By Kerry Larsen - kerry@thenewsport.com.au

Mossman-Port Douglas Sharks president, Keith Pitt, says the club will soldier on into the 2012 Cairns District Rugby League season, despite recent fears the club would fold.

The club’s committee and coaching staff have been fighting an uphill battle all season, with 109 players signing on at the start of the year, but only a handful of devotees putting in regular appearances at both trainings and fixtures, leading to forfeits and threats from the CDRL that the club could be forced to close doors.

Pitt said league administrator, Pat Bailey, had been in touch with him, pledging her support by saying she refused to let the Mossman-based club fold, while CDRL Treasurer, Martin Hurst, also offering his assistance.

Bailey told The Newsport the Sharks needed to forgo the regular off-season and start the process of looking towards 2012 immediately.

“The Sharks need to ask themselves ‘What didn’t we do right in 2011 and what can we do better in 2012?’ and that includes committee appointments, coaching staff and player recruitment,” she said.

“Maybe they need to go back to having a playing coach who can bring players and some sort of employment with them; maybe they need to amalgamate the senior and junior committees, because there needs to be somewhere for the kids to go to.

“But if something is not working, they need to start having meetings now - they can’t afford to have a rest.”

But Pitt says reversing a long-held negative club culture was required in order to get the Sharks to a competitive level in 2012, as well as gathering vital sponsors.
A public meeting held last Thursday at the club rooms to discuss strategies to move forward attracted only six people.

And despite a verbal promise from Bailey that she would not let the Sharks fold, Pitt said he had not seen any official assistance from the league to date.

“I think it is more of case that we need to ask her (Bailey) and the CDRL Board to come up here to talk,” Pitt said.