But what they did next may prove to be one of the best decisions in the Sharks' 49-year history. The board hired Lyall Gorman as group chief executive.

And less than two years on, Cronulla are the envy of many in the NRL, and Gorman is looking firmly to the future.

"The stage of career I'm at is all about legacy for me," Gorman explains on a bustling Friday morning at the Sharks leagues club. "It's about working together with a great team of people to make something better, and look back and celebrate the successes over a period of time."

Gorman is a man with a rich pedigree. He was the founding chief executive of the Central Coast Mariners, leading them to enormous success before taking the reins as head of the A-League. He left that role when Football Federation Australia asked him to build a new A-League side in western Sydney. The Wanderers flourished under his guidance.

But the Sharks were a different kind of proposition.

"At the time, it's fair to say a lot of people said 'good luck' rather than 'congratulations'," Gorman says with a laugh when recalling his appointment with the Sharks. "But I could live with that. I came in with my eyes open. There had been a dark period in the club's history, but from dark comes light."

Strong support: Sponsorships and corporate partners are booming since Gorman took control of the club. Photo: John Veage

Gorman relished the opportunity to take on a high-risk role with major rewards if his philosophy worked once again.

"I couldn't go into a role that was status quo or marginal uplift," he says. "That's not what drives me. It's really trying to find those opportunities where there's a gap that you can really see good, solid incremental upside. Not about me, but about the legacy you leave and leave the place better for having been there."

With the club reeling, Gorman knew it would take a significant amount of work off the field to repair it. He differs from many traditional sporting administrators in this aspect. For him, on-field success is just another measure.

He is far more broad in his philosophy to sporting administration, going so far as saying: "Winning a premiership in year one is not the goal.

"You don't just exist to win competitions," he explains. "You exist to make a difference; to give members and fans and corporate partners a sense of belief and a shared journey that's exciting and rewarding along the way."

When Gorman took over the Sharks, he immediately brought in Tim Thorne, who had been with him at his three successful football roles.

Thorne is Gorman's right-hand man. Gorman knew he would be able to bring the community back to the Sharks after the lows of the ASADA scandal. But to do it, they had to change the perception of the club.

"One of the things we had to do was reshape the fans' thinking about hoping to be a great club, to believing we can be a great club," Gorman says.

Just two years on, and the fans are definitely believing. Sponsorships, merchandise and fan engagement are at all-time highs, and the club is soon to be financially secure as stage one of its Woolooware Bay development nears completion. Gorman estimates the project will be complete by 2019, and the club will have far greater financial certainty.

Not that Gorman is one to worry about funds. He made a name for himself with the Mariners, who belied expectations in the early years of the A-League. They were colloquially known as "the little engine that could" as they qualified for the inaugural grand final on a shoestring budget.

Gorman's tenure at Central Coast was successful, despite their small budget. Photo: Corey Davis

" There is a model in professional sport than can work," he explains. "It's not always about money. It's about fundamental principles and good business. It's governance. The best people in the right seats on the bus to achieve the right outcomes. It's about belief. It's about culture and values that are not negotiable."

Gorman made that same point to the Sharks fans in their open forums when he took charge. He needed them to understand that this was not a one-man operation and, despite his record, he was not King Midas.

"I just said to them 'if you think this is going to be all about me we're in big bother'," Gorman says. "'But together we can do something very special.' And that was the empowering thing; that we had to do this together."

The difference in philosophy between Gorman and his contemporaries was never more distinct that when the Mariners took on Sydney FC in that first A-League grand final in 2006. "Bling FC", as they were known, were led by former Manchester United star Dwight Yorke. It was a stark contrast to the Mariners' roster of lesser lights.

"We were  beaten by Dwight Yorke and Sydney FC," Gorman recalls with a sigh. "And I say Dwight Yorke first and then Sydney FC."  

Captain's pick: Gorman with FFA chairman Frank Lowy. Photo: Getty Images

Gorman's philosophy is to do less with more, which starts with the culture off the field and engagement with the community.

" My belief in professional sporting teams is if you have a can-do attitude, if you have a really clearly defined culture and values that drive you, if you have belief, the right people around you on and off the field, you can achieve anything," he says.

"It's not always those with the most money and the most stars, for want of a better word, that are necessarily successful."

With one eye on the long-term future of the Sharks, Gorman believes the club is now ready to take on the mantle of the best in the NRL, on and off the field.

"We want to know why we can't be the benchmark club in the NRL. Who owns those rights? No one owns them. We've had some wonderful success stories in the past over different generations.

"So why can't we be?"