Shellharbour Sharks start season strongly after new recruits impress in shootout victory
Tallon Smith
The Shellharbour Sharks proved they will again be a force in Group 7 this season after several of the club’s new signings and returning stars impressed in the club’s pre-season matches.
The Sharks started their 2026 campaign in the best possible way, taking out the club’s annual Shellharbour Shootout tournament at Ron Costello Oval on March 14 with a 22-0 victory over the Warilla-Lake South Gorillas in the final.
Sharks coach Abed Atallah said that it was good to see some of the new recruits from the off-season, including Matt Delbanco, Dante Efarimo and Joey Elton, don the maroon and gold jumper for the first time in the tournament.
“It was good for us to have a good look at some of the boys we had yet to see play,” he said.
“Some I’d seen play already, but it was the first opportunity to play in our colours, which was pleasing to see.
“Matty Delbanco, we kind of know what we get with him, he’s a very no nonsense player, so he was good, he picked up a nice little cut to the head early, but the calibre of player he is, he wrapped his head up and continued on for the day,
“It was good, I thought our back five, which consisted of Jacob Seabrook, Jaxon Manukonga, Malokai Tomo, along with Donte Efaraimo, who’s back playing this year at the club, and Jye Brooker, I thought they were really good at the back of the field
“We had some [other] good contributors when they came on, a bloke named Obed Kharwin, it was his first opportunity to play for the club, [and] I thought young Joey Elton went alright as well.”
After losing several players over the off-season, including the Wallace brothers Braxton (Dapto) and Bailey Wallace (Temora), as well as centres Ryan James (Nowra-Bomaderry) and Jayme McElhone (retirement) to name a few, the club welcomed several of the aforementioned signings to fill the gaps.
Atallah said that with the quality the club has brought in, as well as the strong core of existing players, he fully expects the club to be there come finals time this season.
“We have no doubt we will be contending, it’s the expectation that we set within ourselves as a club and the players know the sort of expectations within our playing group and we expect to put our best foot forward,” he said.
“[One] of the little things we’ll take out of the weekend is that we didn’t let in any points in the time we were out there on the field.
“That’s something that we’ve always, or especially over the last three or four years, really prided ourselves on, our defence.
“New combinations, new faces, they’ll take a little bit of time, but we’re very confident in our squad.”
Another bright spot on the day was the strong performance of Warilla ahead of the club’s return to the Group 7 first grade competition this season under coach Kayne Brennan.
Shellharbour Sharks president John Clune said it was great to see his club’s rivals building strongly from the perspective of the competition.
“It was great for the game and great for Group 7 to have Warilla and Shellharbour back as a local derby,” he said.
“They played in the first round, and it was very tight until just on half time when the Sharks scored under the posts to lead 6-0, and scored a couple of tries right near the end.
“Then, due to some pull-outs, Warilla played against Collies in sort of a preliminary final and they put up a great effort in that game and came from behind to beat quite a good Collies team 10 points to 6, so then it was all guns blazing for the final.
“A lot of credit to Warilla, who had to play their sort of preliminary final, then only have half an hour break and then come and play against our team which was quite fresh.”
Sharks Support Yak with prize money donation
After a tough few weeks for the South Coast rugby league community following the catastrophic spinal injury to much-loved player Jacek McLaurin, a gesture from the winning host club proved to be one of the stories of the day. Clune said that the club’s decision was about the rugby league community leading the way in supporting a local facing a difficult road ahead.
“[It was] a very pleasing day for the Sharks, and I think the best thing about it was the Sharks won the day, they donated all their prize money to the Jacek McLaurin Appeal, which I thought was great for community rugby league to lead the way in the appeal,” he said.