Justin Downey has confirmed exclusively to Sharksworld that he will sign a year’s contract with Griquas later this week.
The 24-year-old Downey, a product of Northwood High in Durban, has been on the fringes of the Sharks squad for a number of years, having featured regularly for the age-group and Vodacom Cup teams. Despite being called up to the Super 14 tour party in 2009 (making the bench for the Reds game, without coming onto the field) and then making 2 Currie Cup appearance the same year, Downey has had few opportunities to impress in Sharks colours in 2010. The versatile back-rower, who is comfortable in any of the three loose-forward positions, was released to Griquas on loan for the latter part of the 2010 Currie Cup season.
In six appearances, he quickly became one of their key players in a campaign unfortunately derailed by injuries and regularly emerged from each round’s Currie Cup fixtures as one of, if not the outright, top tackling players across all teams.
Downey has had to weigh up his options, of late, with the Sharks and Griquas both keen secure his services for the next season. “I’m going to sign with Griquas for a year and just enjoy my rugby,” he tells us. “They’ve given me a good opportunity here and there’s a good chance I could join up with the Cheetahs for Super 15″. At the end of the day, it all comes down to game time at this stage in his career and with Downey unlikely to feature regularly for the Sharks at Super 15 level, given the glut of good loose forwards ahead of him in the pecking order, the opportunity to show what he can do for Griquas and the Cheetahs is too good to pass up.
We’d like to wish Justin all the best for the next season and hope that he might return to the Sharks at some stage in the future.
Smart move lad
Huge loss for us. Very Unfortunate but hey, well played Bushy!
Rob can you give us more on Stemmert,s move.
good luck Justin. Wishing you very well.
Good move considering how little exposure he had at the Sharks. Perhaps next year would have been better with both Alberts and Kanko with the Boks and who knows maybe even Daniel and Deysel. Though I do not think that Daniel would get to the Boks squad if Schalk was not injured.
@Original Champion (Comment 2) : Justin could quite easily establish himself as the regular 19 for the Cheetahs… and once Smith or Brussow gets injured (within the first 3 rounds, as always) he could end up starting.
At the Sharks, he’d be behind Keegan and Jacques at 6, Wolla and Vic at 7 and Kanko, Vic and Keegan at 8…
@ruggabugga (Comment 3) : not too much to tell, really. Sort of like Justin, he’s signed a contract with Griquas and will be available to play Super 15 for the Cheetahs if required. He is currently training with the Cheetahs S15 squad.
Big loss for the Sharks but he would have been so far down the pecking order. Rather go to the Griquas and get to play for the Cheetahs in the S15.
We need every bit of depth we can get for the super 15. But yeah we`re okay loose forward wise I think.
wish u luck at least u getting some game time and maybe you’ll play yet again 4 the home team
it just shows u the young ones need game time on the field and nt on the bench
Good luck! Hope we can see him on the field more.
It’s a pity! Wiyh Mike Rhodes also out of the mix, i sincerely hope we retain Otto or Groenewald in the Sharks’ teams somehow. But yes, its a screaming opportunity that Justin took. Good luck and i know he will shine.
@JustPlainSHARK (Comment 11) : Lambert has been contracted – along with Theissinger.