Welcome to the CEO Update for April in bringing Members up to date with business relating to the Sharks over the past month, after what has been a strong start to the 2024 NRL season and as we look forward to the local derby clash against the Dragons on Sunday.
While there is obviously plenty of work still to be done, sitting on top of the ladder with six wins and only one loss we can all agree the NRL team has been impressive through the opening eight rounds.
Further to our NRL team, I'd like to take the opportunity to join in the congratulations in celebrating the career of Dale Finucane who announced his retirement last week. Although it was something of a premature end for Dale, he had nothing left to prove, having achieved great things in the game, playing in six Grand Finals, recently reaching a 250 NRL game milestone, in addition to representing NSW in the State of Origin arena. He leaves a wonderful legacy, most significantly with us here at the Sharks and we have no doubt he will continue to have input and an impact this season, with his decision to retire in the best interests of himself and his family. We wish Dale well in his future endeavours.
In other news, last month we informed Members that Rileys Gym had taken up a lease as a long-term tenant at the Sharks property acquisition at 94 Cronulla Street. They have begun a fit out and in the near future will open their doors in welcoming clients and gym members. We encourage Members to check out their offerings and we wish them well.
In regard to the Sharks Leagues Club at Woolooware, progress is continuing as we work towards construction and fit out. We will keep Members informed as to a time frame for a potential re-opening and we thank you for your patience in what has been a frustrating and drawn-out process.
Both in the interim and also after the Leagues Club at Woolooware opens its doors, please continue to patronise Sharks at Kareela. It is an outstanding second licensed facility for our Members and their guests, is producing strong financial returns, but more importantly, offers a welcoming environment with professional and friendly staff and first-class food and beverage options.
Also covered off in the March update was the generous financial contribution made to the Club by Mike Dorrell, an extremely successful Australian businessman now based in the US. We are pleased to report we hosted Mike and his brothers recently, at a training session at PointsBet Stadium, then at Accor Stadium when we played Souths and it was an experience enjoyed by all in further strengthening relationships.
While contained below in the Football Report, I join Darren Mooney in thanking players and staff from our pathways teams for their commitment and efforts following the conclusion of their respective seasons. Congratulations to the Matthews Cup and Tarsha Gale teams in qualifying for the competition Finals and we look to players from all four junior representative squads continuing their development and to them progressing to higher levels in our pathways system.
In other areas of the business, thanks to country-interstate and travelling Members for patronising our merchandise van which made the trip to GIO Stadium in Canberra. Your support made it worthwhile for Adam and his team to be on site and with the cold weather approaching, be sure to check out the winter range either at the upcoming home games, at the Sharks Store at Kareela or via the on-line shop. And we will keep you posted with a date for the official opening of the Sharks Store which is soon to feature near Woollies in the Woolooware Bay Town Centre.
With the team performing strongly and with big games coming up, including ahead of the clash against the Panthers in round 12, be sure to secure a Membership to guarantee entry into PointsBet Stadium. Memberships are still available in a number of different categories.
And you will also read below about the activities the Sharks Have Heart team have been involved with during the last month, as they continue to make a positive impact in the local community.
Thanks for taking the time to read this latest CEO Update. We appreciate your ongoing support.
Woolooware Bay – Sharks Leagues Club development
Regarding the Sharks Leagues Club at Woolooware, we can report that the roof has been completed and we are working with the developers and their building partner on completion of the necessary and required drainage, with works on the façade and Club fit out to begin shortly after.
We are finalising a design and going through our tender applications and will soon secure a builder. Without significant variation, our anticipated build, fit out and timeline remains the same, with a planned Leagues Club opening in late 2024 or early 2025.
The completion of the residential buildings is continuing and as reported in the March update, the accompanying car park at Woolooware Bay is operational and we have utilised it for corporate partners, media, officials and subscribed Members/fans on game days. For those interested, parking can be pre-purchased for individual games or for the remainder of the season by going to the Ticketek website.
