Youthful edge, knowledge earn John Morris head role at Cronulla

John Morris has been entrusted with taking the Cronulla Sharks into a bold new era after being appointed head coach for the next three seasons.

Cronulla Sharks coach John Morris. Picture: Dylan Robinson

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John Morris has been entrusted with taking the Cronulla Sharks into a bold new era after being appointed head coach for the next three seasons.

At 38 years of age, Morris will lead one of the most experienced rosters in the game, as the NRL’s youngest coach in 2019.

He will also be the youngest full-time coach to be elevated into a first grade coaching role since Trent Barrett took over Manly at the same age in 2016.

John Morris has won the race for the Cronulla Sharks job. Picture: Toby Zerna

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Morris, who joined the Sharks as a player 10-years ago following stints with Newcastle, Parramatta and the Wests Tigers and retired in 2014 with an impressive 300 NRL games, was informed of his official appointment on Thursday night.

Despite the Sharks receiving impressive interviews from Penrith assistant coach Cameron Ciraldo and St Helens coach Justin Holbrook last Monday, Morris was always the frontrunner to replace the club’s most successful coach, Shane Flanagan, who resigned last week.

Other coaches linked to the Cronulla head coaching role were Jim Dymock, Steve Price, Kevin Walters, Anthony Griffin, Neil Henry and Barrett.

Yet it’s Morris who the Sharks are backing to implement a youthful edge while using his deep understanding of the club to further enhance their performances both on and off the field.

John Morris played 105 matches for Cronulla during his 300-game NRL career. Picture: Brett Costello

In charge of the club’s elite pathways and development upon his retirement from playing, Morris has made a rapid progression up the coaching ladder, including being named the code’s best under-20s coach in 2017, before then being promoted to Flanagan’s NRL assistant last season.

In each of those roles Morris has helped guide a slew of the code’s best young talent including Jesse Ramien, Curtis Scott, Kyle Flanagan, Jayden and Blake Brailey, Jaeman Salmon and Bronson Xerri.

The early-January timing of the Sharks hunt for a new coach — just three weeks away from their first trial match of 2019 — undoubtedly aided Morris’ burning desire to score the head coaching role.

Morris has played alongside several of the players he’s coaching. Picture: Gregg Porteous

However, what secured Morris with the keys to one of the premiership heavyweights for 2019 was his intimate knowledge of both the current roster, the club’s rich production line of juniors, his passion for the club, community and a desire for the sponsor-less Sharks to appeal commercially.

Additionally, his coaching and structured training of the squad over the past month was impossible for the Cronulla board to ignore.

Under trying circumstances following Flanagan’s shock resignation and the club’s ongoing salary cap investigation by the NRL, Morris has carefully guided the Cronulla playing group, who in-turn have been outspoken in their support of the rookie mentor.

Cameron Ciraldo was considered a strong contender for the role. (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)

Ultimately though, Morris’ ability to manage and control the demands and egos of a club boasting nine past and present players with Test experience — many of whom he formerly played with — will be pivotal to both his coaching success and the Sharks 2019 fortunes.

It had been reported that the Sharks had considered appointing Morris on only a 12-month contract — an unlikely move which would ultimately lead to further uncertainty and scrutiny around their head coach beyond 2019.

The three-year deal gives the club desperately needed stability and a platform for which Morris can build his vision for the club in both recruitment and retention.

The Sharks are expected to announce Morris as their new head coach at a press conference on Friday morning.

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Originally published as Youthful edge, knowledge earn John Morris head role at Cronulla