The Cronulla Sharks have announced a trio of club legends to their coaching and development ranks for 2026, with premiership heroes Paul Gallen, Andrew Fifita, and Chad Townsend all set to play key roles in shaping the next generation of Sharks talent.
In a major boost to the club’s pathways program, Townsend will return to the Shire as head coach of Cronulla’s SG Ball (Under-19s) side, joining Fifita, who will be head coach of the Tarsha Gale Cup (Under-19s female) team for 2026, while Gallen will step into a specialist defensive coaching role across the male junior squads.
The appointments come on the season of the 10-year anniversary of Cronulla’s historic 2016 premiership, providing the club with an emotional link to the side that delivered the Sharks their first-ever NRL title.
Townsend, who recently retired after a stellar 268-game NRL career, played 146 matches for Cronulla and remains one of the most respected figures to emerge from the club’s system with a local oval at Yarrawarrah, his junior club, already named after the former halfback.
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A proud local junior and the first halfback to deliver an NRL title to the Shire, Townsend said he was thrilled to be back where his rugby league journey began.
“It feels great — it’s been a 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 appreciative of the opportunity and just want to help these kids with their pathway to the NRL.”
After stints with the Warriors, Cowboys and Roosters, Townsend’s return to Cronulla is viewed as both a sentimental and strategic move, with his professionalism and passion expected to have a strong influence on the club’s emerging playmakers.
Meanwhile, Fifita — who famously scored the match-winning try in the 2016 Grand Final against Melbourne — will continue in his role leading the Sharks’ Tarsha Gale Cup side after steering them to the finals in his first season as head coach.
The passionate prop has quickly built a reputation as a strong mentor in the women’s game and says his focus remains on instilling the same toughness that defined his own NRL career.
“I had Tarsha last year and I thought we grew in the right way,” Fifita said. “A lot of the girls went on to win that Harvey Norman competition. I always say I don’t feel like we’re coaches — we’re mentors. We’re trying to preach that Shark DNA through every level of the club.”
Adding further experience to the junior setup, club legend Paul Gallen — the Sharks’ 2016 premiership-winning captain — will join the staff as a specialist defensive coach, working with the male pathways squads to develop the club’s next generation of forwards.
With Brad Kelly and Isaac Michael also confirmed to lead Cronulla’s Harold Matthews and Lisa Fiaola Cup teams respectively, the Sharks’ 2026 junior structure will feature an unprecedented level of premiership-winning experience and leadership.
As Cronulla prepares to celebrate a decade since its greatest triumph, the return of Gallen, Fifita, and Townsend represents more than nostalgia — it’s a signal of intent that the club’s future success will be built on the same foundations that made them champions in the first place.