Independent Sharks dont owe NRL Peter Gow
Peter Gow, 76, is retired but still lends his advice to the Sharks.
Former Cronulla Sharks boss Peter Gow, nominated for life membership at this weeks annual general meeting, has revealed his behind-the-scenes battle to save the club through the Super League-ARL rugby league war.
The war between the Murdoch-backed Super League clubs and the Packer-backed ARL clubs divided the game in the mid 1990s.
It saw players wages explode before the warring sides were brought back together a year later under the newly formed National Rugby League.
At the end Gow, father of super-model Elle McPherson, sister Mimi and brother Ben, said the financially struggling Cronulla club benefited by more than $32 million.
Talked Murdoch into it
Gow said he was forced to do a lot of talking to have the Sharks included in News Limiteds bankrolling of the Super League clubs.
We should never have been in Super League, said Gow, now 76 and retired in the Shire with his partner Wendy.
Sharks star Andrew Ettingshausen part of coach John Langs enjoyable era.
The Sharks were not strong enough, with debts of over $4 million. But we talked Murdoch into it
Lachlan Murdoch was very good for this club.
Out of receivership
Four years earlier, Gow and his board had fought just as hard to get the Sharks club out of receivership, after first disbanding two boards (18 directors) and forming one joint leagues/football club board.
When we had brief control of the football club (the late) Arthur Beetson was coach, living in a pub in Alexandria before he moved to the old Como hotel, he said.
Artie was an affable person and brought great spirit into the club.
Enjoyable Lang era
One of my hardest jobs eventually was to let Artie go.
But new coach John Lang brought the club plenty of success
each year the Sharks were either in the finals or knocking on the door, with local juniors like Andrew Ettingshausen, Mitch Healey and Mat Rogers leading the charge.
We got Matty Rogers and his brother Don down from the Northern Territory by agreeing to pay to bring their ute down as well.
The era with coach John Lang was very enjoyable. He was a wonderful gentleman
and a true Queenslander.
No paper involved
Gow said Super League put the cream on the plate and gave the Sharks what they didnt have money and a decent ground.
He claimed the initial Cronulla deal was forged without one piece of paper.
I remember just imploring Lachlan (Murdoch) to take care of the Sharks.
Wed been talking figures like $13m and $22m. I could have got a lot more off them I know Canterbury did but we were not in as strong a position as the Bulldogs.
Ground, stadium renovations
But I think in the end I got more respect and they decided to hang onto the Sharks as a result, because they could have slipped us out the door.
We got plenty of ground and other stadium renovations, too, which Im proud of. The club was brave to take it on, and now the Sharks are a really good community asset.
However Gow said he was disappointed after nutting out the News Limited compensation deal at the end of the Super League war.
$32m deal no celebration
I sought out a final deal with (News Limiteds) Peter Chenoweth and I had to remind him about what Lachlan had promised, and how loyal the Cronulla club had been during the war.
In the end he agreed, we shook hands
and it was $32m for us (Cronulla). I came back to the club, there was a board meeting on and I said: Were debt free
were starting off debt square.
Gow claimed the only response he got was: Oh, thats good.
Hands-on, polarising figure
It was the only time Ive been disappointed with the club.
I went up to the Chinese restaurant and bought myself a bottle of wine, and it was the loneliest bottle of wine I ever had in my life, he recalled.
They didnt even bother to offer to buy me a drink.
Gows hands-on approach in running the club had seen him become a polarising figure during separate terms as club chairman during the 1990s.
Shark Park, now Southern Cross Stadium. Image: forums.leagueunlimited.com
The cost
There were times I slept under a desk in between working. And yes I did have a few battles with staff, and so I did a lot of work myself, he said.
It cost me emotionally, and my kids I suppose lost out, too. Sometimes they were living overseas. But I will say I would always stop work to listen to them, every time.
A few years after Cronulla played out the 1997 Super League final against the Broncos in Brisbane, Gows tenure as president ended dramatically after a late night incident in the same Chinese restaurant.
This was where he cut up a St George supporters jumper and then got involved in a public scuffle with former Dragons player, Barry Beath.
Hard to let go
He eventually took the club to court over a consultancy dispute and had a partial win in the NSW Industrial Commission.
But he has since lent his advice to various boards and club members. For him, it is hard to completely let go, even after surviving prostate cancer in more recent times.
I love the club
it probably could have gone bust three times, he added.
Sharks independence
One sponsor used to say it was like,selling leprosy in a health farm.
But I think these days they have a good professional board of directors running things."
I think the best achievements, and the things Im most proud of, is the stadium and licensed club and the fact we own it.
After the Sharks survived the initial ASADA investigation and at a time when the NSW Government is pressuring NRL clubs to play out of big stadiums, Gow makes some pertinent points about a club now involved in the large Woolooware Bay property development.
The Sharks managed to keep their independence
we have debt like most clubs but we dont owe the NRL anything, because weve had such a good balance of people working hard down there over the years.
We Can Be Heroes
Personally, I believe we can become just The Sharks instead of Cronulla Sharks, and eventually become Sydney Sharks.
At the height of Super League, the Sharks bought the song rights to play David Bowies hit: We Can Be Heroes.
Gow adds: I would love that song to be played again, because it was very appropriate for the Sharks.
We havent won a premiership yet, but I reckon we should get a cup for just surviving.
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