Interviews with Will Kennedy, Teig Wilton, Tom Hazelton and Cameron McInnes (Rd 16, 2026)

[00:00:01] The Royal Motor Yacht Club Port Hacking is a hidden gem of the Shire, situated on the banks of the beautiful Port Hacking. It's a great place to catch up with friends, celebrate your birthday or any special occasion and they always show the NRL live on the big screens. The RMYC Port Hacking, proud sponsors of this podcast and big supporters of the Cronulla Sutherland Sharks. Check out their website rmycph.com.au

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[00:01:05] Hey there, welcome to SharkCast, part of a podcast dedicated to the greatest sporting club in the history of the world, the mighty Cronulla Sutherland Sharks. This short, sharp interview-based episode brought to you by Dyson Logistics, the Royal Motor Yacht Club in Port Hacking featuring their great restaurant, The Galley. And of course, Jason Hawes at Crips & Crips Real Estate. I'm Sam Shinazzi, I'm an OG from 2015, 12 seasons of podcasting. Thanks to each and every one of you for coming along for this journey.

[00:01:29] Whether you're a newbie, whether you're an OG, whether you're in between, I and my cohorts appreciate you greatly. Always remember that. Huge win for the team on the weekend, 10-8 over in New Zealand. We talk about that quite a lot in the interviews. I can tell you that the vibe today is really good in the camp. So it's Fitzy's birthday. There's a few players fighting to play who we thought weren't going to play this weekend, one in particular. But the mood is really good.

[00:01:58] And they've got their eye on the Roosters. They're over the Warriors' win, whereas some of us, like myself, are not. But it certainly instilled a toughness in them and a pride in them which they're carrying around, which is great to see. It was just in and around a lot of the squad this morning, which isn't always the case. And there is a real good vibe. And when I say that, I'm not talking taking anyone lightly. I'm not talking yahooing. I'm talking like just a happy, confident bunch.

[00:02:25] So great to see and hope you get something out of the chats. We'll have a lot more episodes happening this week. Hopefully, yeah, a couple more today, actually. So stay tuned on that. Not sure when this episode will get out. Hopefully sooner rather than later. But we do talk to Tall Tom Hazelton. We do talk to Teague Wilton. We do talk to Captain Cam McInnes. And man of the moment, our guy, Will Kennedy. I do talk to the other players about Will Kennedy. And hope you enjoy the chats. Subscribe, like, share. You know the drill.

[00:02:54] If you don't, we'd love you just to subscribe for free on all the applications you listen to us on or watch us on. Whether it be the Spotify's, the Apple's, the YouTube's, your Podbean's, Facebook, Instagram, the X, the TikTok, whatever it is. Just keep spreading the word. And we'll keep doing what we do. SharkCast Pod. More apps coming. Here come the chats. Up up, baby. Head deep. Who's going to take the shot? The ball from Egan. Back to Tamare Martin. Kennedy.

[00:03:25] Kennedy, what a play! How's he done that? Well! Here's the effort from Will Kennedy on Tamare Martin. The ball just sits in the lap. Unbelievable work from Kennedy. I've never seen anything like it. Will Kennedy, congrats on the new deal, my friend. You must be a big relief. Yeah. Yeah, good to sign for another year and stay here at the club. Yeah, I love this club and they have a lot of trust in me.

[00:03:50] So, I want to give back and I'm excited for this year and next year as well. You certainly earned it, in my opinion. And as my listeners know and you know, I reckon you've just been year on year getting better and better. The weekend was a bit of a highlight in one moment. You had a good game overall, but let's just get to it. Like, talk us through, like, what the hell happened? Like, I was pretty nervous on my lounge. Yeah. And I did see you sweep back and get ready for that charge down. Like, you were ready. Yeah. But talk us through it.

[00:04:19] Yeah, just thinking of it. Like, at training as well, we train a lot of that and scenario stuff. So, yeah, I was just thinking, seeing him lining up for the field goal and then I just wanted to try and hit the ball and it just somehow ended up in my hands. And, yeah, I didn't even realize until a couple of seconds after it and just held on to it. Yeah. Has that ever happened at training before or any other time in your life? Nah, not, nah, never, never ever happened.

[00:04:50] Like Fitzy said, he actually jokes around with me, but he means it. But they leave with my head. Ah, yeah, right. If I knock my teeth out, they're gone. And then I'll be like, Macca, but nah, but it was good to actually train it and then actually do it in the game. And then somehow it goes my way, so that's good. And your little mate in number seven with just the field goal from heaven. Like, the fact it was a two-pointer pretty much won the game for us.

[00:05:17] It was just these two amazing moments in our club's history that, yeah, just these unique individual bits of brilliance, man. Very happy for Trick. Just the way the last couple of weeks he's stepped in and been a big leader for us, having those other boys out. And, yeah, he's done a good job of that and doing his job and his role well. And we golf the back of him, so his energy and, yeah, very happy for him.

