John Morris appointed permanent head coach of Cronulla

Drew Darbyshire 01 Feb 2019 2:47 PM

Cronulla have appointed current interim coach John Morris as their new head coach on a permanent basis.

Morris, who played 300 NRL games during his career, has penned a three-year deal to take over the head coaching reins from Shane Flanagan at the Sharks.

Sharks’ chief executive Barry Russell has been impressed with Morris’ ability, attitude and work ethic since taking over as interim coach on January 3.

On the permanent appointment of Morris, Russell said: “John is very deserving of this opportunity and I’m thrilled for him.

“He was instrumental in setting up our successful elite academy and junior pathways and has been a big part of our club, from his playing days to now coaching, for going on 10 years.

“The last five weeks John has really stepped up in an interim role, he has the support of the playing group and I wish him every success this season and in the years to come.”

On becoming Cronulla coach, Morris commented: “I’ll certainly be working hard to repay the faith the club has shown in me.

“It was a dream for me to play 100 games here at the Sharks, and now I have this outstanding opportunity to lead a club I am extremely passionate about. It is a huge honour for me.

“We have a great roster, the players have been very supportive and we’re excited about the season ahead.”

Jim Dymock will continue in his role as assistant coach of the Sharks.

NRL Cronulla Sharks

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