Bye Bye Sharkies
Rugby League May 10th, 2009Its time to go: Cronulla.
For those playing at home the Sharks are planning to play five games in Gosford and one in Adelaide for the next five years starting next year. This is due to the terrible financial state of the struggling Sydney club.
Ah but Cronulla are not relocating, no, their CEO says. Although that didn’t stop them putting the hat out to the NRL for the RELOCATION money. Common sense prevailed and the NRL knocked back the Cronulla’s request for the sizeable cash on offer (a few hundred G’s of the $8-11 million on offer for a proper relocation).
Cronulla aren’t interested in relocating and integrating their side in the Central Coast community. As Florimo said, it’s a short term money making exercise to keep them alive for the next couple of years.
And now they’re talking about playing home games against the Warriors in Auckland or Wellington, playing Brisbane at Lang Park and Nth Queensland in Townsville.
A travelling circus.
The plan reeks of desperation. The Sharks and the NRL should be focusing on long term and permanent relocation of the Sharks.
Why? Coz they not nothing going for them; they have had poor crowds for years, never won a premiership and now geographically make very little sense with St George and Illawarra sandwhiching them. Not to mention of course, their terrible financial situation. (And like all clubs in Sydney there’s the issue of there being too many around).
Relocation is exactly what they should be doing but not on the current model (five games at CC, one in Adelaide and now it seems games in NZ and Queensland). They need to relocate but relocate properly with a minium of 10 home games at the new location.
Fair enough if they follow the proposed Central Coast Bears model of playing most of their games at Gosford with one or two games a year at North Sydney Oval to keep that part of the supporter base alive.
But wherever they go they have to be the X Sharks and totally imerse themselves in the new community they’re in.
The NRL should offer the $8-$11 million they’re offering up for CC move for the team committed to going to Perth, Adelaide, a 4th Queensland team or Wellington.
These options are really where the Sharks should be heading, as for the Coast there is only one option: the Bears. More on that soon.
May 10th, 2009 at 12:33 pm
This is an absolutely brilliant post!
I can understand sharks fan being upset but the sharks are definitely the least necessary team in the nrl. Now is the time for the sharks to pick up and move somewhere else - or they will die forever. Having said that, I am not sure if the sharks ‘brand’ is strong enough to survive a relocation. All fans want their own team, not a team with no history of success and no great fan base.
I think the central coast bears is gaining momentum but another team in QLD is a guaranteed success. And dont forget PNG, they will knocking on Gallop’s door soon as well..
May 10th, 2009 at 12:35 pm
Maybe they should merge souths and cronulla - you could call it the southern sharks and the colours could be blue and white shirts with green socks.
May 11th, 2009 at 3:32 am
Sharks offered Souths a merger when the Bunnies were kicked back and they knocked them back.
Now Souths have such a strong membership base and pride themselves on having stood alone (merger wise) and being a century old club I can’t see them doing it in a million years.
May 13th, 2009 at 11:03 am
after 5 years of calling for the sharky’s head, strongbow might finally get his wish!