Cronulla Sharks

Sean Fagan of RL1908.com

Cronulla rugby league club was first founded in 1963 under the banner of Cronulla-Caringbah. They entered the inter-district competition, playing against Wentworthville, Sydney University, Penrith and other clubs in the Sydney area.

The following year, under the name of Sutherland-Cronulla, the area had its first President's Cup, Jersey Flegg and S.G.Ball teams. Previously, juniors from the area were under the administration of the St. George club, with many of the Dragons' senior players also choosing to settle in the beach-side suburbs.

Looking to expand the game into Sydney's ever growing suburbs, in 1967 the NSWRL added two new clubs to the competition - the first additions since Parramatta and Manly entered in 1947.

Despite objections from more financially powerful Wentworthville club, the League selected Penrith and Cronulla. Against Wentworthville's claims was its geographic proximity to Parramatta who were still struggling themselves to maintain premiership credibility.

The Cronulla club wore chocolate coloured jerseys with a gold V while in the Sydney 2nd Division competition. However, in October 1966 the club announced that its 1967 playing strip for its Sydney premiership debut would be a sky blue jersey adorned with a white V, the player numbers on the back being red.

According to W.F. Corbett writing in the Sydney Sun: "The blue, white and black colours were adopted from the Cronulla Surf Club." The club badge featured a black outline drawing of Captain Cook's ship the ‘Endeavour'. The Cronulla club treasurer, Arthur Winn, explaining at the time: "We used the Endeavour emblem because of our proximity to Botany Bay into which Captain Cook sailed."

Despite popular belief, there is no reference to the club being known as "The Sharks" until well after its entry into the premiership.

The Cronulla home ground for the debut 1967 season was Sutherland Oval.

Under the coaching of the great Ken Kearney, Cronulla earned immediate recognition when they beat Eastern Suburbs at the Sports Ground in their first match. Their first try was scored by hooker John 'Bomber' Hynes - he didn't score another all season.

Future referee Jack Danzey was the Cronulla five-eighth, Warren Ryan was in the centres and Monty Porter, who played for St George, was prop and the club's first captain. Half Terry Hughes top scored with 139 points from a try, 67 goals and a field goal. He was Cronulla's first representative player, turning out for Sydney Seconds against Country in the club's debut season (in 1968 he won the inaugural Rothmans Medal award).

The first year brought only two more wins and a draw and Cronulla finished last on the table - Norths and Parramatta embarrassingly falling to the new boys. In the second half of the season Cronulla failed to win a match, only securing a tied result against Balmain.

During the season Cronulla sought to finally establish a club moniker. The club President suggested the ‘Lions' after the British Lions, however something more ferocious was preferred. Ken Kearney is then purported to have suggested the ‘Sharks' and the club soon asked the league reporters to refer to the club by that name.

Other theories have been put forward as to where the ‘Sharks' name came from, the most credible being that the Cronulla Surf Club's rugby league teams of the 1950's were also known by the 'Sharks' name and wore the same colours.

In mid-1968 the club moved permanently to Endeavour Field, thus becoming the only club in Sydney to own their own ground. Their first match on their new ground was against Parramatta and the Cronulla Sharks won 10-7.

In mid-1969, Cronulla Sharks joined the growing trend of Sydney clubs by importing one of Great Britain's Test players. They made a very prudent selection in Test half-back and captain Tommy Bishop. Upon Kearney retiring from coaching Bishop took over as captain-coach from 1970, a reign that was to last four seasons.

Bishop's first match as coach in 1970 provided a 23-13 win over Newtown at Endeavour, but the club lost their next seven matches. Then, out of the blue, came one of the greatest wins in the club's history - Cronulla thrashed the premiership-bound South Sydney Rabbitohs by 25-6 with a style of open football that was soon to become the club's trademark.

During the 1970 season the club progressed to a mid-table finish. This improved showing saw winger Ray Corcoran became Cronulla's first State representative and hooker Ron Turner become the first Shark to play international football when he was selected in Australia's 1970 World Cup team, including the Final.

Bishop helped the Cronulla Sharks secure Great Britain power front rower Cliff Watson, and the club had their best season in 1971, winning 10 matches. Cronulla finished the season one win from the play-offs and the result could have been better, if not for Bishop snapping his achilles tendon.

Bishop wouldn't return to playing until the first match in 1973, and Cronulla lapsed to end up well and truly outside of the Top 5 at the end of the 1972 season.

However, during Bishop's absence Cronulla had been nurturing a promising crop of juniors that included Chris Wellman, Greg Pierce and Steve Rogers. John Maguire, another local, had become a permanent fixture while Ken Maddison, Barry Andrews and Eric Archer added further stability.

The year 1973 saw the Cronulla Sharks make the end of season play-offs for the first time and they did it in style. The Sharks lost only five games and finished just one point behind Minor Premiers Manly and ahead of 'big-brother' St George.

