Paul Gallen invited to join Sharks board as embattled club looks for solutions

The Sharks board has been under serious pressure from members and fans since the sacking of coach John Morris. Can Paul Gallen help turn things around?

Shark's Paul Gallen and Andrew Ettingshausen celebrate the Sharks win of the 2016 NRL Grand Final between the Cronulla Sharks and Melbourne Storm at ANZ Stadium, Sydney. Picture: Brett Costello

Embattled Cronulla has invited 2016 premiership-winning skipper and local hero Paul Gallen to join the Sharks board to add some much needed football experience.

Gallen has agreed to the request and will be on chairman Steve Mace’s ticket at the next annual general meeting in February.

“Gal is a businessman in his own right – not just an old football player,” Mace said.

“He’s obviously interested in the football side of the business and wants to see us do better.

“Gal has done a lot of our recruitment over the last 10 years anyway. He was the one who played a huge role in assembling the 2016 premiership winning side.

“He’s the perfect person to come on board.”

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Rugby league fans are mostly unaware of Gallen’s business talent away from football.

He negotiates and does most of his own big-money fight contracts, alongside his advisor Peter Mitrevski Jnr.

Paul Gallen will join the Sharks board. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

The former NSW State of Origin skipper has also built an impressive commercial property portfolio in recent years and has a keen interest in the share market.

The Sharks desperately need a man with Gallen’s football expertise on the board.

Former front-row legend Dane Sorensen recently stepped down after a lengthy stint as a director.

The board has been under serious pressure from members and fans since the sacking of coach John Morris and the team’s poor performances that followed his exit four weeks ago.

The Gallen appointment will ease that pressure along with the appointment of Craig Fitzgibbon as coach.

The Sharks board has done a tremendous job in recent years to turn around the clubs finances.

Yet the football department has been guilty of some terrible recruitment decisions by overpaying the likes of underperforming stars Andrew Fifita, Josh Dugan and Matt Moylan.

Gallen will be immediately put onto the board’s football committee, above chief executive Dino Mezzatesta and the rest of the senior management at the club.

“This is a real coup,” Mace said, “Having Gal there certainly adds to our credibility in footy circles.

“He’s keen to learn more about business from our directors and we’re keen to learn from his knowledge and insights as a former Kangaroo, Origin skipper and club legend.”

The Sharks chose not to put pressure on Gallen to join the board before February because of his boxing commitments.

He fights Australian heavyweight champion Justis Huni on June 16 at the International conference centre in Darling Harbour.

He also hopes to fight arch rival Sonny Bill Williams before the end of the year in what would probably be his last fight.