the rest of my career."
