Last season was successful across the board for Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks, finishing runners up in NRLW, NRL Preliminary Finalists, UNE Harold Matthews Cup Semi-finalists, and Premiers in The Knock-On Effect NSW Cup with feeder club the Newtown Jets.
But among all that came a nine-game winning run late in the season by the Sharks Jersey Flegg Cup (Under 21s) side, skippered by lock forward Sam McCulloch, to make a Grand Final appearance on Sunday 29 September up against Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs.
They mightn’t have come away with the win in the end but the Sharks performance throughout the year was just another example of the depth of young talent coming through at the Shire, and McCulloch is one of those.
A local junior out of St John Bosco-Como, McCulloch has been highly touted at the Sharks for several years. He was named their UNE Harold Matthews Cup Player of the Year in 2021.
Since then he has plied his trade through the Junior Representative system and was elevated to captain of the Jersey Flegg side in 2024. Following their Grand Final appearance McCulloch claimed the Gavin Miller Award for Jersey Flegg Cup Player of the Year.
His 27 games in the past season was equal-first in the competition, along with 748 tackles (second) averaging 28, 3,141 run metres (third) averaging 116. McCulloch also managed two tries, two try assists, four line-breaks and 46 tackle-busts.
On top of his leadership quality, McCulloch possesses the work rate and durability required of a middle forward in today’s game, which puts him in good stead for higher honours in the near future.
Now heading into the second season of a recent two-year extension with the Sharks and having yet to appear at NSW Cup level, McCulloch will be one to look out for in 2025.
