After the retirement of Gary Teichmann and various other senior Sharks players, as well as legendary coach Ian McIntosh, the Sharks went through a season of disappointment as the team failed to adjust to life without the old stalwarts and ultimately slumped to bottom of the Super 12 table. While the form of the Sharks has improved somewhat since then it seems that there will be a new, if less dramatic, changing of the guard in the leadership of the Sharks.
Currie cup winning captain Johann Muller has already left for Ireland while John Smit and Stefan Terblanche are seemingly in their last seasons playing for the Sharks which leaves only Jacques Botes of that “generation” of senior Sharks who might be playing in 2012. Which leaves us with the question of who will take over the reigns when these stalwarts do eventually leave the Sharks. (The question of the captaincy in the 2011 Super rugby season could be another article on its own and probably has been written already come to think of it).
Keegan Daniel had a huge role to play in the successful quest for the 2010 Currie cup title and was the team vice captain and captained the team when Oom Stef had to miss a couple of games due to injury and he might have been the obvious choice to take the reins if the Sharks looseforward conundrum did not exist where it is becoming difficult to fit 5 class players into only 3 starting jerseys. Jean Deysel has captained his under 21 team when he was starting out in the Lions junior ranks while Willem Alberts has also had his fair share of captaincy even captaining the Lions senior team on occasion. Another name to be mentioned in the captaincy stakes Alistair Hargreaves who captained South Africa to a world title at under 19 level in 2005 and has established himself as a starting lock for the Sharks in the 2010 Currie cup competition.
Whoever does eventually take the Sharks captaincy moving forward, it is important that players such as those mentioned above are given an increasing leadership responsibility in the upcoming season as the time comes for the stalwarts to finally hang up their boots which have served the Sharks so well over the years. It is vital that the leadership development of these extraordinary characters in the Sharks set up are developed into a strong core of leadership for the future to ensure the ongoing rugby success of the Sharks.
Ali seems the natural choice, but Keegs, and Botes are both good options as well. Maybe they should go with a three way shared captaincy.
U have to have someone who constitanly plays amongs smittie n blanchie..they gotta learn n adapt n show true leadership..a captain does need to be vocal aswell..swing the refs favour n bring his team in when defeat is on the horision..now I’m lookin at the guys n I can’t see many doing that..all capable of being superstars but to lead..eish…hmmm..tricky..but hey..leaders do appear when no one wants to stand up so we may see someone none of us ever expected…what bout jannie dup..looks like he handles the boys well..
I think they would opt for Keegan. Reason being that he was vice and captained the Sharks as well. Saw a game of the Sharks where he marshalled the team during n injury break and he was’nt the captain then. But I do think that we are fortunate enough to have both Hargs, Alberts and Deysel in the mix although they have been out of the captaincy-loop for quite some time. Would be interresting to see who will be captain during the CC though.
The role of the captain is going to change with the longer Super competition and larger squads. I don’t think any of the teams will have a captain that will play most matches.
We have to big a selection of looseforwards to really choose one of them as Captain. Rotation will see them mis a lot of the games.
Smit and Terblanche MUST lead the 2011 campaign. The Currie Cup is a looooooong way off and the captain for that should be Botes IF Terblanche isn’t around.
Quite simple really.
Stef, JS and even Botes as mentioned in the article does not have much time remaining with the Sharks. Hargreaves seems to be the player that stands out the most for me at the moment. Even thou Keegan has alot of influence on the team, I feel that he has alot of healthy competition in the squad. But I agree with MysticShark with regards to rotating the captaincy of the squad in the S15. But we should not only rely on Smit and Stef. Now is the time to “groom” the future replacement. And Hargreaves can learn alot from Smit and Stef.
I think in the upcoming Super Rugby series we should try to ensure that we have either John or Stef on the field at all times. My logical pick to follow on from them, starting with the 2011 Currie Cup is Hargreaves. Always has been
Think awhile back we spoke about the future captaincy. Back then I said Hargreaves and like Rob I stick with that too.
According to the Papers today the Beast saga is far from over.
Christo Buchner says John Smit should see a lot of gametime at 1 cause Beast might still go?!
Other news is that Deysel still isn`t ready . . . only towards end of February! Bismark is apparently still injured as well ?!
This Buchner dude is definately no friend of the sharks.
” Verlede seisoen se Droewige super 14 . .”
Sorry to start off the morning with depressing news guys and gals.
@Original Champion (Comment 9) : if beast wants to leave, why is he happily training with the sharks? Remember these guys claimed smit and pietersen were definitely going to the lions.
@Original Champion (Comment 9) : We’ve known all along that Wolla would miss out on some of the Super Rugby competition… End of Feb is not bad at all – means he might be right to tour.
I’d like to see him make a low-key return via the Vodacom Cup anyway. He’s been out for a while and those injuries are buggers.
Can’t believe I just used the phrase “low-key” to refer to Wolla
Perhaps a ploy… trying to disrupt the team? If Beast is training with the Sharks then I’m not to concerned. But let’s wait until the first game
@Original Champion (Comment 9) : It’s only not over because the Lions’ management are as thick as two planks holding together a clutchplate.
Every now and then you hear of a union trying to prevent a player from leaving even though he doesn’t want to play there anymore (hardly ever the Sharks BTW).
The clutchplates on the Lions’ management have managed to go one better than that. They are adamant that they can bring a player to the union against his will.
Bunch of Versters
@robdylan (Comment 11) : I agree with you. The last thing I want is to see him sit on the sidelines again. But players of his calibre always run the risk of injuries. Even thou the latest injury was a bit of a “freak” accident.
I would rather see him make a big impact in the later stage of the comp. And to be honest, I would not take him on tour, even if he is ready.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 13) : Brilliant… “bunch of Versters” I might just use that at work this week.
@Original Champion (Comment 9) : Players coming back from injury could just be a small blessing in disguise that solves a lot of selection headaches.
The guys returning from injury could be worked into the system slowly after we return from tour, providing much needed rest for players who may need it by then.
Hey don`t shoot the messenger, just telling you what I read guys.
Also apparently the Lions approached Joe Peterson as well. Doesn`t look as if that`s gonna work out for them either.
@Original Champion (Comment 17) : Their WHOLE season isn’t going to work out.
Re: jacques botes and how many years does he have left as a shark..well,serge betsen is now 36 yrs old (!!) and he is still playing premiership rugby..
@Farlington (Comment 14) : Wolla has suffered a fair few freak injuries in his career… in fact, he spends more time on the sidelines than on the field. Careful management is called for here.
@bergshark (Comment 19) : Serge Betson along with Seb Chabal are freaks of nature…
@bergshark (Comment 19) : he signed for another 3 years after the super 14
@Original Champion (Comment 9) : Which paper did you read that in? Nothing in the Sunday Times or the Tribune.
@robdylan (Comment 20) : I think it is safest to utilise him as a waterboy…
I think we need a young deputy during the S15 to start learning the ropes from John and Stefan. No use giving it to Botes for a year or two I think. I’m just not convinced it should be Hargreaves because for me he is not an automatic starter in the team and a player should first be their on merit. Nobody really jumps out as a captain. Maybe Jannie Dup?
What about Steven Sykes?
@Richard Ferguson (KCM) (Comment 26) : Possibly…has he ever been in a leadership position though?
Lambie…too young??
@Pokkel (Comment 27) :
Im not entirely sure to be honest..
The loosies are on rotation so it would be dificult to select any of them as a captain, so it wil have to be in the locks.
@Pokkel (Comment 25) :
2011
For the S15, John & Stefan
For the CC, Stefan and Botes
2012
By that time Hargreaves will be almost and assured starter and the Choice should be Alberts, Hargreaves, Botes.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 29) : What would make Hargreaves an assured starter in 2012 ahead of Mostert, Skeate or Sykes?
@Puma (Comment 23) : RAPPORRRRTTTTTT
ummmm – not to throw too much of a spanner in the works here, but can we name any one single player who is a guaranteed assured starter for the Sharks?
@robdylan (Comment 32) :
The locks Rob?
Sykes and Hargreaves should be the best starting pair with Skeate on the bench?
@robdylan (Comment 32) : At the moment Jannie dup is about the only player
@Richard Ferguson (KCM) (Comment 33) : I would start with Sykes and Hargo every match, but there are many who feel Skeate and/or Mostert are better
@Pokkel (Comment 34) : unless John gets used at 3… but I agree with you, he is the one guy in the team I would select every single week if I could
Morning everyone
Sharks captaincy
Hargreaves or Jannie
i think both will do very well and then Keegan did well also and he is still young
Whoever becomes captain will have it much easier that the guys had after the Teichmann/Macintosh era. Because even though the old captain/s are leaving, at least it will be the same coach
Just a thought, captaincy of a rugby team at this level is also about the senior player’s contribution. So however important it is to have a good captain, you need good leadership from the senior players as well.
@war1 (Comment 39) : part of the reason Matfield always does so well at the Bulls… he has so much support from du Preez et al
@robdylan (Comment 40) : yes, and the reason why the boks won 2007 RWC and why the Sharks won 2008 and 2010 CCs, do you see a pattern here?
@war1 (Comment 41) :
Good Captaincy i guess
@war1 (Comment 41) : ok – so we should, in theory, do well this season then.
We have Smit and Stef, along with other strong leaders in Botes, Hargreavs and Daniel. Pity we’ve lost Strauss, though, because his voice in the backline was always a strong one. I’m really hoping that a guy like Meyer Bosman can stand up and play a leadership role as well
i think botes for the next three years and that time used too groom Lambi.hes a natural leader at flyhalf and grooming him now for 3 to 4 will also commit him to the sharks
@juba_fan (Comment 44) : Good idea…if Botes hangs around that long.
@Pokkel (Comment 45) : Botes is there until 2012 at least
@robdylan (Comment 46) : but also not guaranteed starter in every game.
@Pokkel (Comment 47) : true… far from it
On a different note, it would appear that the build-up to this years S15 is alot more relaxed for the Sharks then last year this time. I mean apart from the Beast “saga”, all seems to be going according to plan. This can only be a good thing for the team. It keeps them focused on the task at hand.
That is unless I’m missing something.
Ye let’s hope we stay under the radar n let all the other teams do the talking..go into the comp n dominate..that’s all I wanna see is a consistant season..
Bring back Cabous van der Westhuizen
@Volstruis (Comment 51) : I agree!