Who will it be? The seven contenders to replace Shane Flanagan

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Shane Flanagan has been de-registered by the NRL and Cronulla have another serious problem on their hands.

Not only are they dealing with the very public and destructive salary cap investigation that uncovered the damning evidence against Flanagan, they are in a financial hole, with no front-of-jersey sponsor, and without their rising star fullback Valentine Holmes for 2019 and beyond.

It’s far from the ideal preparation for the Sharks, who could realistically challenge for the premiership based on their talented roster alone.

Flanagan has been holding it all together for the playing group, keeping them focused on the season ahead and building their resilience, but without his guidance, things could fall apart quickly.

The Sharks will need to act immediately to install a new leader with the strength and experience to guide the club through such a tumultuous period.

Flanagan has been suspensded from the club effective immediately.

He has until the end of January to respond to the preliminary findings and show cause why he should not be deregistered. In the meantime, assistants Jim Dymock and John Morris will take over pre-season training.

But the timing is disastrous.

When Flanagan was last suspended in 2014 over the club’s supplement program, the Sharks appointed Peter Sharp as interim head coach, promoting him from his role as an assistant.

He resigned from the role after Round 16 of the same season, with then under-20s coach James Shepherd taking over until the end of the year. They finished with the wooden spoon.