R.I.P. Cronulla Sharks

Let me spend two seconds thinking about that.... Nathan Baggaley. 2 time olympic silver medalist, suspended for roid use and jailed for drug manufacture and supply. If any of these atheletes are fund guilt they ill be suspended. Gaol is not for drug cheats, it is for drug dealers. If ASADA can prove it they will get them. If not they walk. Same as it is for everyone.

To everyone that thinks they no anything about Aussie sport knows nothing,the only thing that will come of this is once again a slap on the wrist and a apology and on we go again.You tell me the last time any Aussie sportsmen or women was punished for there actions apart from suspension,if that was any normal Aussie the book would be thrown at us and we would spend time behind bars so stop thinking u know

@The TMF You seem to have a greater understanding of Perth than I do, I'm basing my judgements from my trip over there last trip with the operating merchandise group - spending was quite disappointing (obviously that is not perfectly correlated to what we're talking about but it always seems to work as an indicator to the brand perception). Nevertheless it was after the worst start to a Wallabies campaign possible. The problem is, will support be sustained through poor results like the Force endure? As a Sharks supporter, I've been doing it since birth, so I know it is possible, but the Sharks are the shire's only team. There does seem to be some potential though. Regarding NZ, I should have probably thought before speaking there. I agree totally with you. As far as Central QLD, Mackay has an NRL standard stadium (http://www.virginaustraliastadium.com.au/the-stadium/), and I assume it will get an expansion with a full-time NRL team. The Bulldogs played there last year to a sold out crowd. Also note this Mackay paper's poll with 73% responding they would attend this year's Mackay game (http://www.dailymercury.com.au/news/repeat-of-last-sellout-bulldogs-game-expected-dogg/1634505/). I think there would be the same attitude in CQ that there would be for NQ Cowboys - a big travel in, travel out crowd. I don't know the exact figures, but look at the Cowboys Fri/Mon night attendances compared to a Saturday night. Much bigger crowds on the Saturdays. I think it could also work in CQ. Of course, that is only my opinion. I think that creating a team where none others - of any sport - exist is always some sort of recipe to success over an area saturated with high-level teams. Look at the NBL, Cairns Taipans and Townsville Crocs enjoyed some of the biggest crowds in the league for years. Time will tell I guess.

@Eliah James The Western Force has had a strong loyal fan base from the word go. Regardless of results they come back each homegame. The Wallabies vsSouth africa Tri Nations/Rugby Champioship game that is played over there each year has becomea feature game on the calander. Due to the fact its kind of halfway between the east coast of Oz and South Africa it cancels oput the away teams travel disadvantage and has consistently produced some of the best game between the two nations. Always close. Now the thing is that Rugby fans are not as monosalbic as League fans.They can watch and enjoy more than one code of football, and they don't have commentators constantly trying to put down the other code. Perth will work because it already has a core fanbase there. I agree with all your other comments, but have obvious concerns oer Central QLD which i will get back to. Should we be supporting the NZRL? Why the hell not. Rugby Leagues biggest problem is the non existence of international rugby league of any significance. Since 1995 whe Rugby went professional and League went to war with itself, the international peneration of each gam has gone in opposite directions. Rugby has expanded in both hemispheres, has grown the number of teams playing in the RWC, one through the ainful years of blowouts with the minows, and has emerged in the 2011 RWC with tournament where a majority of games were a decent contest, including a few boilovers. Going into the quarter finals even though the All Blacks were favourites as usual, fact was they had at that stage spent "24 years in a chokey boat". No one would have been stunned if they did uit again and that would leave 7 other teams where some might have been expected to be favourites but in reality none were. That is where Rugby is 16 years on. Sadly the fact is you currently have 33% chance of guessing the match up of any international rugby league game of any relevance. Being a young lad who would stay up to the wee hours of the morning to watch as many games of the Kangaroo tours as were shown back then, it really heartbraking to see how far those in chage of Rugby League have let the international game flounder. While supporting the NZRL is not a direct focus on the international game, anything that helps strengthen the game and moves them to a path of growth and self sufficency is good for the game. For NZ they should be looking at a second club and a Origin type series to run con currently with the State of Origin.Once that is done, the game of Rugby League eeds to focus on rebuilding the structures of the international calander. World up every 4 years with as many countries as possible, kangaroo tours and so on. M concerns over Central QLD is that the supporter base is so spreadout. Where would it be based? Would it have a couple of home grounds? Will the suppoters travel soi far for each home game? Would they keep it up over the long haul? I think the expansion realiy is that 20 clubs would be the limit, and maybe another two say 5 years later on to make up a all teams play each other once schedule. 20 clubs would mean that we have 5 options to fit into 4 franchises. One would have to wait... tough choice but to be honest, these days it will not come down to who deserves it; it will be decided on hich club can capture the biggest development market and expand TV revenue. Based on tha assumption Central QLD would lose out.

I'm also dubious about Perth. I know that there are a lot of east coast ex-pats heading over there for mining etc. but look at the Western Force - they struggle with results and player recruitment... not many players from the east coast want to play - and live - in Perth. I know that considering the mining sector is bringing blue collar workers into Perth might mean a league team has more success than union, but I'm still sceptical. As far as relocation/expansion goes, Central QLD is a must - the amount of blue and maroon jerseys around at SOO time was ridiculous. Another New Zealand team will stimulate interest in NZ, especially with a NZ derby, but do we want to be supporting NZRL? Central Coast does not have a winter team, nor does Bluetongue have a winter tenant, so there is always possibility there, and voices have been coming from that way for a long time. The second Brisbane team is essential, but it must be done right and target an area possibly neglected by the Broncos and built a totally separate identity, not just 'the other Brisbane team'.