Sharks CEO
Dino Mezzatesta
You may have seen in the news this week ClubsNSW reporting a potential data breach. We can confirm that Sharks Kareela has NOT been affected and that our data is not managed by any of the allegedly compromised systems.
Please rest assured the privacy of our Members and guests is of the highest importance and remains safeguarded by the strongest cybersecurity systems.
If you are interested in taking a proactive approach to personal data security, please consider the below information provided by the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD). The ASD's Cyber Security Centre leads the Australian Government's efforts to improve cyber security. Their role is to help make Australia the most secure place to connect. Easy steps to secure yourself online | Cyber.gov.au
Thanks to everyone who joined us for ANZAC Day at Kareela, for what was a memorable day honouring the ANZAC spirit. There was a great atmosphere throughout the Club with a big session of Two-Up, followed by the ANZAC Day NRL games.
Coming up in May, prepare for the chance to win your share of $2,000 worth of fresh meat trays with our Mega Meat Raffles making a comeback on Wednesday, May 22. With 40 winners each night, your odds of winning are better than ever!
Then don't forget to mark Wednesday, May 29 in your calendars for the 90's Music & Movies Trivia Night. We're featuring themed cocktails, $17 stone-baked pizzas, and fantastic prizes. It's the perfect opportunity to gather a group of friends for an evening filled with nostalgia and fun.
If looking to treat mum to something special this Mother's Day, the Cove Bar and Grill is offering a special Mother's Day Seafood Sampler plate, paired perfectly with a Mother's Day Special French Martini. We encourage early bookings for lunch and dinner as this is the busiest day of the year in the Cove Bar & Grill.
An early Happy Mother's Day wish to all the wonderful mums out there and we look forward to celebrating with you at Sharks at Kareela.
More on Sharks at Kareela's Cove Bar & Grill, which has proudly clinched Clubs NSW's esteemed Perfect Plate Award in the Southern Metro Region for the last three consecutive years, with their culinary masterpieces also having secured second place overall statewide for the last two years running.
With this year's competition now open, we're excited to unveil a succulent 300g Tender Valley pork rib-eye, adorned with a tantalizing peach and bourbon glaze, accompanied by roasted potatoes and crowned with a charred peach and sunflower seed slaw, as the Cove's 2024 entry.
Additionally, we're competing in the new Dessert category with a delightful Honeycomb Panna Cotta.
Will these new creations help the Cove achieve a fourth straight victory? Voting is now open, so we invite you to visit Kareela, experience these exceptional dishes for yourself, and cast your vote!
See you soon at Sharks at Kareela.
What an exciting start to the season – with only seven PointsBet Stadium games remaining the year is flying by!
The Aramex collectible Player Cards have been a huge fan favourite, with many fans queuing early to ensure they don't miss out. There is a whole set to be collected so make sure you get to every home game to collect yours. Thanks, Aramex, for always delivering for our Members and fans!
With winter upon us and often more rain than we would like, if you find yourself with roofing and gutter issues be sure to reach out to our valued sleeve sponsor Ace Gutters to see if they can assist you and recommend a roof expert close to you that uses the best products of which is Ace Gutters.
Quest Apartment Hotels, our official Community Partner, supported our recent Sharks Have Heart Round with the amazing pre-game cheer dance performance with Stellar Experiences and our Minespec Parts Mermaids, and a halftime relay with local junior league clubs.
Don't forget Sharks Members receive a 20% discount at selected Quest properties across Australia. Please see the recent email sent to Members on how you can redeem your unique discount code to use when booking your accommodation online. No matter if you are traveling to follow the team or coming to PointsBet Stadium, there are some great accommodation options for you.
Have you seen the Life Outdoors corporate box? This incredible fit-out was built by Life Outdoors, the pergola and decking experts. Next time you are at a game be sure to check out their incredible workmanship at their stadium showroom AKA corporate box. Tim Oake and his team will only be too happy to answer any questions on how they can transform your outdoor area.
