‘Now or never’: Inside the meeting that resulted in Olympian Miller becoming a Shark
Lachlan Miller was two hours away from giving up on his NRL dream.
About a fortnight ago, he had in front of him a contract from LA Giltinis, the American Major League Rugby franchise coached by former Wallaby Stephen Hoiles. The intention was to sign it, until a virtual meeting with incoming Cronulla coach Craig Fitzgibbon changed everything.
Lachlan Miller can’t wait to make an impact at the Cronulla Sharks.Credit:Getty
“We had a deal to go with the LA rugby team, we were pretty much set on that as a family,” Miller told the Herald.
“Then I spoke to Craig Fitzgibbon, we had a face-to-face Zoom meeting and everything he said to me – how he sold what the club will be like – really got me excited for the Cronulla Sharks.
“There were a couple of [NRL] clubs interested, but they all said it was a risk, which I appreciate.
“But with Craig, he was more of the opinion that it’s not a risk, it’s more exciting that he can get to work with me and a couple of other guys at the club.
“The confidence showed made it a no-brainer for me. I knew that playing under him at the Sharks was going to be the right decision.
“It’s a massive call, but I’m glad he made it.”
The meeting with Fitzgibbon was timely. Asked how far away he was from signing the LA Giltinis contract, Miller said: “I’d say about a couple of hours.
“I said to my manager that we’d have to decide pretty soon because they wanted us over there in November.
“There wasn’t much time left. But I also had that dream to play NRL when I was younger. When the opportunity came up, I couldn’t pass it down.”
Miller instead inked a two-year deal with the Sharks, capping an eventful six months in which he represented Australia at the Olympics in rugby sevens and also became a father for the first time.
Had he not gone to the Tokyo Games, he probably would have stuck with rugby for another Olympic cycle. However, the chance to return to league, a sport he played until the age of 22, proved irresistible.
“I’m 27 now, it was now or never,” he said.
“If I waited a season, I don’t think it was going to happen again. If I didn’t get that chance to go to the Olympics, I probably would have re-signed with the sevens six months ago.
Incoming Cronulla coach Craig Fitzgibbon was instrumental in luring Miller back to the 13-a-side game.Credit:Grant Trouville/NRL Photos
“Our [Olympic] performance wasn’t as good as we wanted, but it was such a great experience. I learnt a lot from it. It was a bit weird playing in empty stadiums, but it’s an experience I’ll never forget, that’s for sure.
“Having ticked that box, the thought of being able to go back and chase rugby league – which I have played up until I was 22 – was too strong of a dream not to give it a crack.”
Just prior to the Olympics, Miller signed with Ignite Sports, the management company that oversees the careers of a host of NRL stars including James Tedesco, Daly Cherry-Evans and Nathan Brown. It was a pointer towards his ambition to return to the game he fell in love with as a child.
“My management put in a lot of hard work to get me this contract,” he said.
“Six months ago I made the decision to see if we could get into the NRL.
“I’ve been watching the NRL and the Sharks just seem like a really good fit. Craig is a really good coach, really easy to get along with. That was one of the main selling points.
“In terms of position, we’ll get into pre-season and really give it a crack and see where I go from there.
“He appreciates I can play in the spine, but also attack out wide if I need to.”
Miller has been likened to Connor Watson and Dylan Walker due to his versatility, which will allow him to play as a utility off the bench or slot into just about any position in the back line.
“If I could get compared to some of those blokes, I’ll be pretty happy,” he said.
“One of the selling points about going to the NRL was the speed of the game.
“Even though sevens is only 14-minute games, it’s really exhausting and tough.
“You have to make decisions on the go, be able to read defenders and what they are doing when completely exhausted.
“It holds me in good stead for going back to NRL, the six-again and speed in the ruck.”
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