Adelaide is a great plan B for the Sharkies because Central QLD, Brisbane 2, Western Corridor, Central Coast, West Coast, Sth NZ, all have or have had established NRL bid teams in place. The Sharks would just be stepping on an expansion teams toes if they chose any of these areas to relocate. Cronulla already has one of the largest junior bases of all NRL Teams. If they had to relocate to survive by cashing in on the NRL's $8m Relocation grant then becoming the Adelaide Sharks in the great australian bite and keeping their junior base in Cronulla while they help the NRL develop grassroots footy in SA, would be the cleanest and most effective option for all parties concerned!

Some reckoned Ellery Hanley had three...

Haven't been on The Roar for a while.What ever happened to the Sharks No. 1 Defender Crosscoder.Anyway I hope the NRL doesn't bail the Sharks out again.I'm all for the Sharks staying in the Shire but they must be self sufficeint.This club has been a basket case for God knows how long and if they can't get through this without the propping up of the NRL again then maybe its time the game cuts them loose.For a team based in God's country which is full of people caught up in Shire self love and with population figures of over 200 000, average crowds of 13000 for a ground that holds 18 to 20000 are pretty pathetic.However in the Sharks defence,other clubs average crowds are pathetic to,for example for a one team town the Broncos should sell out every home game.But back to the Sharks,relocation of this team will not work .Central Coast will not happen unless at least 2 teams exit the Sydney basin which is highly unlikely and they want the Bears anyway.Perth ,Brisbane and C.Q. deserve their own teams with their own identities and talk of Adelaide is just stupid.This is a city with 2 teams in the Cazaly heartland yet they need to desicrate the Adelaide Oval to make these teams self sufficeint,so its obviously a no go zone for Rugby League.Also anyone who suggests that Shire residents start following the Dragons shows that they aren't the sharpest tool in the shed.

Here's the tip Blue... Rugby League will survive this crisis, as it has done many others. You can try to put the slipper in all you like but I think you'll find just about every other sport worth worrying about has its own share of drama - soccer, AFL, union, cricket. We apologise to you for league being popular and tagged as The Greatest Game of All but no one is forcing you to watch it so if you don't like it go and find somethiing worthwhile to do with your time, and take some of your ignorant mates with you..

Cronulla board have sliced and diced their coaching and admin staff in an effort to appease the whole situation. This will probably ensure only some (or none) of the 14 players get the axe thrown at them and the club avoids being sued by their own players. They have cut off the gammy arm to save the rest of the body. Very hard because most of those staff probably had little or no input or knowledge of the "program" ANd the cronulla representative who claimed that these sackings had nothing to do with the current scandal? Yeah right. Why was the conference done the anti-doping people there then? Surely this person is smart enough to know the public don't buy it but is going to say it anyway to cover butts legally.

This whole fiasco at Cronulla has been brought about by a bloke trying to save his own skin, their ex head trainer Trent (DOG) Elkin. Perhaps he should have gone to Canterbury instead of Parramatta. I wonder how much trust the Eels players will have in their new head trainer. It is obvious that ASADA have no real evidence of drug misuse or they would have already wielded the axe. They are relying on scaremongering tactics to try and flush out their quarry, and probably offered some sort of immunity to dogs like Elkin to blow the whistle on their mates . Cronulla, and other yet to be named clubs, are in distress over rumours and speculation that their players were given a substance in 2011 that was not on the banned list, per se. Cronulla have had a massive knee jerk reaction, and have thrown the baby out with the bathwater. Apart from standing down their coach, they have sacked their doctor, the same doctor who wasn't happy with the supplements that Stephen Dank was providing the club with in 2011, and terminated his services. It is beyond belief that ASADA can make such sweeping allegations of wrongdoing without any hard evidence. They need to be pulled into line, and quickly Hang in there all league players, hopefully fair play and justice will prevail..

Hi bjt, I agree that the game does need to expand, and when the commission announced they want to make the game more national I agree that doesn't look good for the Bears chances. However if the Sharks go under then the Bears would be the quickest/easiest/best solution. The league would still be at 16 teams and still be on track for a more 'national' expansion in 2017.

i think the only thing i can conclude at this stage is that it is great that Oikee is not involved with NRL administration in this country

laughable (a league territory), central coast still is a rugby league heartland. the mariners are getting a decent 10k a game in the RL off season. even if the mariners were hugely popular - the seasons only overlap slightly. are you claiming that a NRL team would not be as popular as the mariners? ha ha

adeliade had the 2nd lowest crowds when the rams were around. 1.2 mln people that are not interested in rugby league

so oikee, if Melbourne with a hugely successful team and a great stadium can only get 12k supporters , i think Adelaide would be lucky to get 10

how would the sponsors know the facts - they wouldn't have a clue

Phil, the NRL will NOT be quietly happy to 'get rid of' the Sharks. No Sharks means no billion dollar tv deal.

Even if the Bears are brought back on the Central Coast it'll be too little too late - Central Coast is now A-League territory.

Good to see a super leuage club go down bring back the bears