‘I love the Sharks’: From boyhood fan to Cronulla’s billionaire backer

Mike Dorrell has a vivid memory of his first visit to Endeavour Field, as Cronulla’s home ground was known in the 1980s before a handful and more re-brandings.

The Sharks were playing the Illawarra Steelers and an eight-year-old Dorrell was there with his father Brian, a science teacher who had taught at Port Hacking High School, and his brother Simon.

“I remember distinctly Steve Rogers doing a chip and chase and scoring, right in front of where I was sitting,” he said.

Decades later, the New York-based billionaire has become the club’s billionaire benefactor, having committed $1 million a year to the NRL club over five years.

The co-founder of infrastructure investment giant Stonepeak, the former Macquarie banker will be at Allianz Stadium on Saturday night as Cronulla take on North Queensland in an elimination final.

He is Australia’s ninth-wealthiest person with $13.82 billion to his name, according to the AFR Rich List , but as Craig Fitzgibbon’s team looks to book a spot in the second week of the playoffs, he’ll be just another Sharks tragic hoping they can return to the Sutherland Shire with a win.

In an interview with this masthead, Dorrell said he had donated to Cronulla because of his respect for chairman Steve Mace, chief executive Dino Mezzatesta and coach Fitzgibbon, and got a kick out of being involved with a club which two of his brothers also support.

“It’s like anything when you grow up with … it’s just so deep in your DNA,” he said. “I love the Sharks. There’s not that much I want for life, but [I thought] if I could put a bit of money into the Sharks, just given my love of the game and my love of that team, I’m excited to do it. I think it’s given me and my brothers a pretty big thrill because we’re such Sharks fans.”

The 53-year-old has forged a strong relationship with Mace and Mezzatesta since meeting them in New York two years ago during the NRL’s first season-opening foray to the United States.

Dorrell has also struck up a bond with Fitzgibbon, who once played against his brother Simon, a former lower-grader at Penrith.

“My whole idea is, ‘I’ll support you financially, but it’s all yours … do it how you want to do it’,” he said.

“If I want to have a conversation, they’re nice enough to correspond with me. I’ve spent a bit of time with Fitzy. We’ve done the Bronte to Bondi walk a couple of times together and I’m always curious to see his view of the team and the players and whatnot. I like being around the club.”

Dorrell is mega-wealthy even in comparison to the richest people in rugby league. That includes South Sydney part-owner Mike Cannon-Brookes, whose personal fortune dropped to $6.71 billion after separating from his wife Annie, as well as fellow Rabbitohs owner James Packer ($5.25 billion), Sydney Roosters chairman Nick Politis ($3.96 billion) and Lachlan Murdoch ($3.52 billion), the chair of Brisbane Broncos owners News Corp.

Two years ago, Dorrell reportedly splashed out $225 million for a mansion and private island near US President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.