The Cronulla Sharks have confirmed young forward Jesse Colquhoun has re-signed with the club for a further two years.
The new deal for Colquhoun, who can play in the middle or on the edge, means he will remain with the club until at least the end of 2026, having already been signed for 2024.
It also ensures he will have a chance to stamp a spot in Cronulla's forward pack over the coming years, although will be up against plenty of competition.
Addin Fonua-Blake is set to arrive at the start of 2025 from the New Zealand Warriors in a big move, while Braden Hamlin-Uele also was a confirmed re-signing yesterday. The club also have the likes of Dale Finucane, Thomas Hazelton, Cameron McInnes, Briton Nikora, Toby Rudolf and Teig Wilton on the books beyond the end of this season, while decisions on Royce Hunt, Oregon Kaufusi and Jack Williams are yet to be made.
Despite that, Colquhoun said he was excited to call the Sharks home for a further two years.
"I feel really excited and grateful to call this place home for the next two years," Colquhoun said in a club statement.
"I've put in a lot of hard work over the past couple of years and to call this place home is really special.
"It's definitely been a rollercoaster - the ups and downs of rugby league, I've definitely experienced that - but hopefully I can play a lot more first grade this year and continue going up from here.
"We've got a really strong squad here and it's definitely challenged me along the way, but it's only for the best and I'm really looking forward to what the year has to come."
Colquhoun, who has ten NRL games under his belt after debuting in Round 22 of the 2022 season, has made an impression on the coaching staff, according to the club's general manager of football Darren Mooney.
"Jesse is a player of tremendous potential and everyone at the club is delighted he's committed for another couple of years," Mooney said.
"He is always hungry to learn, and we look forward to seeing him continue to develop over the coming seasons.
"Jesse has made a huge impression on Craig Fitzgibbon and his coaching staff this pre-season, and with his ability to play in the middle and on an edge, he adds great versatility to the squad. We all believe that he is only scratching the surface of his ability."
The Sharks play the Canterbury Bulldogs in their final trial this weekend with Colquhoun to come off the bench, before the young forward is likely to start his season proper with the Newtown Jets in the NSW Cup against the New Zealand Warriors in Auckland on Friday, March 8. The NRL team play straight after the Sharks on the same day to open their season.