The corporate team have been busy working on many activations and campaigns for our partners. You will love the new Pilot men's health TV commercial starring some of our Sharks players. Pilot are a discreet online service to assist with many aspects of men's health including weight loss, hair loss and sexual health. Pilot are committed to help with men's healthcare so please reach out to them.
We have very limited corporate hospitality available for the season. Please get in touch with Kerriann Tyson-Jones, Corporate Sales Executive, to receive more information: [email protected].
Whilst most of our major sponsor assets are locked away for the season, we do have some incredible signage, digital and game day activation opportunities available. Please reach out to me if you would like more information: [email protected]. Our signage opportunities deliver exceptional media value across a national TV audience. If you would like to elevate the promotion of your business please let me know.
Many thanks and we look forward to welcoming you all at the next game! Up Up Cronulla!
Thank you to our 16,000-plus Members. We are keen to keep building on our club record with lots of exciting action still to come this season. CLICK HERE to view Membership packages.
Our Member Council Meeting was held on Monday night (April 29), where we discussed Life Member nomination changes, game day, Membership updates and much more.
A reminder that if you have anything you wish your fellow Members to discuss with management, you can send it through to [email protected] and we can help you get in touch.
In a fantastic result, our first four home games have been sellouts. Get in quick and buy or redeem your tickets for the Round 12 match against the Panthers at PointsBet Stadium now.
Our Diamond Members enjoyed Corporate Hospitality at the Rabbitohs match, Round 6. See the photo below.
The Round 14 Brisbane Member Meet & Greet Event has now been announced. If you are looking to attend, you must RSVP HERE.
Travelling to Magic Round or another away game? Don't forget you can log in and access the Member Discount Code for your Quest Hotel Apartments stay.
Don't forget that in 2024 if you can't attend a match, Members are able to place their seat up for resale. If your seat is sold, you get rewarded!
Do you know someone who is not a Member? Recruit friends and family to join you in part of something special in 2024 and Join the Hunt, regardless of whether they can get to all games, a few games or none at all. Memberships start from just $40 for Adults.
Well, we're four from four sold-out home games and top of the NRL ladder leading into this Sunday's highly anticipated local derby against the Dragons, which also marks the inaugural Sharks Mental Fitness Round. Thanks to all our Members and fans for your passion and support – let's continue to "make some noise"!
If you can't make it to PointsBet Stadium, the next best place to be is Sharks at Kareela, our very own game day "live site" where the atmosphere is sure to also be buzzing.
As part of our focus on delivering unforgettable game day experiences for our attending Members, hospitality customers and general ticket purchasers, keep an eye out for our new game day customer experience survey. We invite you to have your say and help ensure the best atmosphere and sense of occasion at PointsBet Stadium.
This month we launched the "How Does The Name Of The Sharks Fit You" campaign encouraging Members to share their passion for the mighty Sharks. The enthusiastic response has seen some fantastic stories, memories, and photos which will feature in a special content piece later this season. If you haven't already shared yours, we invite you to do so HERE.
Plus, don't forget to enter the "Sharks Super Fan" competition for your chance to win four General Admission tickets, a money-can't-buy pre-game Sharks on-field warm-up experience, a $100 game day food voucher, four signed 2024 Sharks caps and a photo with the Sharks Mascots. Stay tuned to our competitions page for entry details.
We look forward to seeing you this Sunday to cheer on the mighty black, white, and blue. Be sure to secure your spot early for all upcoming Sharks games before they sell out and follow us on our website and on our socials for all the "hot off the press" Sharks news, stories, promotions, and player insights. Also, don't forget to visit Sharks at Kareela to enjoy the best local hospitality and entertainment.
