The Cronulla Sharks have continued their re-signing spree, locking down fullback William Kennedy until at least the end of the 2025 season.
The two-year extension means all of the first-choice backline are now locked in at the club beyond the end of this season following the recent re-signings of Sione Katoa, Ronaldo Mulitalo, Jesse Ramien, Siosifa Talakai, Nicho Hynes and Matt Moylan, who put pen to paper last year.
The Sharks boast one of the most settled rosters in the game, with only the likes of Wade Graham and Teig Wilton off-contract at the end of this season.
The club will now likely move onto Wilton as a priority, with Graham's future less than certain.
Cronulla have carved out an excellent run of momentum under Craig Fitzgibbon, who took over as coach ahead of the 2022 season, and it has become clear his players want to play for the second-year coach given the speight of re-signings.
Kennedy said his desire to play at the Sharks came from a number of factors.
“I've been here since my SG Ball days and I love the club, the culture we have here and have close relationships with the players here at the Sharks,” Kennedy said in a club statement.
“With the playing group we have and under the coaching of Fitzy (Craig Fitzgibbon), Steve Price, Josh Hannay and DJ (Daniel Holdsworth) I think we are building something special here and I'm excited to be a part of it.”
Fitzgibbon said Kennedy's hard work and improvement was clear to see.
“Will is a player who works very hard at his game and his continued improvement and development is evidence of that,” Fitzgibbon said.
“He has come through our pathways, winning an SG Ball and NSW Cup competition along the way and is a valuable member of our team, trusted by his teammates and it is definitely a boost that he has re-signed and made the decision to remain at the Club for a further two years.”
Kennedy has played 67 NRL games since making his debut for the Sharks in mid-2019.
