Sharks moving to Kogarah for 2020 home games

Sharks fans have been reassured Netstrata Jubilee Stadium will not look "anything like a Dragons stadium when Cronulla play there next year.

After consultation with Sharks members, the Cronulla board has chosen Netstrata Jubilee Stadium for 11 of its home games next season.

Henson Park was looked at, as was Darwin, Wollongong, Bankwest Stadium, and even overseas prior to the decision being made to play all but one home fixture at the home ground of St George Illawarra.

The 12th home game will be at Sunshine Coast Stadium in Queensland, where the Rabbitohs hosted the Warriors in round five this year.

"It will be a blockbuster type of game but we don't know who against yet as the NRL draw hasn't been done,'" said Sharks CEO Richard Munro.

"But it's a great opportunity as we have a big fan base in that part of Queensland so it made sense to take a game there."

The initial thought was a combination of venues for the Sharks home games, brought on by the reconstruction of the current Sharks Leagues Club adjacent to PointsBet Stadium.

A revamped club will be the centrepiece of a new commercial-retail precinct bringing further revenue to Cronulla's coffers.

"I thought we might land on something like a combination of WIN Stadium [Wollongong], Netstrata Jubilee Stadium [Kogarah] and something up at the Sunshine Coast," he said.

"As it turned out the members were keen to have games as close to PointsBet Stadium as possible.

"And I think for the first year, it was important to have a bit of stability for the playing group at one place, on one playing ground."

It's a two-year construction period at the current Woolooware site, so Munro says in 2021 the club may again consult members about whether to take more home games - with Bankwest firmly in the Sharks' sights.

It is the home venue for Parramatta but Wests Tigers, Bulldogs, Western Sydney Wanderers (A-League) and the Waratahs (Super Rugby) all play home games there.

Netstrata Jubilee Stadium, with a 20,500 capacity, is not owned by the Dragons. They rent it from Georges River Council.

But it is deep in Dragons heartland. Plans are already underway by the Sharks marketing and commercial teams to "Cronulla-ify" the stadium.

"It's a dry stadium hire," Munro said, meaning the Sharks sponsors' signage can be applied.

"A lot of it will be technology but we'll dress it up as well. The idea is fans will be able to get from Cronulla [train] station up to Jubilee as a group and we'll be dressing up the stadium in black, white and blue.

As it turned out the members were keen to have games as close to PointsBet Stadium as possible

Sharks CEO Richard Munro

"It won't look anything like a Dragons stadium. The important thing is some members were worried we were giving money [hire costs] to the Dragons but it's not. It goes to the council."

As for the Sharks home game against the Dragons?

"It will probably be at Kogarah I would suspect unless we go to the Sunshine Coast – that's up to the NRL," Munro said.

"But we usually play them twice in a season so we're looking forward to seeing them in the visitors' sheds at Kogarah."

The Sharks have some innovative ideas for their new Leagues club.

One is a proposed 1800-square metre deck off the new club.

"As part of that there will be a pool – no kids, unfortunately – but it will overlook the ground and you can book it out exclusively. It will be something pretty special," Munro said.