Stapleton and five other rookies, members of a new-look team which have won their past three matches, now face their greatest challenge on Monday night.

Without the services of NSW Origin stars Trent Barrett and Paul Gallen, and Test forward Anthony Tupou (knee) joining an injured list of seven players, the young guns face the Brisbane Broncos at Toyota Stadium.

Goal kicker Nathan Stapleton, who didn't follow his older brother Brett (Western Force and Japan) in rugby and instead accepted Ricky Stuart's offer to join the Sharks, is poised to become the pick of the crop of rookies who have come out of the Sharks Under 20s side.

Deliberately held back by Stuart until last month, Stapleton highlighted a great few weeks with a try and three breaks during the team's exciting 24-22 win over the Raiders on Sunday.

Suddenly, the loss of the outstanding Brett Kearney (season) isn't so confronting.

The son of a Glen Innes sheep farmer and a rugby union product from Southport High, Stapleton overcame falls from horses, a broken leg playing league in Toowoomba and a later knee reconstruction, before coming to the Sharks last year.

"I even had a sports psychologist working with me because of my lack of confidence,'' he explained of his first season in the Toyota Cup last year.

"Now I'm playing and kicking with confidence and I know if anything happens to Luke [goalkicking winger Luke Covell] I'll be up for it.''

An NRL contract means he can send money home to help his parents pay off a mortgage.

And a first grade spot at fullback means he can enjoy "playing with a lot more opportunity'', along with fellow 2009 rookies, Matt Wright, Blake Ferguson, Scott Porter and forwards Johnny Mannah and Atelea Vea.

In his seven appearances with the NSW Blues, Cronulla Sharks skipper and NSW five-eighth Trent Barrett has enjoyed three wins, three loses and a draw, with just one win in the No.6 jersey playing outside Andrew Johns.

SHARKS: 1 Nathan Stapleton, 2 Blake Ferguson, 3 Matt Wright, 4 Mitch Brown, 5 Luke Covell, 6 Blake Green, 7 Scott Porter, 8 Kade Snowden, 9 Corey Hughes, 10 Johnny Mannah, 11 Atelea Vea, 12 Luke Douglas, 13 Reece Williams. Interchange: 14 Jacob Selmes, 15 Grant Millington, 16 Ben Pomeroy, 17 Terence Seu Seu.