In 2013, the recruitment of Panthers duo Luke Lewis and Michael Gordon, combined with the existing talent of Paul Gallen and Todd Carney, saw the Cronulla Sharks with a team strong enough to challenge for the premiership.
This was rocked on the eve of the season with ASADA’s report putting a question mark over their season.
Cronulla still qualified for the finals, making it into the second week. Another ten minutes in their qualifying final against Manly and they probably would have advanced into the final four.
So how have things gone so wrong? And where do the Cronulla Sharks head from here?
While they have a few excuses for their poor showings this year, the Sharkies could be finishing in the bottom half of the table for the next few years. It appears highly unlikely Paul Gallen will lift the premiership trophy as a one club player.
Obviously the main factor for their horror year was the suspension of Shane Flanagan. Losing your coach during the preseason is not ideal and working under a new coach takes some getting used to. When Flanagan was suspended, the club had two options: to sack Flanagan and move on with a new coach, or to appoint a young enthusiastic coach who was eager to prove himself before moving into an assistant role the following year (or become head coach of another club).
The club instead opted for Peter Sharp and we all know how that went. He had no real ambition to be a head coach again and that has shown in the club’s results.
Things have all come to a head with the sacking of Todd Carney earlier this week. Whether you believe what he did is a sackable offence or not, a guy that has been given as many chances as Carney should really know better. The club felt it had no other option but to terminate his contract, this indicates that Carney might have been disappointing the club’s big wigs in other ways without it reaching the media.
In losing Carney, the Sharks have also lost their chief playmaker. While Carney’s form has been down this year, at his best he can win a game single-handed. Jeff Robson also provided a good foil for Carney and part of the club’s poor form was due to the fact the two of them couldn’t get on to the field together much.
Quality half recruits for next year are sparse, so the Sharks will be hoping Fa’amanu Brown comes into his own during the second half of the year.
No one is more passionate about their club and state then Paul Gallen. The look on his face when NSW won Origin 2 exemplified how much effort he had put in over the years. It also represented Gallen’s grand final victory – he knows he won’t get there with the Sharks.
With no coach and no x-factor for the remainder of the year, Cronulla have a hard job ahead of them to avoid the wooden spoon. What is more alarming is that things aren’t looking much better for next year.
Let’s hope that Cronulla can uncover a gem, and Brown can lead them into the future.
V.O.R.
Guest
fishes...your response is the very demonstration of my point...just give it up....and have a look at what's already available on the public record...start with the leaks from your clubs own internal inquiry.
fishes
Guest
@V.O.R. Innocent til proven guilty but apparently you know better.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Where to now for the Sharks? Cronulla 24 Broncos 22 Cronulla (no stars) 30 Roosters 28 Maybe the above results give a clue.
Renegade
Guest
To answer the question in the header of the article: They're heading back to shark park to take on the knights next week ;) Up Up Cronulla!
john badseed
Guest
fishes - the reason is that Qld want the sharks gone so they can have a team in Gympie
The eye
Guest
Sorry VOR but you can't pick and choose instances to suit your argument.If you don't include the entire panorama of the NRL landscape on the canvas then you have an empty,subjective picture that you may as well hang in the shed.The game at this level is one giant cover up,take off your blinkers and before you go looking over other people's fences look in your own backyard.Not saying this is how it should be,but,this is how it is.Childish is the belief that the Sharks have trod where no other club has.. It's un fathomable to me how you Qlders leading this lynch party could be hurt so bad by one man and the ulcers that must be festering away in you because of it,do yourself a favour and try and move on..it's a great game take it for what it is
V.O.R.
Guest
good that you brought that up...if you remember there was some very public sackings because of that rubbish. That is the point...Sharks culture is showing it doesn't take ownership for its transgressions...they just close ranks and whisper there's no place like home. The game deserves better. ...and it's not enough to say "we aren't the only ones who have misbehaved" ...this illustrates the inability to not take responsibility for your actions. Wouldn't be great if we could all use that as an excuse when we stuff up. Childish. The club needs to show some leadership with integrity, open up regarding past wrong doings...only then will the club be able to come up for air and perhaps even regain a modicum of respect amongst the wider community who love and follow the game.
