Everyone in rugby league knows the famous Jack Gibson quote from 30-odd years ago. “Waiting for Cronulla to win a premiership is like leaving the porch lamp on for Harold Holt.”
Fast forward to 2016 and in my social media feed are a series of illuminated electricity beacons patiently waiting for the former prime minister to emerge after an absence of close to half a century.
Ironically, his disappearance occurred the same season the Cronulla Sutherland Sharks entered the New South Wales Rugby League competition in 1967.
I’m a born and bred Sutherland Shire resident, but have never been a Cronulla fan.
The famous Steve Gearin try from a Greg Brentnall bomb in the 1980 grand final meant my colours were always going to be blue and white without the splash of black.
I may have been the odd one out in my family and in the schoolyard but a glut of premiership and finals’ success over the past 40 years has meant more often than not, I had the last laugh.
However, I’ve always had a soft spot for the Sharks, with many a winter’s afternoon spent on the hill at Endeavour/Ronson/Caltex Field. I have spent countless hours behind the dressing sheds after dark, waiting for an autograph from Andrew Ettingshausen, Mark McGaw, Dean Carney, Craig Diamond, Barry Russell, David Hatch or Michael Porter.
Occasionally, if the over officious doorman was in a good mood we’d be allowed inside the rooms for a chat with the players, and if we were really lucky we could grab a leftover can of soft drink or a piece of fruit.
Back then, Cronulla were a side who were run on the smell of oily rag, sailing perilously close to the wrong side of the balance sheet. Come to think of it, that’s always been the case.
A team of honest, no frills toilers with the occasional superstar like an ET or Steve Rogers. Everyone’s second team.
With the only piece of silverware sitting in the trophy cabinet being the Amco Cup for success in the mid-week competition in 1979, the Cronulla Sharks have largely been a team of heartbreakers for their loyal supporters.
My dad being a case in point.
He’s lived a lifetime of disappointment having followed the team from day dot.
Dad has covered all bases as a fan from season ticket holder to sponsor to life member of the Leagues club. I’m know he’s even contemplated running for the Board on more than one occasion.
He breaks out in a cold sweat talking about their grand final appearances against Manly in ’73 and ‘78 – especially ’78. A man who never swears, he can be brought to the brink of blasphemy with the mere mention of Greg Hartley’s name.
He made a trip to Brisbane for the 1997 Super League decider only to watch on as the Sharks put in their worst performance of the season.
So many coaches have tried and failed over the years at Cronulla.
Legends of the game like Johnny Raper, Artie Beetson and Jack Gibson all thought they could work some magic in the Shire.
Premiership winning mentors Chris Anderson and Ricky Stuart attempted to change the ‘culture’ of the club but also fell short.
Alan Fitzgibbon and John Lang led them to minor premierships in ’88 and ’99, only to watch on from the grandstand as they exited the finals without firing a shot.
This year seems different though. Winning 15 straight games helps, but it’s more than that.
The vibe around the team is almost one of arrogance, they know they can win from in front, they know they can win from behind, they know they can score from anywhere.
The games they’re expected to win they win, the bounce of the ball is falling their way in the tight matches. That’s different to any Cronulla team of bygone eras.
Even the most mentally scarred Sharks fan, like my dad, are daring to dream.
There’s a belief now rather than that sick in the guts feeling they could lose via a poor refereeing decision or a dropped ball with the tryline wide open. That winning feeling is infectious.
It’s a long way from Portsea in 1967 to Botany Bay in 2016 but I’m happy to burn a little electricity on my porch for a tired and weary Harold Holt should it mean Cronulla emerges victorious on that first Sunday in October.
#putyourporchlighton
Reckon you can pick the winning team? Build your own dream team with Draftstars daily fantasy and compete on any match. For great odds on the NRL head on over to PlayUp. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.
Braydon Trindall has been stood down from the Cronulla Sharks after failing an alcohol and drug test while driving on a suspended licence. The…
Cronulla co-captain Dale Finucane has announced his retirement from the NRL after "double-digit concussions" prompted him to call a premature end to his playing…
Cronulla and the Cowboys entered Shark Park on Sunday with question marks over whether they are legitimate title contenders or not. The hosts obliterated…
It wouldn't be a Sharks win without Ronaldo Mulitalo getting under someone's skin. Cronulla won 42-6 at home.
Sam Stonestreet scored on debut in a stellar Sharks performance against the Cowboys.
The big man's got footwork! Tom Hazelton left a trail of Cowboys in his wake for this first-half try.
