Sharks fans holding out any hope that Francois Steyn may return to the team once his French contract expires next year are, unfortunately, in line for a hard dose of reality. Steyn will not return to the Sharks.
Reliable information suggests that Steyn will play for the Cheetahs on his return, with their inability to offer him a competitive salary not an issue, given how lucrative his R30-Million stint in France has been. The reality is that for Steyn to return to South Africa, his reasons would have to be about lifestyle, not money, since no local team – and that includes the Sharks – could possibly offer him an equivalent deal to the one he has with Racing Metro.
Steyn is looking for a stable team environment, with guarantees about game time as the first-choice inside centre and given that he enjoyed neither of these things while in Durban, our sources indicate that he won’t return there. The message to Sharks fans, in short, is “move on”. Frans Steyn isn’t coming back, so we’ll need to back the players currently in the system.
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sorry to do this to you guys, but I’ve just seen far too may “if we can only sign Steyn” comments… coupled with the even more annoying “we will have Frans Steyn available from July” ones…
It aint over, till it’s ooooveeeer!! 😈
Rob – give me the kids nr, I need to have a chat with Frans Verstaan…
@robdylan (Comment 1) : what a way of ruining a guys day Rob 🙁
This……
makes me very happy. Frans should go somewhere where they will treasure him.
I’m starting to like this Cheetahs team more and more, and if they get Steyn they’re going to be much better!
2 biggest boots in the business playing next to each other will be awesome 😀
Cheetahs midfield defense problems would be pretty much solved, and they’ll have far more grunt going forward.
I remember before the World Cup, nobody here on SharksWorld wanted him back.
I’m sure that will be part of his reasoning in deciding where to go. Isn’t that why he left in the first place? Sick of all the criticism/pressure.
@robdylan (Comment 1) :
Hi rob . Do you mind if i borrow your article for http://www.lionsworld.co.za and http://www.wetalkrugby.com ?
@hendrikp (Comment 4) :
Frans @ 13 for the Lions ? where do i sign ?
@Zibbie (Comment 6) : as long as you credit the source, no issues at all
With due respect Rob, we don’t have an established inside center.
Thus if Steyn really wants to play there, i can’t see how the Sharks will say no especially since we have Lambie, Ludik and Viljoen (next season) to cover the full back position 😐
@hendrikp (Comment 5) : Not true. There are a number of Frans Steyn fans on SW that wanted him back prior to the World Cup. No idea whether we were a minority or not though.
I agree with your previous point though – the Cheetahs are shaping into a very attractive looking team for 2012. I just hope they don’t adopt a too conservative game plan for next year.
@robdylan (Comment 8) :
sure ! thanx alot 😉
@robdylan (Comment 1) : That wasn’t nice. 🙁
@dawj (Comment 9) : yes, but there’s the issue of “once bitten, twice shy”…
Anyway, if you all get bored. Been tweeking my latest ‘Bok Barometer’. Just for arguments sake.
1 Gurthro Steenkamp / Coenie Oosthuizen
2 Bismarck du Plessis / Chilliboy Ralepelle
3 Jannie du Plessis / CJ van der Linde
4 Bakkies Botha
5 Andries Bekker / Juandre Kruger
6 Heinrich Brussow
7 Juan Smith (c) / Willem Alberts
8 Schalk Burger (vc) / Nick Koster
9 Ruan Pienaar / Francois Hougaard
10 Morne Steyn / Johan Goosen
11 Bryan Habana / Johann Sadie
12 Francois Steyn / Jean de Villiers
13 Jaque Fourie / Juan de Jongh
14 JP Pietersen
15 Patrick Lambie
– No space for 2 specialist loose-heads in 26-man squad anymore. It’s Beast, or Gurthro.
– Juandre Kruger growing on me as bench lock. Able replacement for Andries.
– Unluckiest players being: Beast Mtawarira, Adriaan Strauss, Gio Aplon & Jaco Taute.
@Letgo (Comment 12) : no – but sometimes the truth, however painful, is the best thing
@vanmartin (Comment 10) : I was one of them. Never wanted him to leave, but understood why he did.
But now we don’t have anything at 12. Even Plumtree would pick him there now!
Seriously, who wants to live in Bloem when you can live in Durbs, everything is better here.
@Zibbie (Comment 7) :
He’s no 13. And he’d like to at least try win something I’m sure
@Letgo (Comment 16) :
Hey hey, I lived in Bloemfontein for 2 years. It’s not so bad. Even has a waterfront 😆
@vanmartin (Comment 10) : Geezlikit @ HenriCK I hate generalisation!! 😈
@robdylan (Comment 13) : and we all know Fransie (admitted himself) that he has a bit of a hardegat streak…
@Ice Ice Bokkie (Comment 19) :
You’re all the same. If you didn’t disagree (with those who said they don’t want him back), you agreed.
@Letgo (Comment 16) : AMEN!!
@ Rob (comment 13): In this era of modern rugby, he surely cannot be thinking in that light. If he wants to cement his pace in the Bok team at inside center, he needs to pay for either the Sharks, WP or Bulls (with due respect to the Cheetahs). The Cheetahs perform well in the CC but their performance in Superrugby has been poor to say the least.
