Cronulla centre Kayal Iro has revealed his desire to establish a pathway for fellow Cook Islands rugby league players to progress to the NRL.
The 24-year-old has burst on to the scene this year after gaining selection for Round 4 and quickly solidifying his place in the Sharks backline.
While plenty of players with Cook Islands heritage have played in the NRL, Iro is unique in having spent the majority of his childhood in the South Pacific nation.
It's an achievement he's proud of, but the centre is determined to ensure his path becomes a well-travelled one in the future.
Kayal Iro Try
"I want to grow the game and have more kids come from the Cook Islands to make it to the NRL," Iro said.
"If you can get them into a system early, they’re going to develop a whole lot more players. Hopefully over the next few years we can sort the junior system out. There’s so much talent there."
The son of former New Zealand representative Kevin Iro, Kayal was born in England while his father was playing for St Helens in the UK Super League. The family relocated to the district of Arorangi on the island of Rarotonga in the Cook Islands when Iro was a two-year-old.
The Cook Islands muscle up
He spent the next 12 years growing up in the region, running around for the Arorangi Bears in the local rugby league competition.
A shift to New Zealand eventually followed. Football was a factor, but there was a more important reason the 14-year-old decided to make the move.
"I originally moved over to look after my grandma," he said. "She was sick at the time, she’s passed now. That was why I wanted to move over, to help out, and then for footy as well. To get more opportunity, I felt like that was the way to go.
"It was me, my older sister and my grandma [in Auckland], everyone else was back home. I liked it, she was my best friend. She was a cool old lady, we got along really well."
Once in Auckland, Iro joined the Warriors junior pathway before signing with the Knights ahead of the 2020 season and moving to Australia.
Match: Sharks v Rabbitohs
Round 22 -
home Team
Sharks
4th Position
away Team
Rabbitohs
15th Position
Venue: PointsBet Stadium, Sydney
COVID put a temporary pause on his trajectory and he left Newcastle without playing a game after the Jersey Flegg competition was cancelled just one week into the season.
Iro arrived in Cronulla the following year and after another pandemic-interrupted campaign in 2021, eventually earned his NRL debut in Round 24 2022.
He was forced to wait another 18 months for his second first-grade appearance, but this time he's made it impossible for Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon to overlook him.
Iro has formed a lethal combination with winger Ronaldo Mulitalo on the left edge, with the pair combining for 17 tries this season.
The 24-year-old secured his future last week in signing a two-year contract extension to remain at the Sharks until the end of the 2026 season.
Given his form this year, talk has already turned to Iro's representative allegiances.
The centre played for the Cook Islands at last year's Pacific Championships but remains eligible for England and New Zealand.
A decision could come in a matter of weeks, with the Kiwis likely to feature in end of season Test matches.
Rugby league eligibility rules allow for Iro to represent either New Zealand or England, without impacting his ability to play for Cook Islands.
Ultimately, however, Iro has a clear preference for what country he hopes to represent.
"I wouldn’t want to choose between [New Zealand] and Cook Islands," Iro said. "If there was a way to play for both in the same year I would but I would prioritise Cook Islands
"I associate more with Cook Islands, I grew up there, know more about the culture and want to stick there. Hopefully I can help grow the Cook Islands game to have more Cook Islands juniors coming up, that’s my goal."
With his future sorted, Iro has turned his focus to helping the next generation of players make it to the NRL.
The long-term goal is to develop a clear pathway that allows Cook Islands juniors to develop their games at home without needing to move to Australia or New Zealand at a young age.
For now, however, relocating is the only path available due to the development infrastructure on offer. It's why Iro is keen for his 12-year-old brother to make the move to Sydney to chase his rugby league dream.
Cook Islands Pe'e
"I’m trying to get him over here early so he doesn’t miss out on development like me," Iro said.
"I want him to come over soon so he can develop his game because he’s just bullying everyone, just carving up. Hopefully I can get him over here soon. He wants to be an NRL player too when he grows up so I’m trying to get him over here early."
While eager for his younger brother to relocate, Iro is optimistic future generations won't have to take such extreme measures to pursue their NRL ambitions.
"I was never the best player growing up, I was just a little fella that tried hard and was willing to train hard. My dad was an ex-player so I had someone to look up to. If they have someone to look up to, that will help them go all the way.
Asked if he could be the person future generation's look up to, Iro's response was simple.
"That’s what I’m hoping to do."
