LeagueNews.co | Jess Malloy
Sharks stars Ronaldo Mulitalo and Tiana Penitani have been nominated for the prestigious 2023 IRL Golden Boot awards in recognition of their outstanding international performances.
The Golden Boot is awarded annually to the best player in sanctioned international games, and this year's recipients will be decided by esteemed panels of Test greats and announced in early December.
Mulitalo played a crucial role in New Zealand's recent Pacific Championships triumph, scoring four tries in three games, including one in the historic 30-0 final win over Australia.
The wholehearted winger is long-listed alongside teammates Jahrome Hughes, James Fisher-Harris, Joe Tapine, and Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, as well as Australians Harry Grant, Payne Haas, Cameron Murray, and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow.
Mulitalo, 24, has been building a brilliant record on the world stage, having played one match for Samoa in 2019 before debuting for the Kiwis last year.
His latest test efforts followed a consistent campaign for the Sharks, where he scored 21 tries in 23 matches, further establishing himself as an elite finisher.