Sharks healthiest heading into 50th year

Feb 28, 2017 - 4:34 PM Cronulla are poised to start their 50th season in one of the healthiest positions in the history of the NRL club.

Just two days out from commencing their first ever title defence, and three days before a gala 50th anniversary dinner, the Sharks unveiled a new major sponsorship deal on Tuesday worth a reported $1 million per season.

It caps off a remarkable turnaround for the club, who just three years ago claimed the wooden spoon and were fighting off suggestions of relocation in at the height of the ASADA drama.

"On and off the field I think you've seen the rise and rise of our star as a club," chief executive Lyall Gorman said.

"It's fair to say there was a fairly challenging time back in 2013 and 2014.

"It's certainly been a very pleasurable ride to have the market coming to us now and be a part of our story."

Gorman refused to compare the current situation to previous eras on Tuesday, but rarely has the club often regarded as the perennial battlers blossomed like this.

Sponsorship aside, the Sharks are starting to see the benefits of the property development near the stadium, while membership numbers have well exceeded where they were at season's kick-off last year.

"This is its voice. This is its national reach. There's a tremendous swagger and pride in what Shane and the boys delivered on the field last year."

Coach Shane Flanagan is one of those to have endured the depths of despair in his early years at the club, before last season's maiden success.

The second-longest standing coach in the club's history, such was the state of the club he filled a number of roles upon his appointment in mid-2010, including helping to build the club's gym.

And while off-field developments can't guarantee on-field success, they have made a mighty difference at the Sharks.

"When I first started we weren't spending our salary cap," he told AAP.

"We didn't have a gym, we just hired parts of fitness first. They were tough times.

"Back then everyone had to be multi-tasked. We only had four or five full-time staff, now we've got 15 full-time staff in football. We never had any recruitment managers,

Now, he said, with Tuesday's announcement, the club was in their position in his time.

"That's probably the icing off the cake and the cherry on the top," he said.

"It's always been a journey and it's always been hard, but definitely we're in the best position financially.

"It's been enjoyable but the next bit is how we handle the next bit as well."

Source: AAP