NRL 2024: Cronulla Sharks rookie Sam Stonestreet opens up on his debut, 2016 grand final memories

Eight years ago, Sam Stonestreet was cheering on Chad Townsend and Valentine Holmes as Cronulla won the NRL grand final. Now he’s going up against them as he prepares to make his debut.

Sam Stonestreet still has the autograph book he would carry to every Sharks game.

A fan of Cronulla since he was four-years-old, Stonestreet would watch every game with his family from the hill, quickly joining the supporters club of popular Sharks winger Luke Covell.

The local junior from De La Salle Caringbah, who played all of his junior footy directly across the road from PointsBet Stadium, remembers sitting on the hill in 2013 when Andrew Fifita busted out his famous lawnmower at a post-try celebration.

Cronulla Sharks NRL debutant Sam Stonestreet. Picture: Supplied

The rookie Sharks winger remembers too, hugging his baby brother Jack and crying the moment in 2016 that finally, Cronulla had secured their historic first premiership.

Which is what makes his boyhood dream on Sunday even more special.

“It’s pretty surreal when you think about it,” Stonestreet said.

“I cried that day the Sharks won the grand final.

“I watched Chad Townsend and Val Holmes win the game for us and now I’m going up against them on the weekend.”

There’s few things better in rugby league than a local junior making their NRL debut.

That’s what Stonestreet, 21, will achieve against Townsend and Holmes’ Cowboys at PointsBet Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

With speed, size and power, Stonestreet replaces the suspended Sione Katoa.

After progressing all the way through the Sharks pathways, he has been handed his first grade debut following an outstanding pre-season and an impressive 19 tries in 26-games in the NSW Cup.

Cronulla Sharks NRL debutant Sam Stonestreet. Picture: Supplied

His trusty Sharks autograph book. Picture: Supplied

“It’s very special. I grew-up playing my junior footy across the road for De La Salle,” Stonestreet said.

“I’ve been sitting on that Cronulla family hill since I was a kid.

“Luke Covell was my favourite player and Nathan Gardner as well.

“I’ve got a book at home with all the Sharks signatures. Inside the old Leagues club they would have a members day and I would go and get all the Sharks players and get all their signatures.

“With Sione getting charged, I thought I had a good hope (of getting the call-up).

“But I was still shocked when I was told in front of all the boys on Tuesday.”

Stonestreet is the grandson of Ken Stonestreet, who played 142 first-grade games between 1963 and 1972 for Eastern Suburbs and Western Suburbs.

Ask Stonestreet’s father Damien what it is that makes him most proud of his boy and he says one word.

“Resilience,” Damien said.

“I remember he got dropped from the Sharks Harold Matthews team and he had to fight his way back.

Sam Stonestreet (left) with his younger brother Jack.

Stonestreet the De La Salle Caringbah junior (right).

“He kept his head down and kept working.

“I was driving to work one morning past our local oval, it was about 6am and I saw this kid training in the middle of June.

“I thought ‘geez that kid looks familiar’, so I looked again and it was Sam.

“He would’ve been 14 and he had gone to the oval by himself to train and fight his way back.

“He didn’t whinge, he just kept going.”

Inundated by messages of support from across the Sutherland Shire community, from his junior footy club, family, friends and even from his former primary school teachers, Stonestreet said he only had one focus.

“I just want the team to win,” Stonestreet said.

“I’m a competitive person, I don’t get nervous before games. And really, at the end of the day it’s just another game of footy.

“I’m going to go out and do my job and get the win for the boys.”