Sharks find solace in membership gains A RARE ray of light has emerged from the darkest period in Cronulla's history. With the Sharks in the grip of a full-blown Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority investigation, officials can take solace in the fact that the club's long-suffering fans have rallied like never before. According to NRL statistics highlighted on the website of rival South Sydney, the Sharks have recorded an unprecedented increase in membership. For the first time in the club's history, membership has passed the 10,000 mark. Making the result even more remarkable is the fact Cronulla is one of only three clubs to record increases this season of more than 5000 members -- the others being Parramatta and South Sydney. Those three clubs are responsible for more than 50 per cent of the increase in NRL membership. Only three clubs have gone backwards this season -- Newcastle, Brisbane and the Warriors. "It's a fantastic result," Cronulla general manager of football Steve Noyce said last night. We celebrated with a double chocolate cake to acknowledge the work of everyone. Now we're confident I guess that next year we can get some more. Almost as remarkable as Cronulla's performance is that of Parramatta. The Eels have won only three games this season but led the NRL in terms of growing membership. The Broncos' dip encapsulates their season. Brisbane is facing a must-win game tomorrow night against North Queensland, with the loser needing a miracle to qualify for the finals. Noyce also moved yesterday to clear up any confusion surrounding prop Bryce Gibbs and the ongoing ASADA investigation into alleged doping offences at the club in 2011. Gibbs's name was mentioned in a club report alongside seven other players including captain Paul Gallen, who were all looking to negotiate deals in return for accepting six-month suspensions. The fact that Gibbs was mentioned at all raised eyebrows as he was contracted to Wests Tigers at the end of the season when the alleged offences took place and only joined the Sharks for the pre-season at the end of 2011. Noyce said yesterday that Gibbs was not one of the 30 players who were being targeted by ASADA for interviews and that his involvement had been a huge misunderstanding. "Bryce was never involved," Noyce said. He went to a meeting to support his mates. That's a wonderful trait of Bryce's but it's put him in a situation where people make things up along the way and link him to it and that causes distress for his family and himself, which is unfair. No one's ever asked to interview him and no one's spoken to him.