There were plenty of new faces on show as Cronulla returned to pre-season training on Monday – including the man in charge.
The Sharks resumed preparations for their 2019 NRL campaign after the Christmas break with field sessions at Shark Park.
Interim head coach John Morris took control of the sessions in the absence of Shane Flanagan.
Cronulla were left without a first grade coach less than three months before the start of the season after Flanagan had his registration cancelled by the NRL in late December.
The 2016 premiership-winning coach is alleged to have broken strict directives not to contact Cronulla officials during his year-long ban in 2014 for his involvement in the Sharks’ peptides scandal.
Flanagan has until the end of the month to appeal the decision. It is unclear as to whether he intends to challenge the ban.
It may have been a tumultuous off-season so far but there was also the coup of having landed Shaun Johnson from the Warriors.
The mercurial New Zealand international joined his new teammates on the training pitch including veteran captain Paul Gallen, representative stars Josh Dugan and Aaron Woods and premiership-winning halfback Chad Townsend.
First grade regulars Jayden Brailey and Kurt Capewell were also in action alongside young guns Kyle Flanagan, Billy Magoulias and Blayke Brailey.
Jim Dymock has also stayed on as Morris’ assistant coach.
The Sharks face Manly in their first trial at Brookvale Oval on February 23. They then travel to Maitland to face Newcastle on February 2.
Cronulla return to the Hunter Valley to start their NRL season in Newcastle against the Knights on March 15.
