LeagueNews.co | Jason Patrick
Preparing for the 2025 NRL season, Cronulla Sharks powerhouse Braden Hamlin-Uele has bared his soul about the tumultuous 2024 campaign that left him battered and bruised, both physically and mentally.
Once hailed as the Sharks' shining light, Hamlin-Uele has found himself struggling to recapture his former glory and rise above the doubters and critics in the past couple of seasons, particularly in the dreaded 2024 chapter of his career.
A mainstay in the Sharks' top squad from 2019 to 2023, the burly forward found himself on a downward spiral last year, demoted to the NSW Cup with the Newtown Jets for the majority of the season, missing out on the NRL Finals action that every player dreams of.
Acknowledging his subpar performance last season, Hamlin-Uele admitted that it was a wake-up call that shook him to his core, igniting a burning desire within him to reclaim his throne on the field, where he once dominated and represented both New Zealand and Samoa with pride.
Facing his lowest NRL game count since 2018, the international star is hungry to rewrite his story, carve out a permanent place in the Sharks' lineup, and lock arms with his fellow giants Addin Fonua-Blake and Oregon Kaufusi in the trenches of battle.
Hamlin-Uele is determined to prove the skeptics wrong and restore his reputation as a force to be reckoned with in the rugby league world.