[00:05:44] And to slot that that far out is, he's, we've always known that he's got that skill and talent and he just put it into the game and, yeah, it was a very happy, happy moment. Yeah, crazy. Seems like we're on a bit of a roll, four in a row, one game before the bye. Now we played the Roosters before, byes before, and it's gone pear-shaped. I'm assuming that's not going to happen this week. It's a tough game. We're not sure who's going to line up for either team, but we've just got to stay in that role, yeah? Yeah, definitely.

[00:06:10] We've just got to, I think, train like a normal week and we've got to prepare well because Roosters, whoever they play, they're always a good team and we don't want to take them lightly and they're going well as well. So we want to take a lot of confidence out of last week and bring it into this week and we're excited for it. What about the subs coming through, your Puru's and your Beryl's? Like they're killing it. Yeah, no, I'm very happy for those boys.

[00:06:39] Pep, he's come in and he's took that role on well and he's connecting well with us as Spine and we're working hard with him and he's working hard with us and we're just playing to the best for what he does as well. So doing their strengths and Beryl as well when he comes on, he's got that energy about him. We all love him when he plays and just the way he runs the ball and how hard he is in defence as well, so it's good. Thanks for your time, Will. Again, congrats on the contract. Amazing last week. Good luck against the Roosters.

[00:07:09] Cheers, thank you. Thanks, Will. Last play. I think they'd run it and they do run it. Oh no, there's a kick, there's a kick, there's a try! Well turned! Teague Wilton, welcome back to SharkCast Pod. A huge game of the weekend for the Sharks. What was it like being out there in those final minutes and you see two moments of brilliance amongst 80 minutes of hard work? Yeah, I loved it. It was really exciting to be honest and it was good to see.

[00:07:39] I think more in particular, played by Willie Kennedy, he's been working so hard for us all year. He's competing and leaving it all out there on the field for the boys and for the club and he's been grinding all year, training in the games, trying his heart out and when he does a play like that, it just highlights all the good he's been doing. So yeah, it was really pleasing to see. And then Trindle, just with the one touch and it just goes 50 on the fly pretty much.

[00:08:08] Yeah, that's why we call him Tricky Trindle. He's, yeah he can just do stuff like that. It's pretty impressive. He's, you can do it at training and he's just like, you can just be cruising and then just pull something extraordinary out like that. So it's good to have him on your team when someone can do something like that. Such a tough game. Like are you guys bruised? Yeah, it was a solid game. It was actually a really, it was an enjoyable game to be part of. It felt like the footy of old really.

[00:08:34] It was a bit more of a grind and it was a really hostile atmosphere. The Warriors fans, they do it really well. They'll let us know that we're in enemy territory. And yeah, it's just a grind of the game. And that's why I was really pleased to come out on top. I think we really valued our defense and stuck solid with each other and just had to grind, grind it out. And it took a couple amazing moments like you said at the end from Will and Tricky to really steal it for us.

[00:08:59] But yeah, it just felt good to stay in there and just, yeah, grind out a win in enemy territory. Yeah, it was pleasing to be a part of. It's a great experience because under strength, missing guys, subs coming in, low scoring, hostile territory. You can use that later in the year. Yeah, definitely use games like this to build your season. And obviously, I think I mentioned before, we got a bit of a check earlier in the year.

[00:09:25] It was made to us pretty clear how easy you can slip up in the NRL, especially this year. It's so competitive. The rules of game can change in the blink of an eye. So you really got to be disciplined with how you're going to play. And that goes into how you prepare as well. I think we got a shot. So you learn from those games earlier in the year. Hopefully we got our lessons and then you build your season on games like we did on the West. So we're going to be a good weekend. Talk us through the subs that are coming in, the Puru's, the Beryl's. Like they're doing an outstanding job. Yeah, they've been unreal for us.

[00:09:53] And especially Beryl and Pep come here a little bit later. But yeah, just great servants of the club, like rolling in every day, trying to make the team better, trying to get better themselves. And it's hard to get a gig underneath Blakey Braley. He doesn't really miss many games. But yeah, they've just been grinding away and training hard and playing good footy wherever they can. And then when they've got their opportunity, I thought they've really stood up and put in solid performances. Chooks this week, not sure what the lineups will be for both teams, especially the Roosters.

[00:10:23] How do we approach this week? Is it just more about us? Yeah, definitely. We are on one for sure from over in Perth and how that came about. And yeah, that's one of the games where we've got those lessons from like I spoke about. But yeah, they're a rock solid team and yeah, they're going good. And we're going to have to prepare for a good game this week. And you can't get too ahead of yourself. Every week in the NRL is a new week. We've got to bank on the weekend and build on it. But what's done is done. And now it's a fresh new week. And yeah, we've got to prepare for a good solid game. Thanks, you Tom T.