With centre Steve Rogers kicking six goals, Cronulla easily accounted for the Dragons by 18-0 in their first ever semi-final. The Sharks lost to Manly in the Major Semi-Final (14-4) leaving them with a Final match against Newtown to reach the Grand Final.

Cronulla established a crushing 18-4 half time lead over the Jets, before eventually winning by 20-11. The Sharks were into the Grand Final in their first visit to the play-offs.

Coach Bishop though knew that the Cronulla side's only real hope of beating the defending Premiers Manly was for his team of youthful players to niggle and unsettle the glamour Sea Eagles. Utilising the skills of Cliff Watson to lead the way, the 1973 Grand Final was the most brutal ever seen as the Sharks threw everything at Manly. In the end, it was a champion performance by Bobby Fulton that saw the Sea Eagles home 10-7 in a thriller.

The club's first Kangaroos were Steve Rogers and Greg Pierce in 1973. Pierce was first to play a Test - the First Test against France on the same tour. Meanwhile, Tommy Bishop had left for Brisbane.

In 1976, the Cronulla Sharks met with that first of their financial problems when it took a series of loans, through debentures and from banks to finish construction on their half-completed Leagues Club which overlooks the ground. The Sharks survived and within two years were back in a Grand Final.

This time the great Norm Provan was coach as the Sharks finished in 2nd place behind Western Suburbs. However, in the final game of the regular rounds Cronulla lost power Kiwi forward Dane Sorenson to a four week suspension. The club faced their bogie side in Manly for the first semi-final. The Sea Eagles extended an early 1-0 lead to 4-0 by half-time, before the Sharks rallied behind Greg Pierce's efforts to win 17-12.

A Grand Final place was the prize for the winner of the semi-final against Wests and a tough, hard duel eventuated. With ten minutes remaining the scores were locked at 10-all. Pierce then left Magpies front rower John Donnelly prostrate on the SCG turf after the two had clashed heavily - the Cronulla skipper was sent off and the suspension ended his season. The 12-man Sharks then beat Wests after Steve Rogers calmly potted over 2 late penalty goals.

Cronulla met the Sea Eagles again in the Grand Final and the Sharks lead by 7-2 well into the second half. Manly rallied to lead by 2 and it took a late penalty goal from Rogers to level scores at 11-all by fulltime. The big match experience - and talent - of missing forwards Pierce and Sorenson was arguably enough to prevent the Cronulla club from claiming its first premiership.

The replay saw the Sharks opportunity pass by as they fielded a much-weakened team due to further injuries, eventually being shut-out by Manly 16-0.

The club made the semifinals the following year and again in 1981 when Pierce took over for the first of two seasons as coach. For the next two decades Cronulla has been unable to reach a Grand Fina againl, apart from the 1997 Super League decider.

The club's only first grade titles are the Endeavour Cup (1971) which did not include the full compliment of Sydney clubs, and the mid-week Amco Cup of 1979.

Despite at various times having very talented and well-drilled teams, the Cronulla Sharks have never been able to take those final steps in the post-season. Many loyal Sharks have come and gone without winning a premiership - most notably local junior Andrew Ettingshausen who was the shining star of the Sharks from 1983-1999.

Cronulla had its most productive season in 1988 when it finished as Minor Premiers under the on-field direction of Barry Russell, Gavin Miller, Ettingshausen and Mark McGaw. However the season was quickly over after the Sharks lost the two games that would have given entry to the Grand Final.

The Final saw the Sharks lose to Balmain by 9-2 after Ellery Hanley inspired a late Tigers try in a desperately close struggle. Rothman's Medallist Barry Russell, the Sharks key playmaker, was forced off the field in both semi-finals, leaving Cronulla bereft of on-field options.

After losing a semi-final to Newcastle in 1995 by 19-18, the Johnny Lang coached Cronulla side has had plenty of further opportunities to take a title.

The Sharks made the 1996 Final (losing to Manly 24-0), 1997 Grand Final (Brisbane won 26-8), 1999 Final (Dragons winning 24-8), 2000 Final (Brisbane again by 34-20), 2001 Final (Newcastle won 18-10) and the 2002 Final (lost to NZ Warriors).

Exasperated by this seemingly never ending play-off torture the Sharks replaced coach Lang with Chris Anderson. Charged with building a new 'club-culture' that would see Cronulla gain a new formidability, the 2003 season imploded in turmoil.

It was made all the harder to stomach for 'Sharkies' fans when fellow new chums of '67, the Penrith Panthers, notched up their second premiership. As if that alone wasn't enough pain, Penrith did it with former Dally M medal winning Shark Preston Campbell and coach Lang.

Under coach Stuart Raper the Sharks reached the semi-finals in 2005. Questions though remain over whether Cronulla have a squad that will seriously challenge for the 2006 premiership title.

Copyright © 2006 - Sean Fagan. All rights reserved - the article above may not be reproduced (in full or part) in any form without written permission.