As far as rallies go, this was more a gathering of like-minded people.
The great show of unity after the darkest week in Cronulla’s NRL history amounted to 100 of the Sharks’ most loyal fans gathering outside the ground more than an hour before the kick-off to Sunday’s opening round clash with Gold Coast at Sharks Stadium.
There may not have been many, but at least they were united, which is more than can be said for chairman Damian Irvine and suspended coach Shane Flanagan – who had engaged in accusations and denials over the alleged use of horse stimulant on players during the 2011 season.
Rally organiser George Bellizia didn’t want any part of the front office drama.
“We didn’t want any ratbag elements in here bagging the board,” Bellizia said of his words to the group before the game.
“It’s just to show the 17 players running out there that we’re behind them.
“We’re not worried about the politics. We’re just here to support the team.”
And the team hadn’t forgotten those departed either.
Skipper Paul Gallen had the nicknames of the four men sacked – football manager Darren Mooney, trainer Mark Noakes, physiotherapist Konrad Schultz and doctor David Givney, plus that of Flanagan – written in texta on the strapping on his right arm.
But while the hastily arranged rally may not have attracted the numbers, the voice was certainly there when the players took to the field for the pre-game warm-up.
The Sharks chant roared around the ground, a healthy crowd doing their best to lift the spirits of a squad containing several members with their future still in doubt as part of the ongoing Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority investigation.
A standing ovation greeted their arrival onto the field for the game.
Just back from an overseas trip, Irvine spent the afternoon in meetings with other members of the board as speculation gathered momentum that his reign may came to an end in coming days.