It has been a long time coming but Madison Ashby will once again don the Cronulla Sharks jersey as she joins the club’s NRLW side for 2026.
Ashby, 25, is fresh off winning the World Championships with the Australian rugby sevens side and returns to the black, white and blue of the Sharks where it all started.
The talented playmaker was a part of the Cronulla Sharks 2018 Tarsha Gale Cup premiership winning side and played alongside several current Sharks.
“Yeah, it’s amazing to be back. I think it was 2018 when I finished up here and we won the Tarsha Gale Cup so it’s exciting to come back to my home ground and restart again,” Ashby said.
“I was playing with Quincy Dodd and Talei Holmes, and I played against a couple of the girls that are in this squad right now.
“I’m excited to come back to rugby league, to challenge myself in the different code again and to relearn it all and to play alongside and against world class athletes.”
Sharks coach Tony Herman believes that Ashby has such flexibility in her game, that she would be able to slot into most spine positions.
“Really happy to have her here. Great player, Herman said.
“Really excited for what she’ll bring to the team. She’s a good leader with great skills and they’ll transfer across really well to rugby league so we’re looking forward to watching what she can do.
“She’s fit in really well so far, she’s only done one or two sessions with us, but she’s connected with the group really well and knows some players from Sevens.”
Ashby, who is engaged to Canberra Raiders star Kaeo Weekes, will have the chance to play alongside her future sister-in-law, Grace-Lee Weekes.
“I’ve always wanted to come back home,” Ashby continued.
“League’s the first sport I ever played.
“Honestly, I always knew I was going to come back. Cronulla’s always treated me well even as a junior and they were very supportive of me coming back here.”
