Blood Already In The Water For New Shark | Thebigtip

Troubled superstar Todd Carney has reportedly signed with the Cronulla Sharks in a last ditch bid to save his fledgling NRL career. The two year deal worth $700,000 is Carney’s final chance at salvation.

The former Rooster will be paid $200,000 in the first year with $500,000 kicking in his second season.

The Sharks are a side desperately looking for that brilliant outside back to spur them into life. So desperate that they are willing to sign a man with the track record of Carney.

The chances of this whole thing finishing badly seems to be easier to imagine than trying to imagine a rejuvenated Carney holding the Telstra premiership aloft with Paul Gallen.

Gallen has burdened himself with the role of mentoring the former Dally M Medallist.

"If he comes here, I could help him a little bit. I have had a few issues over the years. I am no angel myself. I think it's a two-way street with Todd. He has to understand who is he and he will be targeted. He should go home and have some Weet-bix instead of going to Maccas”.

"The general public and media have to lay off him also. Todd has to understand this could be his last chance. He is 24 or 25 now and this is a great lifestyle and he can live in a great area. He has to understand that”.

That is all well and good. But nobody can know or understand what people are thinking between the ears. A man’s greatest struggle is the struggle from within.

The Sharks have a history of questionable signings and players behaving badly. If you are trying to resurrect your career, would you do it at Cronulla? Probably not.

Todd Carney is the only one that can save Todd Carney.

Brett Seymour played 39 games for the Sharkies over a three year period but was quickly banished after an alcohol fuelled incident at a local bar.

This followed his departure from the Brisbane Broncos for much the same reason. 

Reni Maitua signed with the Sharks in 2009 and only played eight games for the club before testing positive to the banned drug, Clenbuterol.

This was after the Canterbury Bulldogs had sacked him for missing training and a number of other incidents including being convicted of a drink driving charge.

The Sharks then decided to sign Tim Smith.

Smith was involved in a number of incidents while playing at the Parramatta Eels. All of them involving alcohol and a suspension followed. Before long, Smith was gone.

But the Sharks signed him anyway.

Rumours continue to float that Smith is still struggling with alcohol and the spotlight that comes with being a professional athlete.

Time will tell if Smith lasts at Cronulla.

All the warnings in the world didn’t stop Sharks management from signing these men. It typifies the state that this club is in. Preferring to sign the name and not the person behind it.

It seems that the Cronulla Sharks is not the place to go if your career is flat lining.

Carney needs more than just another chance and Paul Gallen to save himself from the slaughterhouse. He needs more than the Cronulla Sharks. Unfortunately for him, the Sharks is his only option.