Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks History

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Cronulla had its beginnings in 1952 when a group of players banded together and formed a junior team, Cronulla-Caringbah, to play in the St George competition. That club soon proved to be one of the best in junior ranks. Cronulla entered the Sydney second division competition in 1963, and in that season, reached the grand final where it went down to Kingsford 9-7. The NSWRL expanded the major Sydney premiership from 10 to 12-teams in 1967, where under a new name of Cronulla-Sutherland, the club was promoted to the big league, along with Penrith. The success of St George, who at the end of 1966 had won eleven consecutive premierships was the main reason for Cronulla's. It happens to be co-incidental that the great Dragons run ended the year Cronulla first played in the major Sydney premiership.

The signings of tough English halfback Tommy Bishop as captain-coach and Bishop's St Helens team-mate Cliff Watson helped turn Cronulla from early whipping boys into a tough side that made the 1973 grand final against Manly. Also in the Cronulla side was an 18-year-old rookie named Steve Rogers, who would become one of the greatest centres ever produced by Australia. The 1973 was one of the most violent in history but it was the brilliance of Manly's Bob Fulton that cost Cronulla the chance of winning the premiership with two tries, coming from sheer Fulton magic.

Cronulla was back in the grand final in 1978 under the coaching of former St George legend Norm Provan, where they played Manly again. The grand final was drawn at 11-all and in the grand final replay played a few days later, Manly were too good for Cronulla, winning 16-nil. Featuring in the Sharks 1978 side included Rogers, Greg Pierce (who captained Australia in 1978), Steve Kneen and New Zealand's Sorensen brothers, Dane and Kurt. After the 1978 grand final, hard times hit Cronulla, on and off the field. The club hit dire financial trouble over the building of the leagues club and it couldn't meet the requirements to finish the project and also pay the players. Emergency aid from the State Government, NSWRL and the fans saved Cronulla. In 1983, when Cronulla were in dire trouble, a brilliant schoolboy footballer with film star looks would make his first grade debut and become Cronulla's greatest ever and also the most marketable player of his time in Andrew Ettingshausen.

Cronulla went under a rebuilding stage under super-coach Jack Gibson between 1985-87 where under Alan Fitzgibbon in 1988 they won the minor premiership for the first time. The Sharks lost both finals matches to miss out on a grand final place. After making the finals again in 1989, Cronulla hit some hard times financially and were close to going under in 1992-93 before local businessman Peter Gow came to the rescue. Talk had been around in 1993 that Cronulla was set to fold and Auckland be introduced into the competition a year early, but the hard work of the club ensured that didn't happen. Cronulla had the most marketable and popular player in the game at their disposal and officials found that fans liked Saturday night football.

With the Sharks playing home games on Saturday nights and nearly unbeatable at home under lights, the financial situation improved but a more important change for the good was about to occur. Respected Brisbane Easts coach John Lang was appointed Sharks coach for 1994 and since Lang has been with Cronulla, success has followed into the club. Sharks made the finals in 1995-96 and in 1997, under the super league banner, made the grand final where they lost 26-8 to Brisbane at ANZ Stadium but when the competitions united the following year, injuries cruelled Cronulla's hopes in making the finals.

The NRL was in the process of being reduced to 14-teams with St George linking up with Illawarra for the 1999 season. It meant Cronulla, who placed in between Saints and Illawarra were seen as a disposable club had to really perform to survive into the next century. Cronulla became the first club to dispose of the club name and only be known by the nickname, from 1999 onwards, they are now called "The Sharks". On the field, Cronulla won the minor premiership before losing to the Dragons in the grand final qualifier but off the field, great work was being done and the turn around in the club was extraordinary when on October 15, it was revealed the Sharks had finished 2nd to Canterbury of the Sydney clubs in the criteria rankings.

Club legend Andrew Ettingshausen played his final season in 2000 retiring with 328 first grade matches (3rd at the time behind Terry Lamb and Cliff Lyons) and scored 165 tries (2nd to Ken Irvine). Ettingshausen?s 328 appearances is the most for one club. The Sharks may have never won a competition when ?ET? was around but his presence and loyalty to the Sharks gave them so much value on and off the field. No player symbolised the future of the game better than Ettingshausen.

Despite rumours of shaky finances surrounding the club and being located next door to the powerful and more famous St George club, the Sharks have enjoyed strong stability over the last five seasons except in 2003. John Lang in his final season with the Sharks steered them within one-match of the 2001 Grand Final and new coach Chris Anderson got the Sharks within a whisker of a decider the following season. Relations between Anderson and club management came to a head in 2003, which resulted in his sacking prior to the 2004 for Stuart Raper who was coaching in England following a stint as lower grade coach between 1994-96.

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