Dumped St George Illawarra coach Steve Price could make a return to the NRL as soon as this week after he, video referee Andrew Dunemann and Brett Kimmorley emerged as Cronulla coaching candidates in the wake of interim coach Peter Sharp's sudden departure.
Sharp's assistant, James Shepherd, took control of the team's training session on Tuesday and the former Roosters first-grade player could remain in charge of the side for the rest of the season after the club missed out on Australian coach Tim Sheens.
Sheens was earmarked as a potential replacement after Sharp finally succumbed to the unrelenting pressure. However, Sheens rejected the club's overtures, preferring to concentrate on his role with the Australian Kangaroos.
It is understood that Sharp had been suffering with stress of late and skipped the club's crisis meeting on Monday – where Todd Carney's sacking was discussed among the playing group for the first time – to attend a pre-booked medical appointment. He made the decision to end his two-and-a-half-year association with the club on Monday night, ending a reluctant season-long stint as head coach in the wake of Shane Flanagan's one-year ban.
Price, Dunemann and Kimmorley have all been considered by the club. Price wants a multi-year deal to remain as an assistant to Flanagan, while Dunemann is looking to return to coaching after taking charge of the Raiders for three games at the end of last year following David Furner's sacking. Cronulla skipper Paul Gallen has openly thrown his support behind appointing Kimmorley in the past, who is an assistant at Canberra.
Gallen said his recent remarks that the players are not giving their all because of the impression Sharp ''isn't putting 100 per cent in'' played no part in Sharp's decision to step down.
''I have got no negative feeling towards what he has done and no positive feelings towards what he has done,'' Gallen said. ''It is his decision and me and Sharpy, we had a great win last Friday night and we sat up to midnight having drinks together.
Do you think Steve Price could do the job?