[00:10:53] Thank you. Look at him, steam under the ball. He's enormous. He looks like Peter Garrett steaming down. Well, I'm unaware of it. Tom Hazelton, welcome to the show. Our World Cup correspondent. What happened overnight? Spain, nil-all draw. With? Someone not very good. Carpe Verde, I think. Yeah, very, very interesting result. Belgium, one-all draw as well. So unexpected draws. Unexpected.

[00:11:22] There's been a few unexpected results so far, you could say. But that's the beauty of the World Cup. You know, the smaller countries sort of able to stand up. A bit like Australia the other day. So no one really gave us a chance. And had a great win there over Turkey. So I'm looking forward to watching them again this weekend. Where were you watching the game? Just at home. Yeah, we got... I was gonna sort of go somewhere. We got back from the flight and was a bit buggered. So just chucked on the TV at home.

[00:11:49] And yeah, we were sitting there like probably most of the, you know, the rest of the nation on the edge of my seat. And yeah, I loved it. It was awesome. Does that inspire you as an athlete yourself? Yeah, a little bit. Like I've been a soccer fan my whole life. So, you know, when the World Cup rolls around, it's, you know, it takes a lot of my time. Like I'm a big fan. Always have been. Like grew up playing it and I've always loved it. So yeah, it's a really good time of the year for me.

[00:12:14] And on the, you know, the bucket list, you know, to get to a World Cup one day. So yeah, it'd be awesome. Were you a defender? Yeah, I was. Yeah, I was. Yeah, just a bit centre back and yeah, it's sort of, yeah, grew up loving it and Manchester United fan and you know, always like every kid, you know, the old Trafford dream and all that sort of thing. But, you know, sort of took a different path from here now and very grateful that I am. Glad you're here, Tommy. How did you pull up after the weekend?

[00:12:44] Because it looked like one of the most physical games I've seen. Yeah. Saw, definitely. And yeah, it was how it looked. It was physical. It was, you know, not a lot of, I suppose, ball movement. It was, I suppose, for the purest rugby league fan, it was probably a really good game to watch, you know, physical battle. And I thought it was ref really well. I thought, you know, the number of 60 games and the penalties that were given were probably warranted. You know, there wasn't an excessive amount.

[00:13:14] The game was sort of let flow and, you know, it was just a really good game to be a part of. And I'm glad to come over here with the, yeah, glad to get back up here with the two points, mate, for sure. Now, Will Kennedy and Trendle. Two moments of brilliance based on 80 minute performance by the Sharks. Those two moments really just saved us. Will Kennedy, have you ever seen anything like that before? No. One, well, I haven't seen it. Like, I'm not surprised. Like, he practices that stuff every single day.

[00:13:41] Like, it's not a fluke in the sense that he would put himself in that position. He's our best trainer all the time. He's always practicing those sorts of things. He wants to get better. He wants to, you know, put himself in position to make plays like that when the game's on the line and, you know, we're so happy to have him. So happy to have him re-sign. And, yeah, I'm just, you know, for all that he does, you know, he's probably criticized a

[00:14:11] little bit more than he deserves and probably not, you know, given his flowers enough. And for him to have a moment like that, I'm just really happy for him. We don't need to get into it, but it is very odd the criticism he receives from both sections of the fan base and the media. I've been watching the game all my life like you. I watch you guys so closely. I have no idea where it comes from. But moments like that, after signing a one-year deal, amazing. Trindle, what was that?

[00:14:41] Yeah, that's another one. Like, you know, he's had to really sort of step up the last month. And again, you know, it's not the usual tricky three-try assists, you know, scoring tries. You know, it's not the performance that he usually would get a rap for. But to just keep kicking the ball back to him and having them come out of tough positions and allowing us to, you know, win the game with our defense is something that's probably

[00:15:09] undervalued by the fan and the general public. But again, the field goal, like it's practice. It's doing that every day for years. And when a moment comes in a game where you need to ice it, you know, you're in a position to do that because of the preparation you've done for that moment. And again, like he's criticized often too. And, you know, it's just nice for those guys to have their moment in the sun.

[00:15:37] And, you know, while it was, you know, a good win, it was. We're under no illusion that, you know, the contest we have coming this weekend. And, you know, we're going to have to use that momentum to take into this week all the while knowing that we have another, you know, top four quality opponent coming up on Sunday night. Yeah, it never ends. I mean, four in a row, there's a bye in sight, but we're not looking at that too closely. So, yeah, it's all about the tricks this week. How are you? You feeling all right? Yeah, I'm feeling good.

