The Cronulla Sharks have confirmed the inaugural 11 members of their Hall of Fame at a ceremony held at Sharks Stadium on Tuesday evening.

Five players - Andrew Ettingshausen, Gavin Miller, Tommy Bishop, Steve Rogers and Greg Pierce had already been confirmed as members of the Hall of Fame given they have already been given previous recognition as 'Sharks Immortals'.

The other six unveiled on Tuesday were the club's only premiership-winning - and longest-serving - captain Paul Gallen, Brett Kimmorley, Dane Sorensen, David Peachey, Jason Stevens and Mat Rogers.

The Sharks have also unveiled a 'Wall of Fame' near Gate 2 at the stadium with the 11 inductees on it.

A seven-man panel - comprising Sharks historian Ashley Taylor, CEO Dino Mezzatesta, Chairman Steve Mace, Immortals Ettingshausen and Miller, and News Corp writers Phil Rothfield and David Riccio - made the call on the six inductees unveiled on Tuesday night, using the following criteria:

  • Demonstrated exceptional performance on and off the field.
  • Been an international Test representative (including Rugby League World Cup matches
  • Played State of Origin
  • Played 100 first-grade games for the Cronulla Sharks or won a premiership with the club
  • Received a Dally M Medal, NRL-recognised award, or a Porter-Gallen Medal/Sharks Player of the Year award

Players needed to hit four of the five metrics to be considered for inclusion into the Hall of Fame.

"Our newly established Hall of Fame, along with our set criteria, now provides clear and concise guidelines for the future," Taylor, who was chair of the selection committee, said per Sharks media.

"This inaugural class of inductees not only comprises club legends but also suitably represents the first half-century of our club.

"It was not without much deliberation and thought that this first group of legends came to be inducted, with so many great players having played for this great club.

"We hope this Hall of Fame and its inductees will serve as a catalyst for conversation across generations. Our older supporters can share the memories and stories of these club legends with the next generation of Sharks supporters."

The night started with the five players already announced into the Hall of Fame.

Pierce, who captained the club from 1975 to 1980, and played eight Tests for Australia before going on to coach the Sharks, Tommy Bishop who was a halfback and captain-coach of the Sharks between 1970 and 1973, Steve Rogers who played 202 games for the Sharks to go with 24 Tests for Australia and 21 Origins for New South Wales, Gavin Miller, who played 180 games for the Sharks and won two Dally M Medals, and Ettingshausen, whose record of 328 games to go with 29 Tests, 27 Origins and 166 tries, needs no introduction.

From there, the six new members were inducted. First, Dane Sorensen, who played 216 games for the Sharks to go with 18 Tests for New Zealand, David Peachey, who played 232 games for the Sharks, scoring 110 tries, then Mat Rogers who had earlier spoken for his dad's induction.

Rogers thanked Ettingshausen in his acceptance speech.

"I got to play outside ET โ€“ and he made me ... I just want to say, ET, I worship you. I loved you as a player," Rogers said during the presentation.

"The emotion you have for my dad, I have for you.

"I came here as a 17-year-old kid and I left here a man ... I am so grateful for that opportunity to come here and represent this amazing club."

Rogers played for the Sharks over seven years, scoring 1112 points for the club.

The final three inductees were Jason Stevents, who played 167 games for the Sharks, Paul Gallen who is the most capped Shark of all time and led the side to their only premiership in 2016, and Brett Kimmorley who spent seven years at the club, playing in two preliminary finals.

"I owe everything to the club, to be honest," Gallen said.

"Tonight's all about this club and the fact it does feel like a family to me ... I signed my first contract here in 1999 and my last one in 2019.

"Loyalty's a two-way street and it turned out great for both parties.

"Winning that premiership was the greatest thing I ever did.

"I feel very lucky, very grateful that I got to do it, but there's a lot of hard work and dedication that goes into it."

The event was attended by 160 guests, including current coach Craig Fitzgibbon and the Sharks first-grade squad, who fly out to Las Vegas this week to commence their 2025 campaign against the Penrith Panthers.