Chad Townsend will join fellow premiership hero Andrew Fifita in the club's Junior Representative coaching ranks next season on the 10-year anniversary of the historic 2016 NRL campaign.
Townsend, who recently hung up the boots after a 268-game NRL career, has returned to Cronulla as head coach of the SG Ball (Under 19 male) squad.
Fifita, meanwhile, will remain in charge of the Tarsha Gale (Under 19 female) team after reaching the finals in his debut season with the clipboard this year.
Brad Kelly (Harold Matthews – Under 17 male) and Isaac Michael (Lisa Fiaola – Under 17 female) are the other 2026 Junior Representative head coaches, while premiership captain Paul Gallen is set to provide another link to 2016 in offering his expertise as a specialist defensive coach for the male pathways squads.
Townsend, immortalised as the first halfback to deliver an NRL title to Cronulla, played 146 NRL games for the Sharks after making his debut in 2011.
A proud local junior who now has an oval named in his honour at Yarrawarrah, Townsend's talents also took him to the Warriors, Cowboys and Roosters.
Having always considered the Sharks his home, the 34-year-old is delighted to be back in the fold as the club prepares to honour the champion 2016 team.
"It feels great. It's been a little while since I've put the black, white and blue on, but I grew up in the Shire and I followed the Sharks as a kid," Townsend said.
"It feels right. I'm very, very excited. I'm very appreciative of the opportunity; I just want to get involved and help these kids with their pathway, hopefully to the NRL.
Townsend talks return to Sharks as SG Ball coach
"I'm very grateful for my time as a player, but now I just want to give back. I want to help guys in the same position that I was in a long time ago.
"For me to be involved in the club again, 10 years on from that special day (of winning the premiership), it means a lot to me and my family.
"I've already spoken to some of my teammates from that season about jumping in at training and helping out. I don't want to drop too many names and put some pressure on them, but they're very excited to give back, as I am."
Fifita, who famously crashed over for the try that sealed the 14-12 Grand Final victory over the Storm, is a passionate advocate for the women's game.
After bowing out in the first week of the playoffs, Fifita is eager to continue building with a talented Tarsha Gale squad including several players who helped the club win this year's Harvey Norman NSW Women's Premiership.
"I had Tarsha last year and I thought we grew in the right way. A lot of the girls went on to win that Harvey Norman competition," said Fifita, a loyal Sharks servant who played 212 NRL matches for the club after arriving in 2012.
"I'm just grateful to get a lot of those girls back now, but it's a new team with a lot of juniors coming through. And the staff I've got now – it's the most experienced staff I've ever seen by any junior development team, so I'm grateful to have them.
"I look at the way I am with my daughter and I don't really change much to how I am with the (Tarsha Gale) ladies as well. I still try and preach that Shark DNA. It's not just themselves they're playing for; they're also playing for the club.
"I always say I don't feel like we're coaches, I feel like we're mentors. We've got Isaac at Lisa Fiaola, myself at Tarsha Gale, and the boys have done a great job (coaching) at NRLW level. That consistency right through the club is awesome."
As for the 2016 celebrations, Fifita added: "I'm excited. Can't wait to see what they have planned for us. It's gone so quick and some of those boys are still playing.
"I'm more excited to just reconnect, especially to see where all the boys are at now. I'm excited to see Chaddy jump on board and get back to the club he grew up cheering for and helping our young ones out now."
2026 Junior Representative Head Coaches
SG Ball – Chad Townsend
Harold Matthews – Brad Kelly
Tarsha Gale – Andrew Fifita
Lisa Fiaola – Isaac Michael
