Why I fell in love with the Cronulla Sharks

I didn’t understand what league was. I was part of a family of rugby union and mostly AFL fans but this other game that lived down the road always intrigued me.

I have my dad to thank for that. Still a diehard Carlton supporter, God bless him. He knew this little nine-year-old needed to experience what the other game was all about so he took me down to Suncorp Stadium to watch the Broncos play.

At this point, I have to say, I had already watched State of Origin although it was heavily influenced by Roy and HG.

This ritual was soon to be banned by my mother. It always warped my little mind that there was a guy who played for the Brisbane Broncos (Queensland) yet he rolled out for NSW?

Mick De Vere was the name. And I will never, ever forget the surgical attempt of a job with staples on his forehead. League just seemed different. My interest was piqued.

But I digress.

So, here I am, a young lad with no knowledge of the game being taken to Suncorp by a guy who has no knowledge of the game either.

(Photo by Albert Perez/Getty Images)

I remember settling into a seat as the Broncos ran out and my dad said “who do you want to go for?” so, being naïve, I said, “whoever wins”.

The Sharks managed to beat the Broncos that day. So that was my team. I didn’t understand that there were rules. I should have gone for the more successful Broncos that day.

But I didn’t know they were successful or even my home team, I just wanted to know who won. Sharks it was. They seemed pretty good. Little did I know, they were not pretty good at all.

My small interest in the Sharks grew as I went through school and soon I met what was to be my best friend at the time. He was a Dragons fan.

Naturally, we bantered about the teams combining all-time 13s. I was adamant that Luke Covell be the winger.

I was so excited whenever the derbies came around but little did I know, the Sharks hadn’t won a single trophy, Amco Cup excluded.

My mate gave me an endless amount of grief until I realised that the St George Illawarra Dragons hadn’t won anything (circa 2006) either. This was my ace.

I had dinner with his family and his dad, a notable sports presenter for Channel Nine and diehard Dragons fan, didn’t take too kindly to my logic.

The wife thought it was hilarious though. I was never invited back for dinner.

Despite realising that this was the most unsuccessful team of all time, I stuck with them. And when 2016 rolled around, I was over the moon.

(Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

We finally won. My fleeting years as a starved supporter were worth the wait.

I’ve re-watched that final about ten times and it never fails to give me heart palpitations.

There’s a video of me somewhere flipping over my coffee table during that last minute that felt like it lasted an hour. I did a shoey too – that will never be shared.

I may have missed the heydays of Andrew Ettingshausen, David Peachey and Brett Kimmorley, but I was enamoured by Luke Covell, Ben Pomeroy, Danny Nutley, Phil Bailey, Lance Thompson and the bash brothers Paul Gallen and Greg Bird.

And now, 20 years later, here I am. A pathetically diehard Sharks fan. Born out of Brisbane, loving the Reds and Wallabies, but a Sharks fan till I die.

Up, up.