Cronulla Sharks boss Steve Noyce has been let go by the NRL club in a management restructure.

Noyce’s chief executive role has been made redundant with the club set to appoint a group CEO whose portfolio will cover football and the leagues club, in a similar model used at a number of NRL clubs including the Sydney Roosters.

Sharks chairman Damian Keogh confirmed the move in a media statement on Wednesday night.

“We have had a look at effective operating models of some of the top sporting clubs locally and internationally and it was apparent that we need an operating and leadership model to maximise the opportunities ahead of the club in the next few years,” Keogh said in the statement.

“We have come through two of the hardest years in the history of the club and it is now time to move forward.

“We have considerable revenue coming to the club from our development over the next few years and must invest this wisely to ensure our long term viability in the NRL.

“I would like to thank Steve Noyce for his dedication and commitment over the past two years.

“His experience in guiding the club through the ASADA issue was invaluable.

“He leaves the club with great respect and many supporters.”

The Sharks are now on the lookout for a group CEO.

Sharks Leagues Club CEO Marcelo Veloz will fill the role in an interim capacity.

“We are very enthusiastic about the future of the Sharks both as a successful NRL franchise and a business,” Keogh continued.

An experienced and respected rugby league administrator, Noyce joined the Sharks in April last year as football manager.

He soon took over the CEO role after Bruno Cullen stood down as the club lurched through the protracted ASADA investigation into the club’s 2011 supplements program.

A former club boss at both the Wests Tigers and the Roosters, Noyce sacked Todd Carney in June, following the publication of a lewd photo of the star playmaker on social media.

The Sharks claimed the wooden spoon this year after one of the most forgettable seasons since the club was established in 1967.

The future of coach Shane Flanagan remains under a cloud.

His return from a 12-month suspension over the 2011 supplements program is yet to be cleared by the NRL.

Four current Sharks players, including captain Paul Gallen, who accepted back-dated 12-month suspensions, will return to pre-season training with the club in late November.