CRONULLA Sharks members attending the annual general meeting tonight and the local derby this Saturday at Remondis Stadium could be excused for thinking their club is caught in the middle of the ‘‘perfect storm’’.
Off the field, the Sharks have lost its head coach Shane Flanagan (suspended until at least September), been fined $1 million (with $400,000 suspended), the ASADA investigation into the club’s 2011 supplements program is ongoing and the club is still without a major sponsor.
On the field, the Sharks have suffered one of the worst, early season injury lists in past decades; the Bulldogs have stolen their most dynamic forward, Andrew Fifita (at least) for next year, and the club will find it hard to replace him.
The Sharks directors will announce tonight a 2013 loss of $1.627 million (versus $1.078m in 2012). However, it could have been much worse. Without an NRL grant increase of $2.648m and interest savings of $1.254m, the loss would have been more than $5.5m.
Overall, Sharks Group revenue rose by $3.006m (NRL grants and some membership subscriptions) and interest costs fell by $1.254m, all other Sharks Group revenue was down or flat.
Sponsorship increased by $281,000 to $4.54m but marketing expenses ballooned by $1.125m to $4.256m.
Total liabilities or debt increased from $17.6m in 2012 to $18.198m, and Group expenses (excluding interest) increased by $4.8m to $26.86m, with the NRL salary cap rising from $4.4m to $5.85m, and ASADA costs and salary cap fines at $1.55m.
The challenge now is for the club — like most Sydney NRL clubs — to increase revenue in the face of rising costs. Revenue from the club’s $300 million Woolooware Bay development is still some years off.
This Saturday, the injury-depleted team, beaten 42-4 by Canterbury Bulldogs on Monday night, meets a new-look and unbeaten Dragons team.
Although the Sharks have Todd Carney and prop Siosaia Vave back from their squad of nine first graders out, and serious doubts about captain Wade Graham playing, the Dragons are unchanged and have added Jack de Belin and Jack Stockwell to an extended bench.
St George local junior Kyle Stanley said of their good win over New Zealand Warriors:
‘‘I think we all did our job, after getting behind early but local derbies are always close, no matter how the teams are going.’’
The derby day is sponsored by the Tynan Motors Group and teams play for the Monty Porter Cup, in memory of former league forward Porter, who played in six premierships winning Dragons teams and went on to become the Sharks inaugural captain in 1967.
Both clubs’ NSW Cup and Holden Cup (under 20s) teams play before the main 7pm NRL game.
