try with a chip-kick to earn the Clive Churchill medal for best on-ground. Kimmorley was selected for the Australian team to compete in the end of season 1999 Rugby League Tri-Nations tournament. In the final against New Zealand he played at halfback in the Kangaroos' 22–20 victory. 2000s Having won the 1999 Premiership, the Melbourne Storm travelled to England to contest the 2000 World Club Challenge against Super League Champions St Helens R.F.C., with Kimmorley playing at halfback in the victory. In 2000 Kimmorley made his State of Origin debut for New South Wales, helping the Blues to a clean sweep, and keeping Johns on the bench for Games II and III. The following year he left Victoria for the Northern Eagles. He had an unhappy season, however, and when the merged entity split at the end of the season, he decided to follow his former Melbourne Storm coach Chris Anderson to the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks (the club where he would spend the majority of his career, playing seven seasons between 2002–08) after being linked with a move to recently promoted English Super League club Widnes Vikings. In his first season with his new club he somewhat flourished, setting a new club record for most points in a game against his former club, Newcastle, and led the Sharks to the preliminary final, although they lost (to eventual runners-up New Zealand Warriors). The season was marred by controversy as Chris Anderson dropped 2001 Dally M Medallist and club favourite Preston Campbell from the halfback position to accommodate Kimmorley, which resulted in Sharks fans' lukewarm reception of the Test halfback. With the new season in 2003 looking promising, Kimmorley was awarded the captaincy of the team over David Peachey and was rewarded with a new five-year deal. At the end of the 2003 NRL season, he went on the 2003 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain and France, helping Australia to victory over Great Britain in what would be the last time the two nations contested an Ashes series. Kimmorley was pivotal to Australia's whitewashing with last-minute field goals to secure the first two games in the three game series. 2004 was a disappointing season for Kimmorley, who failed to take his club to the finals for a second consecutive season. He was also plagued with several injuries which caused him to miss the annual State of Origin series fixtures, although he was selected