Shane Flanagan considered plumbing before re-committing to ASADA hit Cronulla Sharks Cronulla Sharks coach Shane Flanagan: sacked earlier this season, now two games from the NRL grand final. THERE was a time earlier this year when Shane Flanagan might have thought about getting his old plumber's licence renewed. The one he got at St George TAFE in the late 80s when he was a battling lower grade forward and occasional first-grader at the Dragons. Later he ran a family business called Flanagan's Plumbing, employing four full-time workers and a couple of apprentices. The business is still advertised if you go looking for it on Google under Sutherland plumbers. Prop and practical joker Bryce Gibbs still jokes about it at training with lines like: "Ay coach, can you come and fix my toilet." At the time it was no laughing matter when he was stood down and suspended by the Sharks over the ASADA investigation and the Trish Kavanagh report. "Yes, I did think about it (quitting) for a while," Flanagan said, "There were some pretty low days. Not that I was worried that I'd done anything wrong but it was more the way the whole thing was being handled. If I didn't coach, my plumbing trade was the only thing I had to fall back on. Sharks v Titans Round 1 at Sharks Stadium. Paul Gallen with sacked staff names on his arm. At the time it was common knowledge Flanagan had fallen out with former chairman Damian Irvine and could no longer work under him. Irvine eventually went and the coach was cleared to make his return. Now the new Sharks board, headed by former Olympian Damian Keogh, want to ensure he stays long term. "We see Shane as a career coach like a Craig Bellamy or a Wayne Bennett," Keogh says. Sharks v Titans at Shark Park in Cronulla. Beau Ryan holds a save Flanno sign. Picture: Rohan Kelly He's done a tremendous job this year in often difficult circumstances. Apart from his coaching skills, he's got a proven track record in attracting the best players to our club. With a new board in place and an experienced CEO Steve Noyce running the football club, the Sharks have shocked a lot of their rivals by staying alive in the race for the premiership. "This is the first time I've been able to put 100 per cent into my coaching," Flanagan said. Shane Flanagan joins in the team song in the dressing rooms in his return match as coach. In the old days I was trying to get sponsors, build a gym, do the recruitment, the fund raising and everything else. Not anymore. The whole structure of the club has changed now we've got a CEO and a professional staff. The new board is there but you don't see a lot of them. They just do their job and allow Noycey to run the football operation. Despite all the disruptions this year, Flanagan is now challenging the likes of Trent Robinson and Michael Maguire for the Dally M coach-of-the-year award. Chad Townsend, Luke Lewis and coach Shane Flanagan during Sharks training this week. A win over Manly tonight would certainly make it interesting and take it down to the wire. And to think he could have been back in his old job, digging ditches, unblocking drains or installing bathrooms. "In the end I couldn't leave because of the players," he said. Outside of Gal (Paul Gallen) and Pom (Ben Pomeroy), I've signed every player here. MEBank verdict: Cronulla can't beat the Sea Eagles if Todd Carney misses the game through injury - fair or unfair? We're a tight bunch and they all mean a lot to me. Some of them are like my own sons. All along, we've been in this together. Experienced players like Beau Ryan can't speak highly enough of the man steering the Sharks" title chase. "As soon as I met him I wanted to play for him - it's his honesty," Ryan said. Everything he's gone through ... and to still be as professional as he has been ... I really admire him for that. He got suspended, copped it on the chin, and got on with the job of coaching the footy teams. When I pull on the jersey, I just don't want to let him down. It's his passion and to see how much it means to him. You want to put your body on the line. We're where we are today because of Flanno.