SYDNEY, Sept 19 AAP - Cronulla legend Gavin Miller today urged the NRL club to ignore pressure to appoint Ricky Stuart as head coach and remain loyal to embattled mentor Stuart Raper.
Despite having a year to run on his contract, Raper's job is under threat especially after the availability of dumped Sydney Roosters coach Stuart.
Management consultancy company Mercury Group has conducted an independent review of the club after it crashed out of finals contention following 10 straight losses and is due to report back with its findings tomorrow.
While Cronulla chief executive Greg Pierce denied the process was an exercise to oust Raper from the club, a review of the coaching structure is likely to be part of the report to the Sharks' board of directors.
Miller, who was twice named the Dally M player of the year during a glittering 170-game career with Cronulla, asked the club to stand by Raper.
"Stuart Raper is under contract and from my point of view, they're entitled to honour that contract," Miller said today.
"Stuart Raper, when he had talent at reserve grade and junior level at Flegg, when he had talent at Castleford and talent at Wigan, he was able to be successful.
"This year he was disrupted by a number of injuries that occurred.
"Not withstanding all of that, even if he had won only three games this year - which is all that South Sydney have done - they should honour the contract.
"(Souths) sacked their coach and he was under contract.
"What gets up my nose is, what does a contract mean these days?
"I'm from the old school.
"I never had to worry about a contract, I just had a handshake agreement with (club secretary) Ron Massey.
"You talk about loyalty and you can forget about that now, that's something of the past."
The former Kangaroo forward said the last thing the Shire club needed was to pay out another coach.
"I would be extremely disappointed if that was the case.
"In 1983 the players had to take a 50 per cent pay cut to keep the club afloat ... we are now in a situation where they paid out Chris Anderson and now they are looking at paying out Stuart Raper - how does that make sense.
"They didn't make the play-offs this year but that's irrelevant, he was without some good players.
"They should honour the contract."