#UpUp
Sharks Have Heart Round – April 21st 2024
A busy couple of weeks for the community team culminating with a very successful Sharks Have Heart Round. The recent home fixture against the Cowboys saw several of our Sharks Have Heart programs and initiatives featured and celebrated. This round provides a platform for us to showcase how the club and players engage and contribute to the local and broader community and the positive impact that results. It was also the first community themed round that featured our official community partner – Quest Apartment Hotels.
Highlights from Sharks Have Heart Round:
Quest x Stellar Experiences performance: In a collaboration between disability support group Stellar Experiences and our Minespec Mermaids, a group of Stellar participants performed an amazing dance routine as part of the pre-game entertainment at PointsBet Stadium.
Quest Junior League Relay: To showcase our Cronulla Junior League clubs, there were participants from 12 JRL clubs as well as a team from Relay for Life/Cancer Council who took to the field at halftime for a relay race. The race was very well received by a near capacity crowd and was an experience for the young players.
Relay For Life – Cancer Council – Game Day Charity Partner: Relay for Life and the Cancer Council were our charity partners for Sharks Have Heart Round. The local Relay for Life event is a Sutherland Shire institution and the biggest Relay for Life event in the world. We are proud to continue to support them. Over 50 Relay for Life participants and volunteers did a lap of honour during the pre-game. We also facilitated some money-can't-buy experiences (coin toss, on-field warm-up experience) for a couple of passionate Sharks fans who are going through battles with cancer.
NRL Wheelchair match ball delivery: To celebrate our partnership and support for NRL Wheelchair, we had Liam Luff – the captain of the Cronulla Sharks RL Wheelchair team and Australian Wheelaroos player – deliver the match ball prior to kick off.
Read more about Sharks Have Heart Round HERE.
School Holiday Activity
Over 220 participants across two days participated in the school holiday programs delivered by the Sharks Have Heart team at PointsBet Stadium. The 19th of April featured our flagship Junior Jaws coaching clinic program for 5-12 year olds as well as the Mini Mermaids Cheer Clinic. The following day, the stadium hosted an amazing Mega Jaws Clinic for young people with disability. The feedback for both days was overwhelmingly positive and was supported by several NRL and NRLW players.
Sharks pay respects across Shire on ANZAC Day
As a mark of respect and gratitude for military personnel past and present, Sharks representatives laid wreaths on behalf of the club at ceremonies around the Sutherland Shire on ANZAC Day.
Several members of the NRL squad and staff attended services at Cronulla, Miranda, Caringbah, Sutherland, Engadine and Menai.
NRL School to Work – Sharks representatives
After some words of wisdom from Nicho Hynes, NRL School to Work student Tane Mundine feels empowered to continue following in his footsteps as an Indigenous leader.
Mundine, from Christian Brothers' High School Lewisham, is well on his way, having been chosen to represent the Sharks at the multi-day NRL Indigenous Youth Leadership Summit in May alongside fellow Year 11 students Jendaya Glover (Ashcroft High), Mitchell Duric (Engadine High) and Bronte Hough (Lucas Heights Community School).
The NRL School to Work students were recently presented with Sharks polos and encouraged by Hynes and fellow Indigenous Sharks players including Will Kennedy, Jesse Ramien and Niwhai Puru.
SCORE Sharks Kicks Off
Wednesday 1 May saw our inaugural SCORE Sharks program commence at a rainy Sutherland Oval. The wet weather did not phase the enthusiastic participants who were taken through a range of drills and rugby league activity with The Disability Trust as well as NRL stars Kayal Iro and Max Bradbury and our NRLW fullback Jada Taylor.
SCORE Sharks is an inclusive, all-ability rugby league program for people with disability. Led by our Equal Access Program Lead and NRLW star Emma Tonegato, this multi-week program will see the participants regularly meet up to train and develop their physical and social skills, culminating in playing a modified match of footy at PointsBet Stadium. Read more on SCORE Sharks HERE.
