26 September, 2016. 15:10

CLANCY OVERELL | Editor | CONTACT

Sutherland local, Sharryd Clayne, says he’s starting to get around the idea of multiculturalism, following the performance on non-Anglo-Saxon footballers in his beloved NRL Club, The Cronulla Sharks.

“I never thought I’d say this. But I think Cronulla has benefited greatly from the riches of multiculturalism”

“I also never thought I’d see my boys in an NRL Grand Final… so… First time for everything I guess”

On Friday night, ‘The Sharkies’ qualified for their first grand final since the 1997 Super League season. by dismantling North Queensland 32-20 in their preliminary final at the Sydney Football Stadium.

Sharryd explains that he doesn’t think his club could have done it with just the local boys, and says the inclusion of Polynesian, Aboriginal and ‘kinda woggy’ footballers has done wonders for the team, who saw a record-breaking 16-match winning streak earlier this season.

“Fifita, Benny Barba, Bukuya… These blokes don’t look like your average Aussie-flag-cape-wearing Cronulla boy. Maybe that’s a good thing,”

“Even our Captain [Michael Ennis] looks like he’s got a splash of wog in him”

Sharryd’s announcement marks a turnaround in both his attitude towards migration and his communities, after the 27-year-old made headlines last year for a viral racist joke.

“Yeah, whatever,” he says.

“Up, up Cronulla”

It will be the first time the Shire is represented in the last game of the year in a unified competition since the 1978 NSWRL grand final as the Sharks aim to win their first premiership since entering the league in 1967.