Coach Shane Flanagan has confirmed Gerard Beale will start at fullback for Cronulla on Sunday against Wigan in the World Club Series clash.
With Ben Barba exiting the club for French rugby after being slapped with a 12-game NRL ban for testing positive for cocaine and Valentine Holmes out with a hamstring injury, the Kiwi utility back will start in the No.1 jersey and alternate with centre Jack Bird during the game.
Flanagan admits he's hopeful rather than confident Holmes will be fit to face Brisbane in the NRL opener on March 2, and will use the Wigan game to look at both fullback and hooking options, following the retirement of Michael Ennis.
"Gerrard and Birdy will share the fullback role against Wigan," Flanagan told AAP, in London.
"Val's not here, he's our first choice but it was always going to be a challenge this year where to play him.
"He wants to play fullback and I think he can be a really good fullback.
"But it was probably 12 months quicker than we'd have preferred but with Ben going, it is what it is, and Val will do a job there.
"But this game will give us options."
Flanagan will use Jayden Brailey, last year's Holden Cup player of the year, and Fa'amanu Brown at hooker against the Super League champions in a game that kicks off at 2am (AEDT) on Monday.
Despite being excited by the prospect of seeing Brailey in the NRL, Flanagan admits he's unsure if he's ready for the step up.
"It's all up in the air, it's a bit of an unknown for us at hooker," he said.
"We have 'Manu Brown, Jayden Brailey and Morts (Daniel Mortimer), although we see him more in the halves.
"Jayden certainly has the pedigree. He was an Australian schoolboy representative coming through. Is he ready yet? Time will tell."
The Sharks were put through a long training session on a sunny morning in London at their Teddington training facility and the management and players will head to Paris for a day trip early on Wednesday morning.
The squad will return later that evening before embarking on an opposed session with the London Broncos on Thursday morning and then head up to Manchester.
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