[00:16:05] You know, we can take a lot of confidence out of a win like that as a team. You know, a low scoring, good defensive performance. And, you know, on the defensive front, we're probably coming up against the, you know, attacking juggernaut in the NRL. The team that can score a lot of points, got striped over the park, can score from anywhere. So, you know, we're going to have to really dive into that part of our game again this weekend for sure. Thanks for your time, Tommy. Enjoy the World Cup. Thank you. Thanks to you as well. Braley for Hines. Hazelton slips a pass away.

[00:16:34] Kafushi, he keeps it alive. It's scooped up by McInnes who dives over next to the upright. Cam McInnes, hell of a game on the weekend. How are you physically? It was one of the most physical games I've seen in years. Yeah. The Warriors hit hard, right? Yeah, no, it was good. It was good. My type of game to be fair. I enjoyed it. But yeah, it was just really when you play those games and you put so much into it and to get the win like that is very, very rewarding.

[00:17:01] But the beauty of our game is that's done now and we've got to go again next week. So yeah, we're excited by that prospect as well. Good experience though. Troops are down, hostile territory. I'm assuming the conditions weren't great. To grind that out in that way, that's got to help this week and moving forward, right? Yeah.

[00:17:25] Well, it's a win that, like yeah, of course you'd want to win by 50 every week, but that's a win that you have to really dig deep for and yeah, we didn't, everything was going our way and yeah, conditions weren't easy and it is, it's a real hard place to play, all those things. But yeah, we found a way, but I just think defensively and the sort of effort areas of the game were just amazing and that's, yeah, you can always take so much from that.

[00:17:53] The two moments of brilliance obviously, Kennedy and Trindle. Were you on the field for that? Yep. Talk us through that. Yeah, I was, with those two guys, right, like they have freakish abilities, but the thing for both of them is how hard they're both working in their lives and off the field. I just, I'm just a believer that like, particularly for Tundle guys like that, if you just work hard, those things will come for you. Like, yeah, so as much as, yeah, those two massive plays for us and win us the game, I'm

[00:18:23] like proud of how hard both of those guys work off the field and at training and in their lives and they're getting the rewards on the field. Like they've both been outstanding all year. Yeah, it was cool for Will especially because he signed the new deal. Will, there was a lot of conjecture about that. He signed it. He's had a great year and to get that moment in the sun, I, as a fan, I was super happy for him. Yeah, well, he's so underrated, Will, isn't he? Like, yeah, I'm glad that he's staying at the club.

[00:18:52] If I was any of the other clubs, I'd be trying to sign him. So, it's just something, there's some players in the game that just fall under the radar and I imagine it's probably because he's got such an understated personality. Like, don't get me wrong, he's in our group. Like, he's got an infectious personality and things like that but he's pretty low-key type of guy and sometimes those guys just fall under the radar. But even like Peach back in the day, he was so well respected here, I know, but it was almost like he was underappreciated everywhere else.

[00:19:22] Will is probably the same but, mate, his ability, like I don't know if you tell me a full-back that plays every week like him, the try assist, the try saves issue. Like, if he's not in the top couple for try saves, like, I don't know. But, yeah, anyway, to get that moment is great but we value him so highly in here. So, he doesn't need that from us anyway. Roosters this week, I don't really know what to expect from them, I don't know what the

[00:19:51] team's going to be, I don't know what your team's going to be. How do you approach this week with a lot of, yeah, just like unknowns there? Is it just more about us and how we prepare? It's definitely that but it's also known that they're such a proud club with us, such a great group of players that coming off their game last week, I think they'll have a point to prove as well so we'll expect their absolute best and if they have guys backing up then they're,

[00:20:18] yeah, obviously, got a lot of firepower there but no, we're expecting them to throw everything at us. Coach has appeared, how was he after the game? Was he pretty happy? Yeah, he was, yeah, for sure. Just, obviously, with the wind, yeah, of course, but the management we played, like, that's what he wants from us. He wants us to defend like that and show how much we care and I think everyone would agree that that's what we were doing so, yeah, he was definitely pleased with that. Appreciate your efforts, man.

[00:20:48] Thanks for your time. All good, mate. Thanks, Cam. SharkCast is supported by the best and most honest real estate agent in the Sutherland Shire, Jason Hawes from Crips & Crips Real Estate. He's an expert in the Carring Bar region and has his eye all across the Shire. Lifelong Sharks fan and supporter of this podcast, if you're looking to buy or sell in the region, the person you need to be talking to is Jason Hawes from Crips & Crips Real Estate. Call him on 0410 417 450.

[00:21:18] That's 0410 417 450. Jason Hawes, Crips & Crips Real Estate. SharkCast is supported by the Crips & Crips Real Estate. Back in the Shire. Turn your porch lights off because we're coming home with a trophy. This has been a long time for you to watch. It was a long time. Closed Captioning requires a free 에어밀 fl崖 real estate agent in the Division of Closed Captioning is provided by the Curt Runear.