After something of a false start to his Sharks comeback earlier this year, flyhalf Steve Meyer is very much committed to making a huge impact on this year’s Currie Cup campaign for the Sharks. Sharksworld caught up with him for a quick chat.
With plenty of rumours doing the rounds regarding Meyer’s unexpected and sudden “retirement” from the game, on the eve of this year’s Super 14, we’ve been pretty keen to chat to the lad and get his side of the story. It’s fair to say that even though we might not have started any of the rumours ourselves, we’ve certainly played our part in spreading them and it was in the interests of putting these to bed and setting the record straight that we were most keen to chat to Steve. Obviously, our discussion was largely dominated by these issues.
“I’m aware of all the rumours, but the reality of the situation is that I had some very personal reasons for needing to take some time away from the game,” says Meyer. “I’m really not prepared to go into what those reasons were – it was something that came up in my personal life that I had to deal with and I’ve done so now.” Needing to do diligence to at least one of the more plausible explanations, I was about to ask Steve about the drugs angle. He beat me to it, though, by saying that “it definitely has nothing to do with drugs.” Now I guess you can argue that he was going to say that anyway, but I for one believe he is sincere about that, so you’ll need to take my word for it!
“I realise that I let a lot of people down and I’m sorry about that,” Meyer continues. “You need to understand that I’m a huge Sharks fan too and have been all my life. Having to watch the Super 14 from the sidelines was very difficult indeed because I so longed to be out there on the field, giving my all for the team that I love. I know that the timing of what happened was bad and that it hurt the team, but i’s in the past now and I just want to prove how committed I am to the Sharks by giving it a proper go on the field. Just desperate to get out and do that.” Meyer reveals that he has received a number of lucrative offers to return to France in the meantime, but has turned those down in order to make things right with the Sharks.
Another angle that has surfaced is that the senior players in the Sharks squad may have been blocking his return to the team. Steve refutes this, saying that “the senior guys like Jacques Botes and Stefan Terblanche have been nothing but understanding and welcoming. They’ve been around for a while and they understand how sometimes these things can come up that completely take your focus away from the game and that you just need to get through them. My return hasn’t caused any friction in the team that I’m aware of – I love this team and if I thought that my being there was in any way harmful to the spirit, I would walk away. There’s nothing like that, though. We’re all just training hard and looking forward to the game on Friday night.”
We spoke a little about Steve’s time in France and about the circumstances surrounding his first exit from the Sharks, back in early 2006. Steve was part of the infamous “alternate squad” that lost to Griquas in the Currie Cup in 2005; most of those players were released by the Sharks shortly afterwards. “It was a coach’s call at hte end of the day,” Steve says, “and although I didn’t agree with it, I could understand his thinking. I was sitting around not getting picked, so going to France seemed a good thing to do. It really was a great experience which helped me as a player – playing in the Heineken Cup (even getting man of the match once or twice) – and just getting that game-time under my belt was invaluable. The Sharks always said to me that I should go and make the best of the opportunity and that if I developed well, they would possibly look at getting me back one day; that’s exactly what happened and I’m ready to seriously make my mark here now.
“It’s a bit backwards, if you think about it. ” Meyer continues. “Usually players make their name in South Africa and then go to France at the end of their career. For me, it happened the other way round!” Steve also confirmed that he’s not currently carrying any injuries or other concerns and that “I just need match fitness now, because I haven’t played at all in a few months”.
I’d like to thank Steve for taking this opportunity to talk to us and set the record straight. We all have personal matters that sometimes make it difficult to do our jobs and I don’t think it’s reasonable for us, as fans, to expect that anyone should blurt the details of theirs all over the media. Steve realises that the fans are sceptical, but is committed to proving himself to the faithful, because, he says, “they are the reason we play the game, after all. Without fans, we’d have no reason to exist”. From my side, I’m quite happy to let this matter rest now and throw our weight behind Steve and the rest of the Sharks squad as they go out to bring the Currie Cup back to Durban. I hope you’ll all feel the same way.
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Sounds like a nice chap…all the best Steve and I really hope you can prosper at the Sharks and fill the no 10 void with great success.
Welcome back might be in order, I suppose! Hope you can fill the gap well!
I’m just happy we got a flyhalf 😆
Wish the lad all the best. And most of all hope he is the real deal at 10! Go Steve!
Yip welcome back..
He sounds like a nice bloke.
Are you sure he hails from Sharks country (no I don’t mean the Free State) 😈
Ok, enough joking around. I saw a bit of him in the pre-season game at Newlands and he seemed to bring much needed pace and direction to the backline when he came on.
I hope he does well at the Sharks!! 😎
heh-heh Rob, your last paragraph sounds like Jerry Springer’s Thought For The Day.
Thanx for doing this Rob.. I’m glad he got a chance to put it all straight.
Good luck to you Steve!!
I never heard the drugs angle only the French girlfriend rumour.
Nevertheless I am glad to hear he is committed to the Sharks and wants to do well for them. We need him to do well for the Sharks and give the backline some direction.
Thanks Rob.
@lostfish (Comment 9) : Did you see much of him in the french leagues??
Rob, any news on Andre Pretorius??
What a forgiving bunch. 😈
@Worcestershire Sauce (Comment 12) : If you want to get bitchy go to Voldy 😈 😉
@Worcestershire Sauce (Comment 12) : I suppose we’ll never know for sure what the truth is but untill something to the contrary is proved I’ll take his word for it. I would hate being in the public eye like that were every move you make id scrutinized
@Pokkel (Comment 10) : No, I was living in the US at the time and couldn’t watch the Top 14.
