It’s a round to honour and celebrate our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander brothers and sisters, and to educate and learn more about the world's oldest culture.
The Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks are proud to have many past, present and emerging Indigenous role models in its NRL, NRLW and pathway squads.
Players who go above and beyond to give back; who have changed lives and inspired countless numbers through their community work and by speaking up and speaking proudly about their culture.
Current players Nicho Hynes (Wiradjuri & Darkinjung), Quincy Dodd (Buruberongal) and Caitlan Johnston-Green (Awabakal and Gamilaroi) have all captained the Indigenous All Stars. Hynes entered his first camp in 2022, and his story of cultural evolution has inspired many.
Hynes continues his work as an ambassador for ‘Find Ya Feet,’ helping empower people to share their stories and to speak up about mental health issues. The Sharks halfback co-created the NRL’s Mental Fitness Round three years ago and has also promoted Greg Inglis’ Goanna Academy, which runs programs to teach kids about mental health, and influences them to ‘Stick With It.’
Quincy Dodd won the 2024 Indigenous Leadership Award at the Wellbeing Education Awards for the great work she’s done in the community. By day she works as an NRL Game Development Officer at the Sharks, growing the game and keeping it safe and inclusive.
Caitlan Johnston-Green has worked in schools teaching students about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and worked in the Sharks Have Heart community team before having a child.
Rhiannon Byers (Wiradjuri) won the Veronica White Medal last year for her community work, mentoring hundreds of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth through the Kurranulla Aboriginal Corporation.
Jada Taylor (Gamilaroi) is the first full-time Deadly Choices Programs Officer at the Sharks and in the NRL, as well as the club’s Indigenous Programs Coordinator. She runs Deadly Choices programs that empower Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders to make healthy lifestyle choices.
Taylor is often joined in her programs by fellow Indigenous Sharks including Dodd, Hynes, Braydon Trindall (Gomeroi and Muruwari), Jesse Ramien (Wiradjuri), Will Kennedy (Gamilaroi), Hohepa Puru and Niwhai Puru (Mununjali and Githabal), who use their profiles to encourage positive decision-making.
Ramien recently spent the Sharks' round 17 bye travelling around the New South Wales bush. He teamed up with health organisation Bulgarr Ngaru, using his time off to give back to the community. Ramien, along with his great mate Andrew Fifita, has started Elite Sports Mentoring Officers – a mentoring and counselling service to help youth overcome challenges and reach their full potential.
Will Kennedy brought Ramien and Trindall with him at the start of the year to inspire the kids at Aboriginal Hostels Limited; a place that he lived when he was 15, having moved away from home to chase his NRL dream.
A special moment for the Puru brothers last year, when they got to play together for the Indigenous All-Stars. Cronulla had 11 players represented over the two games this year with Hohepa Puru, Ramien, Hynes and Trindall in the Indigenous men’s side, and Briton Nikora and Mawene Hiroti in the Māori men’s team, while Byers, Dodd, Johnston-Green and Taylor all played for the Indigenous women’s sid. During a week when players embrace their culture, fill their cups, and inspire the next generation.
“We just had NAIDOC Week. 50 years of Deadly. Now Indigenous Round. What an amazing statement,” Sharks champion and Indigenous All-Stars captain Quincy Dodd said.
“We’ve had so many events around the community; I feel like both Indigenous and non-indigenous people get down there.
“They get educated, they learn and connect with our strong culture, and that’s so special.
“It means that people are actually investing in our rich history and really want to know the background to our amazing history as well.
“It’s a chance for us all to connect and that’s what we do best in this country, we connect.”
Sharks Head of Community & Government Relations Vinh Tran said, “We’re extremely proud to have all of our NRL and NRLW Indigenous players connected to their culture and identity and giving back to the next generation.”
Jada Taylor helped deliver the Deadly Choices Healthy Lifestyle program to 104 students last year alone.
A total of 2,099 Health Check shirts and 1,335 education shirts with Sharks branding were handed out to the Indigenous community in 2025.
The Sharks are one of eight NRL teams partnered with Deadly Choices after becoming the first Sydney club to align with the organisation in 2018.
For more information about the Deadly Choices healthy lifestyles program in your school or community group, or Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health assessments, contact: [email protected]
These are just a few of the many amazing stories of the incredible work Sharks players have done and are doing in the community.
