Behind the lens: How a rising Shark got his career back on track
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Rising Shark Liam Ison has revealed how a passion for fashion and photography helped guide him through an ACL recovery as he prepares to return to the field in the new year.
The promising fullback has been sidelined since suffering the injury in the opening game of the NSW Cup season but is on track to return to the field during the Pre-Season Challenge.
Ison is shaping as the Sharks long-term No.1 once Will Kennedy moves on, but the ACL tear gave him a chance to plan for life after football while completing his rehab.
The 20-year-old has long held a passion for fashion and photography and threw his energy into growing his clothing business, Setter.
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It was a welcome break, he said, from the mental strain of a nine-month rehab process.
"My clothing brand has definitely helped me a lot mentally this year," Ison told marvelbet365.com. "When you are playing footy everything's focused on that but this year I was able to put a lot more time into the fashion business.
"I've been able to start early so I don't have to play catch up after footy, it's what I want to do once I leave the game.
"Photography is also a bit of a passion. I've always had an interest in photography and videography so as soon as I did my knee I bought a camera. That's something that gets all the negative thoughts out of my mind, just going out and doing that."
A St Marys junior, Ison progressed through the Panthers pathway before joining the Sharks in 2024.
An NRL debut followed later that year before his 2025 campaign came to a shuddering halt just 10 minutes into the NSW Cup season.
Despite the injury, the youngster has spent the past two years learning from Kennedy and has been positioned as the veteran's eventual replacement.
He is expected to receive more playing time next season as the Sharks look to provide him more experience in the top flight.
Kennedy recently signed a one-year extension for 2026 but his future beyond next year remains cloudy.
Should the fullback move on, Ison could be thrust into the No.1 jumper in 2027.
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While he hopes to one day make the jersey his own, the emerging talent said his current focus is on learning as much as possible from his senior teammate.
"Will's such a great mentor," Ison said. "I still have so much improvement to come so I look at him every day and try to get up to his level. It's been great learning off him, this year has been a bit different but he's been there for me.
"He communicates well with me, his actions speak louder than words and that shows on the field.
"He's set the platform for this position so the goal is to [follow in his footsteps] but that's not in my head at the moment. All I'm trying to do is stay on the field and learn as much as I can from everyone around me."
Ison's injury was the first of three ACL ruptures for the Sharks in 2025, with Cam McInnes and Ronaldo Mulitalo also going down this year.
The trio have kept the Cronulla physios busy as they progress through a nine-month rehabilitation process.
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It was Ison's first long-term injury and he concedes there were times when he struggled with the mental battles as much as the physical.
Having come out the other side, the youngster can see the silver lining from a year that didn't go to plan.
"I've never done an ACL before but I've been around and seen other people do it," Ison said. "When I heard the pop, I knew. Everyone was trying to be positive, but I already knew.
"There were a lot of emotions when it happened. At the start you're so eager and keen to get stuck into rehab but you don't realise how long the process actually is. There's a middle phase where you struggle but now I'm at the back end now.
"The goal now is to stay on the field and stay healthy next year. They're a bit different than my goals this time last year, but I'd just like to stay on the field and whatever opportunities I get I'll take them and do my job."