@Worcestershire Sauce (Comment 12) :more like “desperate” 😆
Pretorius is in Durban, but not training with the team. Still injured, I fear
@robdylan (Comment 17) : don’t! Its a blessing in a knee-injury disguise! 😆
@robdylan (Comment 17) : Seems his paid holiday by Durban by the sea has started! 😈
@robdylan (Comment 17) : You should have said. Still in Durban, I fear
@robdylan (Comment 17) : surprise surprise 🙄
@robdylan (Comment 17) : Still injured or injured again??
I’m guessing, but I think it’s still the same hamstring injury
Committed again until 3 days before CC kickoff.
Heard Mapoe is still on the long term injury list.
@robdylan (Comment 23) : For a hamstring avulsion it is usually a minimum of 6 months rehab. So he could still be rehabbing that hammy.
Welcome back Stevie, hope you all of the best, just get the ball to me when I am back, Currie Cup we’re coming to get you
@molly (Comment 24) : Think positive… we have a flyhalf 🙂
@lostfish (Comment 27) : exactly
@lostfish (Comment 25) : you sound like you know what you’re talking about 🙂
@robdylan (Comment 29) : I got to see a few come into the trauma units in Durban, afterwards it’s quite an interesting surgery…
Good to see Mr Meyer back with the Sharks – was worried that our backs what with Pretorious coming back – I cant believe this oke may run out in black and white… WTH?
@Mole (Comment 31) : welcome to the site. Tell us a bit about yourself
Yay a local boy !!!
@Dalz (Comment 33) : he he… thought you might like that.
Steve loves the Sharks. That’s GOT to count in his favour
Welcome back Steve, I’m sure you wont let us down again. 🙂
Cant we give Andre directions to Newlands or Bloem or even Loftus…. PLEASE 😕
Don’t count your chickens b4 they hatch, in these situation don’t count Steve Meyer before that kick-off whistle blows! 😆
@The Sharks Sharkie (Comment 37) : I’m choosing to believe this is genuine. Proof of the pudding will be in the eating, as always, but I think Steve will come through.
@The Sharks Sharkie (Comment 37) : Give the guy some credit. It takes balls to come back to the team you let down and ask for another chance. You need guts to face all of your team mates who would of justifiably felt let down. He also has to face all the supporters and worst of all the press.
If anything the guy has guts.
@lostfish (Comment 39) : Yeah, I give him credit for going back but I’m still waiting for that kick-off whistle to blow!
@robdylan (Comment 38) : Well I THINK I’ll just wait a see, I hope he comes through though ❗
@robdylan (Comment 38) : @lostfish (Comment 39) : I do agree with both of you, I think Steve will come through for us.
guys there is no harm in andre pretorius spending time at the sharks, ffs he can teach the likes of meyer and cronje etc plenty
@sharks_lover (Comment 42) :
How to injure their hol while flying on a plane?? 🙄 😈
@wpw (Comment 43) : Sies man
@wpw (Comment 43) : 😯
@wpw (Comment 43) : how this callard oke discussing the mans hol
😆
My fingers are crossed. Since May 2007! If we get enough depth, we wont run around come S15 and hire the first guy that phones the Sharktank. Its a bit worrying that we sign such a lot of injured dudes.
Now that hit the spot, finally from the horse’s mouth.
Even though he’s not divulging everything, at least he spoke on the matter which makes me feel so much better (ie. I won’t be making any more Steve Meyer remarks when referring to a dodgy source
)
Hope you out shine the whole of SA and hit your top form in time for the rugby wc (history has shown we need a Sharks FH to win the wc).
❗ ❗ ❗ ❗ Go Steve ❗ ❗ ❗ ❗
First comment for this site(which I really love)…. I have known Steve Meyer since he moved from Joburg to Durban in Std 3. He wasn’t captain of almost every team we played together for nothing. If Steve pulled out it was def for a real reason. Steve comes from a very well off back ground and didn’t become head boy of Kearsney for nothing, so he really has my full support…
@boknaai (Comment 49) : glad to hear it – and very glad you decided to break your silence!
I really got a very good vibe from talking to Steve.
Welcome to the site boknaai! 😎
(Way to go Rob). 🙄
@[email protected]robdylan (Comment 50) : Just to add before i comment that you really running a great site(i’m stuck in china so rely on your updates to know how the side is coming along) Yes, I might be bias because I know Steve, but he really is a great guy, as you know from your interview…to crack head boy of Kearsney is not easy….Thanks again for all your guys updates reaching me in the far east
@wpw (Comment 51) : Thanks for the welcome, glad to be here… 😉
@boknaai (Comment 52) : some good lads went to Kearsney… the current head (Elwyn van den Aardweg) taught me at Pretoria Boys High and he’s a great man
@robdylan (Comment 54) : I agree, but as a Glenwood Old boy would have to back the Green Machine over Kearsney…
Heard on the news that Steve does not have a contract at the Sharks. Will he then play for match fees only?
I see Andre Pretorius says his first choice is to play for the Sharks because of the great structures over there, he’s still awaiting the result of his fitness test and whether he’ll be contracted by the Sharks.
Apparently he has a plan B and plan C… (no doubt plan D is to play for the tjietas
)
I see western force is eyeing Sias Ebersohn, who apparently is contracted to the tjietas until after the cc.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 58) :
Hey bru!!
The Western FARCE are always eyeing our players and yet who did they manage to sign?? Sicknote Pretorius!! 😈
Steve meyer is a good guy and very success commited so he wouldn,t miss out on playing for the sharks unless he had a good reason