He's a man of few words off the field, but the ever-humble Will Kennedy's footballing ability speaks for itself.
One of the NRL's quiet achievers, though not underrated by anyone at the Sharks, the consistent fullback will mark 100 games against the Titans tomorrow night.
The 27-year-old debuted for Cronulla in 2019 – on his birthday, no less – and has since proven indispensable as a crucial part of the first-choice spine.
While not one to talk up his achievements, Kennedy reflected on his phenomenal journey so far in an interview with Sharks Media earlier this week.
"I grew up in Bathurst playing footy at a young age of around seven or eight with my younger sister Kandy," the St Patricks junior said.
As the son of William 'Bubba' Kennedy senior, who played 61 matches for the Balmain Tigers in the 1990s, and the nephew of fellow bush footy legend Steven Lane, the Cronulla star has an esteemed rugby league pedigree.
"My dad and uncle had a big impact on me growing up. Just junior footy, they played a lot of Group 10 together, so I learnt a lot of footy off them," Kennedy said.
Nothing has come easily for the hard-working Kennedy. As a teen, he moved from Bathurst to live at Sylvania's Kirinari Aboriginal Hostel in search of opportunity.
It wasn't long before scouts recognised his talent with a Steeden in hand.
"I ended up playing for the Sharks through playing with Cronulla-Caringbah first. I got selected for a development side," Kennedy explained.
"I came through SG Ball with a lot of the boys here and then went through the Newtown Jets (in the reserve-grade NSW Cup) and here to the Sharks.
"Very proud to play my 100th game at the Sharks ... I love this club.
"They've done everything for me."
Kin and culture are everything to Kennedy, an Indigenous role model.
"My family has inspired me a lot," he said. "My old man playing footy and my uncle, my partner Grace and my little one Rose. They've been with me through my career and I wouldn't be where I am without all those people.
"I'm a very proud Kamilaroi man," the Sharks custodian added. "I hope I inspire the younger generation as well as the older generation did for me."
When he runs onto Cbus Super Stadium on Friday, he'll be doing just that.
