# Cameron McInnes
**Cameron McInnes** (born 1994 in Sydney, NSW) is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a lock or hooker for the [Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks](https://www.edgepedia.org/cronulla-sutherland-sharks) in the [National Rugby League](https://www.edgepedia.org/national-rugby-league), and a co-captain of the club. He debuted for the [South Sydney Rabbitohs](https://www.edgepedia.org/south-sydney-rabbitohs) in 2014, played four seasons with the St George Illawarra Dragons, and joined Cronulla in 2022, where he has served as captain or co-captain since 2024. He holds the NRL record for the most tackles in a match, 81 against the Penrith Panthers in 2023, and made his New South Wales State of Origin debut in 2024.[1](https://www.nrl.com/players/nrl-premiership/sharks/cameron-mcinnes/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1994, Sydney, NSW; 177 cm, 91 kg; nickname Cam[1](https://www.nrl.com/players/nrl-premiership/sharks/cameron-mcinnes/) |
| NRL debut | 5 April 2014, round 5, for South Sydney Rabbitohs against St George Illawarra Dragons[1](https://www.nrl.com/players/nrl-premiership/sharks/cameron-mcinnes/) |
| Clubs | South Sydney Rabbitohs 2014–2016 (39 games), St George Illawarra Dragons 2017–2020 (91 games), Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 2022–2026[2](https://www.afltables.com/rl/scorers/players/C/Cameron_McInnes.html) |
| Career totals | 245 NRL appearances, 28 tries, 112 points[2](https://www.afltables.com/rl/scorers/players/C/Cameron_McInnes.html) |
| Tackle record | NRL record 81 tackles in a match, against the Panthers in 2023[1](https://www.nrl.com/players/nrl-premiership/sharks/cameron-mcinnes/) |
| Captaincy | Cronulla co-captain with Dale Finucane (2024), captain (2025), co-captain with Blayke Brailey (2026)[3](https://www.sharks.com.au/news/2024/02/27/finucane-mcinnes-announced-as-2024-nrl-co-captains/) • [4](https://www.sharks.com.au/news/2026/02/23/mcinnes-and-brailey-installed-as-nrl-co-captains/) |
| Representative | NSW State of Origin debut, 2024[1](https://www.nrl.com/players/nrl-premiership/sharks/cameron-mcinnes/) |
## Early life and junior career
McInnes is a South Sydney junior from Botany and Mascot who played junior representative football with the Rabbitohs between 2009 and 2012, and made his senior grade debut in a 2012 round 16 National Youth Competition match against Brisbane at [Lang Park](https://www.edgepedia.org/lang-park).[5](https://www.ssralmanac.com/mobile/players_m/player_mcinnes_cameron.htm) His junior club is listed as the Botany Rams.[1](https://www.nrl.com/players/nrl-premiership/sharks/cameron-mcinnes/)
## South Sydney and St George Illawarra
McInnes made his NRL debut for South Sydney on 5 April 2014 in a round 5 win over St George Illawarra.[1](https://www.nrl.com/players/nrl-premiership/sharks/cameron-mcinnes/) He played 39 games for the Rabbitohs across 2014 to 2016, mostly as a hooker, scoring 6 tries.[2](https://www.afltables.com/rl/scorers/players/C/Cameron_McInnes.html)
He moved to the St George Illawarra Dragons in 2017 and spent the bulk of his career there playing hooker, making 91 appearances over four seasons with 11 tries.[2](https://www.afltables.com/rl/scorers/players/C/Cameron_McInnes.html) In 2020 he began playing more at lock, and by 2019 he was the Dragons' captain.[3](https://www.sharks.com.au/news/2024/02/27/finucane-mcinnes-announced-as-2024-nrl-co-captains/)
## Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
McInnes joined Cronulla in 2022 together with [Melbourne Storm](https://www.edgepedia.org/melbourne-storm) lock Dale Finucane, who had also captained his previous club.[3](https://www.sharks.com.au/news/2024/02/27/finucane-mcinnes-announced-as-2024-nrl-co-captains/) At the Sharks he shifted primarily to lock, and said in 2023 that running the ball as a middle forward suited him better than playing dummy-half.[6](https://www.nrl.com/news/2023/05/02/mcinnes-in-the-middle-cam-loving-life-as-a-ball-playing-forward/) His defensive workload became a defining feature: in 2023 he made 81 tackles in a match against Penrith, an NRL record for the most tackles in a match.[1](https://www.nrl.com/players/nrl-premiership/sharks/cameron-mcinnes/)
