The Cronulla Sharks will need to head to the open market or rapidly develop their own crop of dummy halves, with news Jayden Berrell is departing the club ahead of the 2027 NRL season.
The hooker joined the Sharks a number of seasons ago, and has provided handy back-up to Blayke Brailey in recent campaigns.
While Brailey is one of the best dummy halves in the competition and made his State of Origin debut for the NSW Blues this year, the now experienced rake has little in the way of support at Cronulla.
Berrell, a long time QLD Cup player, has been that player for the Sharks, while head coach Craig Fitzgibbon also used ball-playing lock forward Hohepa Puru at times in the number nine jumper this year.
But Puru on his own is not a replacement for Brailey, opening up a potential problem for the Sharks, with The League Scene revealing Berrell is heading back to Queensland where he will chase a contract with any side in that competition who need a dummy half.
Sharks backup hooker Jayden Berrell will be departing the club at the end of the season.
Berrell will be heading back home to QLD where it's our understanding he will ply his trade in the QLD Cup for any side that needs a hooker.
— The League Scene (@LeagueScenePod) September 21, 2026
Puru will likely start 2027 with a bench role, but the Newtown Jets have all of Josh Cook, Kobie Wilson, Penaia Leveleve and Xavier Ndaria on their books, giving the Sharks some potential options to look at during the pre-season.
Given the role is only a back-up one, they certainly won't be able to go and sign a big name to back-up Brailey, but the likes of Zach Dockar-Clary, youngster Zaidas Muagututia and Jake Turpin are all still without a contract for 2027 and could entertain the idea of some potential minutes in the Shire, either through a Brailey injury or Origin selection.
Still, pickings are slim for the Sharks, and their decision will ultimately be one that could have little consequence to the overall state of the club unless Brailey was to miss any significant game time in 2027.
Berrell, who captained the Newtown Jets during Sunday's losing effort in the NSW Cup grand final against the Penrith Panthers, will return to Queensland having played seven first-grade games since joining the club, with his debut coming in 2024.
Four of his seven games came this season, although all from the bench.
