Cronulla coach Shane Flanagan will give his son Kyle a shot at an NRL halves spot during the upcoming trials and expects to see him in first-grade this year.
Flanagan revealed Kyle, 19, will play in the Sharks No.7 jersey in his side's first pre-season trial against Manly at Southern Cross Group Stadium on February 17.
The Sharks coach has previously said he would have no hesitation picking his son for first grade if he feels he's up to it and Kyle looks set to receive his first taste in the coming months.
While Flanagan said Chad Townsend and Matt Moylan were his first-pick halfback and five-eighth for 2018, he was giving his son every chance to push for a starting spot.
"He'll get his chance in the trial, he'll play halfback with probably Matty Moylan in our first trial against Manly," Flanagan told Sky Sports Radio.
"My halves, I've pencilled in Chad Townsend and Matty Moylan. But during the Origin period, form and injury, he'll get his chance at some stage during the year.
"It might be as early as round six or seven, around that Origin period, (round) eight.
"He's trained really well, he's put on a bit of size and it'll be exciting times if he does make his debut this year."
Kyle was a sensation for the Sharks under-20s side last year, breaking the National Youth Competition pointscoring record after racking up 360 points in 26 games.
Having last year booted 140 conversions at an 80 per cent success rate, he shapes as a potential answer to their goal kicking dilemma following the departure of James Maloney.
He will this weekend train under the watchful eye of NSW coach Brad Fittler as part of the Blues Emerging Squad alongside some of the game's hottest young talent including teammate Jayden Brailey, South Sydney's Angus Crichton, Penrith's Nathan Cleary and Canberra's Nick Cotric.
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