Aug 2010 - A Snapshot In Time Of The Cronulla Sharks

[Gards]

As it stands we have had 2 horror seasons on and off the field, sentiment towards the Sharks is generally low, fans are scratching their heads searching for answers that are not coming, crowds are down, finances are strapped, you get the idea - I wont go on.

Personally I will not give up and I feel their is still a degree of hope and still positives but let me ask - are we at the lowest point of the Sharks history? Is this the toughest period of time the club has faced? Because if not well perhaps some fans can take some sort of solace in that and rememeber that it could be worse or has been worse before...

This is not intended to be a negative thread (we have enough already) more so just to fill my curiosity and provide some perspective.

Who knows maybe one day you will be telling the story to someone younger about how you stuck by the mighty sharks in their darkest years...

Ive only been following the team closely from the mid 90's so really looking to some of the more veteran sharks fans to voice their opinion on how the club stands today in respect to the past.

Again this is not a flame thread - it is fire retardant.

 

[Gil]

I agree with you that it is a low point in our history.

The clubs history up until early 2000 had been good, great crowds great atmosphere.

Then things happened in the club were it was being pulled apart string by string. Over the last few years it has been in a down ward spin.

Over that time the players and some coach/s have done a great job keeping the Sharks going with a war going on around them. Full credit to them.

With the changing of the Guard and other major changes this is the time when we look up and move forward.

I BELIEVE that the future is strong and the fans have to stay strong.

As a loyal supporter you have to ride the storm

Up the Sharks.......

 

[Great White Shark]

I have been a fan/member for 30 years. I can not remember a worse period. To be honest, though, not sure if we can survive another season like the last two. If we have another poor onfield season we may, simply, not survive. It's all good to say to fans 'stay strong' etc, but if the administrators, players and coaching staff can not ensure a 'positive' onfield season our 'hopes' may not be good enough.
There is a lot of pressure to perform next year. Sadly, if we we are contendors for the spoon again next year, with crowds at 6,000 and sponsors wondering whether it is worth the cash, by September we will be facing extinction.

 

[El Coconuto]

I think there have been isolated time periods where we have been brought to our knees like this in the past. However, over a two tear strecth, yeah, I have to agree it's been a humdinger ever since we lost Birdy.

 

[SharkLabelSociety]

I'm something of an amateur Sharks historian, and from what I know I can't think of a worse period both on and off the field.

 

[SharkBoy]

I remember as a young lad in the early 90's reading that the Sharks were in deep financial struggle and will probably be extinct... I remember being pretty shattered about it. I really didn't understand how bad it was then, but I'm thinking this period now is pretty damn ****ty.

 

[Born&bred]

I can remember the early 90s was a terrible period. Artie Beetson coached us 92-93 with no money and very few players. We were spending way less than the cap (voluntarily) and had a very week team back then. This forced Artie to bring the best out of some up and coming players then (like Healey, Peachey, Richie Barnett etc). We went into receivership in 1993.

I don't think today's issues are anywhere near as bad as they were then.

 

[SharkBoy]

Good to hear. If we can get through that period we will be able to get through this. Stick solid.

 

[Sharky Pete]

I can remember the early 90s was a terrible period. Artie Beetson coached us 92-93 with no money and very few players. We were spending way less than the cap (voluntarily) and had a very week team back then. This forced Artie to bring the best out of some up and coming players then (like Healey, Peachey, Richie Barnett etc). We went into receivership in 1993.

I don't think today's issues are anywhere near as bad as they were then.

Exactly, B&B.

I remember it well.

I am getting rather fed up of the doom mongers on other forums and the media dancing on our grave.

You are 100% right, we had a weak team then.

The only bloke we had of note was Andrew Ettingshausen and Danny Lee.

These days we have an almost international forward pack and we are only a couple of backline players short of being a force again.

If we can get the players we're linked to.

I looking forward to shoving it back to the doomsayers and the critics.

UP UP CRONULLA!!!!

 

[IronShark]

Things have been as bad, if not worse before. Unfortunately our on-field performances have been making things look twice as bad.

The good news is that we have reached the bottom and are on the way back, it will take a little time but with the management turning things around and the land development getting closer day by day, we might never have to see days like these again. Here's hoping!

 

[SharkLabelSociety]

Anyone better connected than me (i.e. connected in any way) know anything about the CEO situation?

 

[Sharky Pete]

Things have been as bad, if not worse before. Unfortunately our on-field performances have been making things look twice as bad.

The good news is that we have reached the bottom and are on the way back, it will take a little time but with the management turning things around and the land development getting closer day by day, we might never have to see days like these again. Here's hoping!

I am optimistic as well, IS.

Man I dearly hope this land development comes off and we rise again.

I know that once it does come off and the IC and new TV deal comes off we may well become one of the game's wealthiest clubs.

That would be a dream come true and it would be great to shove it back to the critics and the parasites in the media.

This is a special club and I really wish the fairweather fans would stop whingeing and get behind us and realise we have a very special club here.

UP UP CRONULLA!!!!

 

[SharkLabelSociety]

Once things turn around I'm gonna be having a field day sticking it to all the fairweather fans and our old haters.

****, I might even find Gus Gould's car and cover it in Sharks merch. Just for fun.

 

[Sharky Pete]

In the meantime though, we really need to do something as fans though.

The Central Coast Bears seem to be spreading their brand like wildfire.

The media seems to always slag off at us and as you said with the Cronulla Beach thing there is still the whole stigma from 05 and the Hobbits thing.

We really need to do something to be bringing the crowds in and spreading the club's brand.

I know we have a fair few fans outside of the Sutherland Shire area, we really need to do something to tap into that.

Getting a country league behind us perhaps.

 

[taps]

stick solid sharks fans we have been though bad periods in the past & we will go though
bad periods in the future thats what make the good periods great & we will be great again we have the nucleus of a great side & with some astute signings we can be challenging for the title in the next couple of seasons remember the first premiership will
come & when it does we will win a couple more quickly north melbourne in the afl had to wait 51 years before they won their first premiership so don't worry it will come true supporters support their team no matter what

 

[slide rule]

Didn't we get kicked out of the comp once (with wests I think) and then reinstated? I think it was in the 80's.

That must have been a downer.

 

[Sharky Pete]

Didn't we get kicked out of the comp once (with wests I think) and then reinstated? I think it was in the 80's.

That must have been a downer.

I didn't realise we were the Newtown Jets, mate.

It was the Jets and Wests that faced the guillotine and the Magpies took the league to court and won.

Funny now that they no longer exist.

 

[bort]

I didn't realise we were the Newtown Jets, mate.

It was the Jets and Wests that faced the guillotine and the Magpies took the league to court and won.

Funny now that they no longer exist.

This isn't Jets Forever?

 

[Sharky Pete]

This isn't Jets Forever?

Hahaha, that's gold Bort.

We don't have a emoticon on here for so I couldn't use it.

 

[Gil]

I remember as a young lad in the early 90's reading that the Sharks were in deep financial struggle and will probably be extinct... I remember being pretty shattered about it. I really didn't understand how bad it was then, but I'm thinking this period now is pretty damn ****ty.

They/we are too strong, the financial thing happened in the 70's and 80's as well. We are still here.

We'll be alright :good: