John Plumtree has hit back against allegations that he publicly criticised the form of Andy Goode during Saturday evening’s post-match press conference at Loftus – and by implication, the performance of Commercial Director Rudi Straeuli when it comes to matters of procurement.
The coach would appear to be the victim of some unscrupulous reporting here and in setting the record straight in an interview withe Stefan Nel, points out that he’s far too experienced a coach to allow himself to be drawn into public criticism of individual players or the administration. Fair enough, Plum, guess we got that one wrong, but were just going on what we’d read in good faith, honest!
I guess the truth of what Plumtree actually said (as well as what he really meant when he said it) will be forever hidden in the mists of time, but to me, it’s not really particularly important. The reality of the situation is that Goode is not – and never has been – a workable long-term solution to the Sharks’ flyhalf problem and that Straeuli and Plumtree both need to take a long hard look at the process that has got the Sharks into this mess, with a view to doing better in the future.
The Sharks do not currently have a flyhalf lined up for either the 2010 Currie Cup or 2011 Super 15 competitions and if there’s one thing that both men have (hopefully) learned, it’s that bringing in foreign players on exorbitant salaries actually accomplishes precious little; in fact, it only serves to weaken the local player base as all the homegrown talent (assuming there is any) gets pissed off and goes to play in France instead.
As an aside, I actually don’t mind Andy Goode too much and reckon he’s improving with each outing. The Sharks would certainly have been a lot worse off had it not been for his boot on Saturday. It’s a moot point, though, since he’s not the future of Sharks rugby and will be heading back to the UK to fulfil prior contractual commitments after the Super 14 anyway. The article I penned earlier suggested that we not consider Goode for the last two games of the campaign and I stick by that position, given that we now have nothing of any value to play for anyway and should thus try something a little bit less conservative that might just show us the way forward.
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I thought i misread the origanal comments. Fair of you to respond Rob.
Come on Plum show us a bit of creativity and take a chance on Lambie…the S14 is stuffed anyway might as well experiment a bit 😉
Rob thanks for this thread. It clears it up that Plum never spoke about his player to the press. Just knew Plum was too decent a bloke to do that.
Still say leave Lambie at FB. We not going to win Rob, also don’t like to see this youngster being messed about. Not at this late stage of the S14. Let him play there in the CC if we have to move him. I know I wont. He has future Bok written all over him for FB.
Can Ludik only play FB? Where else can he play?
How old is Herkie Kruger from the Lions? He seems like he has got some good talent at Fh? Jeepers am I going to get a belting here from some of the Lions players 😆
@Puma (Comment 4) : Lions supporters I meant 😳
@Puma (Comment 4) : geez dude… we already had him ages ago! We are surely not desperate enough to try that, are we?
Rob, See he played for us in the S12 and is 31. So no he is not a option. 😛
Still he has played well recently.
@Puma (Comment 3) : i think luddik is still far from being match fit,saw a few high or should that be lowlights from sharks 15 game and and he is but a shadow of what he can be ,we must not rush him back
@ruggabugga (Comment 8) : That is what I say too rugga. Just leave Ludik to get 100% fit.
Just trying to look about and see who else we have. Just leave Lambie at FB.
What about trying Rory at FH? Now that is shifting a player again out of position but I would rather try that than move Lambie from where he is playing brilliant.
@ruggabugga (Comment 8) : then we play Stef at fullback with Stemmet coming in at 13… whatever.
Get the attacking axis sorted out first, and that start at 10.
We’ve got bigger worries at 12 and 13…..very hard to find good imports for those positions
@FireTheLooser (Comment 11) : how difficult can it really be to play centre? I mean, really? Is it a personnel issue or a coaching one?
Btw, why exactly did the Sharks buy Hernandez?
He’s not that great is he? I think it was more of a commercial stunt than anything else with the hype that surrounded the Argentinians.
Get a poll going Rob, Lambie vs. Pienaar vs. another import at FH.
I vote Lambie at fh and we’re almost 99% guaranteed he’ll be our FH from the CC going forward.
Hopefully Plum will start blooding him for FH during the last 2 games of the S14. Bring him on as FH for the last 20mins. of the games and see how he goes.
@robdylan (Comment 12) : I always thought those that weren’t good enough to play FH became inside centres.
There is no way Swaan would ever in his life have been able to play FH, how certain are we that Swaan is not yet another conversion? He does everything the way a forward would, never side steps, always runs straight at the deffender with the ball in both hands, never dummies.
I was a fan of his and hoped he’d be able to come up the mass, but after Saturday I’m convinced he’ll never amount to anything more.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 11) : What happened to Zuks? Why not play him at outside centre. Know he has been off form, but really he would never have been as bad as Stefan there. If we played him there from the start of the S14 he would be playing quite well there by now with all the game time. Also should have started with Lambie from the start at FB and Mvovo instead of Odwa. Think just those players playing in those positions from the Chiefs game we might have had a different result by now. Though we would still not have had a really good FH. Maybe should have tried Rory at FH this season and just leave Ruan at SH.
Our season is gone need to think about next year.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 13) : betcha he won’t
@robdylan (Comment 10) : i would need to look at the Vodacom Cup game on Saturday to actually try and have a look at the individual players, but from the sideline it did not look pretty at all. Almost make me think that this depth of the Sharks is more of a wishful thinking.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 14) : you’re going to cry when I tell you where Swannie played at age-group level
Backpaddling Plum
@robdylan (Comment 18) : loosie ❓
my second guess is prop 😆
@robdylan (Comment 18) : seriously Flyhalf?
hiyas rob
@rekinek (Comment 21) : 10/12 🙂
@sharks_lover (Comment 22) : hola amigo 🙂
And we nearly wanted a new coach oh my word the press can really get us all worked up for this game of rugby 🙂
rob you able to contact me on yahoo messenger??
Ref for the Sharks/Stormers – Dickinson. 4th time the Stormers have him. They will know him like a book now and vice versa for Dickinson.
Ref for Bull/Saders Jonker. Bulls must have had the most saffa refs this season.
@Chaz (Comment 25) : I still want a new coach 🙂
problem is not by the coach
if anything a little
its far wider then that
@sharks_lover (Comment 26) : not right now… can try tomorrow
@Puma (Comment 27) : hehehe – gonna be fun …
rob obviously you not able to connect to yahoo
fact is plumtree spoke of a bad pre season they had and that the injuries etc caused havock to the backline problems they experienced
the depth was severely tested in quite a few positions
this was in answer to a question I had asked him
i had mentioned Goode , i to said nothing derogatory about goode or straeuli
and nor did plum
@sharks_lover (Comment 29) : I stick by what i’ve always said… Plumtree is not the problem, but not part of the solution either.
@rekinek (Comment 31) : 😛 Sure is but wish we had our full strength team.
@Puma (Comment 34) : Was just thinking – if Deysel and Alberts out (and Muller and Bismarck ) – In : Keegan, Kanko, Burden, Hargreaves – we gonna have skillful but still LIGHT FORWARDS 🙄
@robdylan (Comment 33) : bring back Campo (or better Monsieur EDDDIEEE…… JOOONES) 😆
not a bad idea actually.
@rekinek (Comment 35) : TOO lightweight. We need more than skill against the Stormers.
If we had, Muller, Alberts, Deysel, Smit and Bissy and Mvovo too. Would be really looking forward to this game. Now not so much. Like us playing a Vodacom cup team against a S14 side. Hargreaves is fine though but probably for this game would liked to have had Muller.
@Puma (Comment 37) : I have been very impressed with Alberts (and of course Deysel, but from him we knew what to expect at the beginning of teh season). They were good combination with Botes and I was not too worried when Kanko was injured. So loosing both of them is going to be problematic.
Out of 3 positions that John played this year – 3 is I think his worst. This adding to lack of Bismarck – really really thin. Wouldn’t like to be in Plum’s shoes.
The coach would appear to be the victim of some unscrupulous reporting here
Same crowd who started the “rift in the camp” crap?
@KSA Shark © (Comment 39) : So you’re in the ‘no rift’ camp? 😉
@robdylan (Comment 40) :
yip
@KSA Shark © (Comment 41) : Im still like nestle cheese spread
@robdylan (Comment 42) : biltong flavour mabye!!!any news on sharks media briefing today??
@robdylan (Comment 23) : 😥 😥 😥
Time to convert Swaan to hooker, convert Burden back to centre
So why then is Swaan such a one dimensional player? I really had high hopes for him, but he’s flat. Maybe it is a lack of proper backline coaching, combined with a less than satisfactory FH.
Just have not seen Swaan showing a glimmer of imagination or creativity.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 39) : The rift might have been caused by the growth on Bissies neck 😆
@rekinek (Comment 35) : We’ll have forwards that posses more mobility and skill and imagination than our backline……..
why not move Swaan to outside centre? He’s fat enough to make a solid tackle bag and he might even break the line with his one dimensional crash ball.
@Puma (Comment 27) : Oh well that makes SB easy for the Bulls match . .. go High on the Bulls again. 😈
well it certainly looks like my team is shaping up for saturday. all i need is for goode to have his work permit revoked and stefan’s arthritis to play up. so far smit, muller, alberts and deysel are all doubtful. just the backline (that are the ones i really want changed) aren’t playing along. 😆
@Puma (Comment 27) : sharks the least saffa refs.
@try time (Comment 48) : TT, what would be your best backline for the Sharks, assuming all players fit?
@try time (Comment 49) : And Paul Marks replaces Bryce lawrence as an all times favourite
Try time = Voodoo man.
@rekinek (Comment 50) : honestly i am so over the sharks backline saga. i would like them all to embarrass themselves again so that something drastic gets done.
@rekinek (Comment 51) : yeah and kaplan is close.
@Salmonoid (Comment 52) : have you looked at rekineks avatar. that looks like a voodoo doll next to sharkie. it actually looks like a stormer’s poefter doll. she is just finding the right pins to put in. 😆
@try time (Comment 55) :
I just zoomed that – you are right.
Mind you your avatar is also a bit on the dark side.
Lets rename this site the Voodoo Lounge.
@try time (Comment 55) : you are truly a creature from the dark side
she is an innocent angel.
@Salmonoid (Comment 56) : i just like putting the boot in. 😆 😆
@rekinek (Comment 57) : yeah hitlers mom said that about her baby. 😆 😆
@try time (Comment 59) : perhaps then I should revert to wine drinking avatar – far less contentious 😆
but on the back note : I wouldn’t mind seeing ruan, cronje, mvovo, swannie and adi, odwa, lambie.
Am very relieved the coach did not publicly say what was reported, it would have been shocking bad form and destroy the trust and confidence of his players if he had, plus i dont think Goode has been that bad, considering he came into a new enviroment, and started playing straight away when the season had already started.
@Treehugger (Comment 62) : the new environment cannot be an excuse after 11 rounds anymore. But I agree that coach publicly criticising a player whom he put on the park and whom he told what game plan to follow – this would not be too comforting.