Mental Fitness Round – Gotcha4Life Partnership
In an initiative championed by Nicho Hynes, we have partnered with leading mental health organisation Gotcha4Life. Our Round 9 clash against the Dragons will be our inaugural Mental Fitness Round – this fixture will be a platform to raise the awareness around mental health and wellbeing, how to support and look out for each other and promote the great work and resources that Gotcha4Life can provide. The lead-up to the clash has featured a range of content pieces from Gotcha4Life founder Gus Worland as well as Nicho. The content ranges from candid interviews with both Gus and Nicho, featuring tips on how to look after your mental fitness as well as how you can support the mental fitness of those around you. Read more about our partnership with Gotcha4Life and watch our Mental Fitness content series HERE.
Mental Fitness Round: Breaking the stigma with Nicho and Gus
CLICK HERE to get involved in our Sharks Have Heart programs and initiatives and to donate to our Sharks Have Heart Foundation.
New winter items have arrived in store including puffer jackets (available in men's sizing), full zip fleeces and sky blue fleece hoodies (men's and youth sizing).
Additional stock of youth home jerseys has also arrived after strong sales and selling out earlier than expected, while our new Cotton On winter range is due to drop late this month.
Keep an eye out on socials in the coming weeks with the 2024 Indigenous jersey due for release. It'll be available in men's, women's and youth sizes and now also in a toddler set. We have extended the Indigenous range this year to include a training tee and training shorts.
A good month of footy has our NRL team sitting atop the table heading into Round 9. After a bye in Round 5, the boys recorded strong wins over the Rabbitohs, Cowboys and Raiders in April.
The hard graft continues as we prepare for a passionate local derby against the Dragons at home on Sunday. We appreciate your support and look forward to another full house.
I take this opportunity to pay tribute to our selfless co-captain Dale Finucane, who announced his medical retirement last week at a press conference in front of the entire NRL squad. It speaks volumes that Dale delayed telling the team of his retirement not wanting to take the focus away from other milestones before we played the Cowboys.
Though it's disappointing Dale couldn't finish on his own terms, we all congratulate him on an outstanding career in which he played 251 NRL matches, represented NSW and won two premierships. The Sharks are extremely fortunate to have someone of Dale's calibre and character at the club. He will be successful in whatever he does next.
Thanks, Dale, for everything you've done for the Sharks.
In player milestones, Braden Hamlin-Uele made a successful return from a knee injury and brought up his 100th NRL game against his former club North Queensland in Round 7. He then celebrated his 100th game for the Sharks last week against the Raiders.
Sam Stonestreet, a local junior from the De La Salle Caringbah club, made his first-grade debut against the Cowboys and scored a memorable try.
Congratulations to both players.
With the NRLW pre-season fast approaching, head coach Tony Herman and his staff have continued to shore up their squad with the recruitment of NSW State of Origin representative Filomina Hanisi for 2024. Prop Ellie Johnston has also signed a two-year extension to remain at the Sharks until at least the end of 2026.
And in a major signing, two-time premiership-winning prop Caitlan Johnston has signed a three-year deal with the club from 2025. We look forward to welcoming Caitlan next year.
More recruitment announcements will be coming shortly as the excitement builds.
The junior representative season has now concluded. Our under-17 Harold Matthews boys and under-19 Tarsha Gale girls did themselves and the club proud in reaching the semi-finals but were unfortunately knocked out by Western Suburbs and Illawarra respectively. Well done to all the players, staff and volunteers involved.
Meanwhile, our under-21 Jersey Flegg men's team showed encouraging signs last month in producing a draw against the Rabbitohs, an impressive victory over the Sea Eagles and a valiant effort against the ladder-leading Raiders.
In the Knock-On Effect NSW Cup, our feeder team Newtown have endured a tough period with three consecutive losses. The Jets have been brave considering the make-up of their side has been affected by injuries and suspensions to the NRL team.