fishes
Guest
@mark ferguson the central coast is Manly's mess. nothing to do with cronulla
fishes
Guest
@mark ferguson the central coast is Manly's mess. nothing to do with cronulla
The eye
Guest
In what area specifically are they particularly under performing below the rest of the field ? Help me out here as my struggle in grasping your root cause for requesting the cull is more dire than yours..Is it because of the Carney photo .Well J. Monahan set the bar there,didnt hear a peep out of anyone.Gal getting Sharpie hooked ? Ask Neil Henry what part JT had in him copping it,or David Furner from his senior playing group,again silence..Couldn't be ASADA because your mob have told this forum continuously that all evidence needs to be received with an official verdict as per the W.Chambers case before hasty,ill conceived judgements are made..there's still a mathematical probability of the club making the 8,with 10 rounds in front of us,2 points behind comparatively injury free Raiders and Dragons,but its the Sharks fresh from a whisker away from the 2013 Grand Final that are under performing...so,sorry,you want to dump this club because of what...?
fishes
Guest
Why's that the sharks problem?
fishes
Guest
Zzzz by that logic Melbourne storm should fold by choice themselves to 'accept responsibility for dragging the game through the gutter'. They are the only team to have premierships taken off them. But no the club is bigger than any individuals. The sharks are bigger than Matthew johns of Stephen dank or whoever else
fishes
Guest
They will do more than just swim http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/rescue-plan-to-change-the-fortunes-of-scandalplagued-cronulla-sharks/story-fni0cx12-1226978631525?nk=ef506ca4b99c31450c09a249ac84f7aa
fishes
Guest
Bad luck marldon. Read the latest telegraph article. Sharks to potentially become one of the richest clubs in the NRL (including even the broncos), with the exception of Canturbury.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Couldn't agree more V.O.R. Fans however are not responsible for the current situation.That can be tracked down to the prior admin ,with an undermanned CEO living on the smell of an oil rag.During this time Mr Dank appeared on the scene by invite from one person,and the rest is history. No one is covering their backsides re ASADA ever player had an NRL H/O official to ensure all answers that were needed to be answered,within the bounds of legal restrictions were answered. Who is sidesteppin? Shark's fans are shattered b y the ASADA issue, and deeply hurt and embarrassed by the Carney episode.No cover ups by them. Cancer in the culture!!!,how about one person, since removed this week.The prior trainer has gone.As has the old hard working but ASADA on their watch board. In retrospect IMO the club made the wrong decision by taking Carney on board,based on his long rap sheet and the removal by two clubs,and being evicted from his home town.It's like taking on a ticking time bomb. To my knowledge the other players have accepted and behave socially responsibly.If there is supposedly an inherent cancer existing within the club,since Carney's dismissal,please provide evidence.I do understand the message has to be spelt out to all players ,a no dickhead policy is to be instituted. I believe the current board are well credentialled professional people,also with no infighting that exists with the likes of Parramatta.With at least the capacity to ensure they don't need to ask NRL head office for money to pay their players like a couple of others.Have they made the odd mistake,yep.Just like CEOs and directors do in the business world. I will say this 10,20 30 years from now, testosterone filled youth will now and again go ape,.regardless of education,upbringing.It is up to sporting groups to continue to come down hard on miscreants so they learn the first time. I further note in early 2011,under Gallop's watch,why was not the club assisted when H/O knew the club was working on the smell of an oily rag.Instead of the approach,it's your problem.No integrity unit in place then,no money due to the Tv deal. Always ready to accept constructive criticism,not agenda driven hate comments, attributed to a couple.
john badseed
Guest
Easy fix. Drop the 'National' part of the NRL and just call it Rugby League. Problem solved.
Renegade
Guest
That comment was in terms of crowds and memberships - their position on the ladder provides even more emphasis that there's other clubs going far worse.
Cadfael
Roar Guru
I took your comment "Simple answer: they are still outperforming others in the same market" to be about their positiob in that they aren't outperforming other teams.
V.O.R.
Guest
CC I appreciate the detail of your argument and there is no doubt substance in much of what you say however your club and fans need to acknowledge and accept responsibility for dragging the game through the gutter time and time again. You cannot sidestep this. Personally I hope the Sharks survive, I hope the fans keep their team but I do have reservations. As others have suggested their appears to be an inherent cancer in the culture of the club affecting the way it is managed and the performances on the field. You guys need to take a flame thrower to the place, get rid of those causing the rot, pay for respected management leaders who did not get their credentials from the back of a Weetbix packet and this is the big one....show the NRL community that you mean business re: ASADA and instead of covering your backsides at every corner start thinking outside of your box and contribute as equal members to the well being of the game. Then you might start to get some respect from the knockers.
Renegade
Guest
Cadfael, I never mentioned anything about the Sharks position on the ladder so not sure what you're suggesting.