LeagueNews.co | Jason Patrick
Sharks star KL Iro has explained his decision to change his first name from Kayal, aiming to clarify pronunciation confusion.
Fans noticed the name change last Tuesday on the Cronulla team sheet.
The 25-year-old wishes to honor his father, Kevin Leslie Iro, who had a significant impact in his playing career.
KL mentioned that he had long considered this change due to difficulties commentators faced in pronouncing both his first name and surname.
"It was more for the pronunciation because it's actually how my name's pronounced," said the Cook Islands representative.
He recalled that his father frequently wrote "KL" for anything that belonged to him when he was a child, indicating a preference for the two-letter name despite his mother's reluctance.