**Captaincy.** Finucane and McInnes were unveiled as Cronulla's co-captains for 2024 at the club's season launch, with both men described as renowned leaders who had skippered the Storm and Dragons respectively.[3](https://www.sharks.com.au/news/2024/02/27/finucane-mcinnes-announced-as-2024-nrl-co-captains/) McInnes celebrated 200 NRL games and made his NSW State of Origin debut that year.[1](https://www.nrl.com/players/nrl-premiership/sharks/cameron-mcinnes/) He led Cronulla alone in 2025 until scans confirmed he had torn his ACL just before the round 25 bye; hooker Blayke Brailey stepped up as skipper for the first time and led the team to a second-straight preliminary final.[4](https://www.sharks.com.au/news/2026/02/23/mcinnes-and-brailey-installed-as-nrl-co-captains/)
For 2026, coach Craig Fitzgibbon returned to the co-captain model, installing McInnes and Brailey jointly at the season launch.[4](https://www.sharks.com.au/news/2026/02/23/mcinnes-and-brailey-installed-as-nrl-co-captains/) McInnes returned from the ACL injury during the season, though a lateral ankle sprain ruled him out of one match in May 2026.[7](https://www.sharks.com.au/news/2026/05/12/pilot-medical-update--brailey-mcinnes/)
## Departure from Cronulla
In May 2026 McInnes confirmed he would leave the Sharks at the end of the season after five years at the club, saying a premiership in his final season was his motivation; he debuted in 2014 but did not play in South Sydney's grand final and had not won a title.[8](https://www.nrl.com/news/2026/05/29/looming-departure-fuelling-mcinnes-premiership-push/)
## Beyond the field
In April 2026 McInnes became the first current NRL player to give a TEDx Talk, speaking at Inaburra School in Bangor on 17 April on the theme of comparison.[9](https://www.sharks.com.au/news/2026/04/08/mcinnes-making-history-as-first-nrl-player-to-give-tedx--talk/) During the NRL's 2024 Women in League Round he credited his wife Rachel with a life-changing role in ensuring their son Talanoa, who has autism, is a thriving young boy.[10](https://www.nrl.com/news/2024/08/01/lucky-to-have-her-mcinnes-credits-wife-for-life-changing-act/)
## Playing style
The NRL's official profile describes McInnes as personifying the "captain courageous" tag, leading from the front with tireless defense and high-volume carries through the middle.[1](https://www.nrl.com/players/nrl-premiership/sharks/cameron-mcinnes/) His career statistics reflect that profile: across his Cronulla seasons he averaged around 100 running meters per game and maintained tackle efficiency near 96 to 97 percent, peaking at 97.52 percent in 2026.[1](https://www.nrl.com/players/nrl-premiership/sharks/cameron-mcinnes/) He has played both hooker and lock at the top level, with the positional switch to lock from 2020 onward allowing him to run the ball more as a middle forward.[6](https://www.nrl.com/news/2023/05/02/mcinnes-in-the-middle-cam-loving-life-as-a-ball-playing-forward/)
## References
1. [Official NRL profile of Cameron McInnes, NRL.com](https://www.nrl.com/players/nrl-premiership/sharks/cameron-mcinnes/)
2. [Cameron McInnes Statistics, Rugby League Tables (afltables.com)](https://www.afltables.com/rl/scorers/players/C/Cameron_McInnes.html)
3. [Finucane, McInnes announced as 2024 NRL co-captains, Sharks](https://www.sharks.com.au/news/2024/02/27/finucane-mcinnes-announced-as-2024-nrl-co-captains/)
4. [McInnes and Brailey installed as NRL co-captains, Sharks](https://www.sharks.com.au/news/2026/02/23/mcinnes-and-brailey-installed-as-nrl-co-captains/)
5. [South Sydney Rabbitohs Player Report – Cameron McInnes, SSRA Almanac](https://www.ssralmanac.com/mobile/players_m/player_mcinnes_cameron.htm)
6. [McInnes in the middle: Cam loving life as a ball-playing forward, NRL.com](https://www.nrl.com/news/2023/05/02/mcinnes-in-the-middle-cam-loving-life-as-a-ball-playing-forward/)
7. [Pilot Medical Update – Brailey-McInnes, Sharks](https://www.sharks.com.au/news/2026/05/12/pilot-medical-update--brailey-mcinnes/)
8. [Looming departure fuelling McInnes' premiership push, NRL.com](https://www.nrl.com/news/2026/05/29/looming-departure-fuelling-mcinnes-premiership-push/)
9. [McInnes making history as first NRL player to give TEDx talk, Sharks](https://www.sharks.com.au/news/2026/04/08/mcinnes-making-history-as-first-nrl-player-to-give-tedx--talk/)
10. [Lucky to have her: McInnes credits wife for life-changing act, NRL.com](https://www.nrl.com/news/2024/08/01/lucky-to-have-her-mcinnes-credits-wife-for-life-changing-act/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Rugby and other football codes › Rugby league players and personnel*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license