@Ice Ice Bokkie (Comment 19) : Fransie simply didn’t fit in at the Sharks…Len Olivier simply didn’t fit in at the Sharks… I’m unfortunately starting to suspect that Jacques-Louis Potgieter doesn’t fit in at the Sharks.
Those of us “on the outside” will never really know all the details behind these things, but there is unfortunately more to this team sport then simply having the best 15 players.
@hendrikp (Comment 14) : I like your opinions, most of the time, but this unhealthy Coenie Oosthuizen fetish has to stop; it’s just plain unbecoming! You’re as bad as Plum with Kicking Tee Joubert
Also, even though we don’t have an adequate backup for Jannie Dup, CJ should be allowed with 5km of a Bok jersey.
@hendrikp (Comment 17) :
so he wont be going to the Bulls then for sure
@dawj (Comment 22) : I think that statement is fraught with assumptions… where do you get the idea that you can’t get selected for the Boks playing for the Cheetahs? What about Smith and Brussow? I mean, it’s not like the guy is trying to get noticed for the first time here… he’s an established Bok and simply wants continuity in the position to show that he should remain in contention.
@hendrikp (Comment 20) : Then you’d best starting searching the archives! 😀 I recall a few disagreements during SR. It’s probably round the same time that we realized Meyer Bosman wasn’t delivering.
@dawj (Comment 22) : Heinrich Brussow, Juan Smith, Ashley Johnson, etc… all play for the Cheetahs?
@hendrikp (Comment 18) : Bloem over Pretoria, any day of the week.
@Culling Song (Comment 24) :
You say that about CJ because? I seem to remember him being our starting loosehead under Jake when we won it in 07. Every tighthead who doesn’t get his head shoved up his behind is valuable. He’s still our 2nd best option if Jannie went down.
As for Coenie. I think most would agree he’s actually a really talented player. Maybe you should give him a chance
@robdylan (Comment 15) : Well then maybe Lambie should be playing 12 for us, because I’m not happy with what we’ve had there for a while now.
Andries was good for one CC, Swannie is gone and was okay, Bosman took about 20 games to produce 2 decent ones, Joubert is just not good, JLP had an affair with one of the coach’s wives and won’t be a great permanent solution anyway. Adi is a better 13…so you’re saying I’m going to have to be happy with one of these guys playing 12 or a 20/23 year old trying his hand very soon?
I would have preferred being oblivious for a while longer. 🙁
@Culling Song (Comment 24) : I would have personally gone with “Reserwe Lemoenman” Joubert but “Kicking Tee” has a nice ring to it too!
The guy needs to realise that playing for the cheetahs might only see him winning a currie up at best..
But…him coming back to the sharks might boost their chances of winning the currie cup as well as a super trophy..
@Culling Song (Comment 28) : Having spent a few years in both I’d have to agree!
@Culling Song (Comment 28) :
Only been to Pretoria once, and can’t say it was much of an experience.
No place on earth like Cape Town. Back when Tyger Valley was still the ‘big mall’
and we had to wait 2 hours in line at the first day of McDonalds opening.
@hendrikp (Comment 20) : Hell – go search for an article about me..he is even in my “all time” best team!
@hendrikp (Comment 14) : not bad just;
1 Gurthro Steenkamp / Beast -hands down
2 Bismarck du Plessis / Chilliboy Ralepelle
3 Jannie du Plessis / CJ van der Linde-not sure
4 Bakkies Botha-definite
5 Andries Bekker / Juandre Kruger<- hmmmm
6 Heinrich Brussow-def
7 Schalk Burger(c) /Juan Smith(my all time fav player btw)
8 Alberts (vc) / Nick Koster<-next joke pff-Kanko/Dwayne/Strauss
9 Ruan Pienaar / Francois Hougaard-i would have mcleod but thats me
10 Morne Steyn / Johan Goosen-Lambie ahead of JacoWdW jnr
11 Bryan Habana / Johann Sadie-good player not sure at wing but who knows
12 Francois Steyn / Jean de Villiers
13 Jaque Fourie / Juan de Jongh
14 JP Pietersen
15 Patrick Lambie- Taute/Lambie
@robdylan (Comment 23) : How is Len Olivier doing overseas.Saw him play 10 for that Lasher team that kicked butt in NZ.He was a damned good player.
@dawj (Comment 22) :
I don’t see how playing for the Cheetahs will hurt his Springbok aspirations either. Not like he’s trying to prove himself, and the Cheetahs allow their players to express themselves. They don’t get ‘broken’ like those guys in Pretoria.
alberts not vc
Good article Rob. We must move on.
SA has a wealth of talent. The twofold challenge for the Sharks is to persuade the next Frans Steyn that comes out of our SBR system that his future lies in Durban and once he’s here, keep him here.
@hendrikp (Comment 34) : I quite smaak Durbanville.I have no idea why. 😐
@hendrikp (Comment 38) : 😆
@Ice Ice Bokkie (Comment 35) :
I’m only kidding. I do recall a few saying though that they wouldn’t bring back ‘dikgat’ if they had the chance, around the time the Tri Nations had ended and the World Cup was about to begin.
@Clayton(PJLD) (Comment 41) :
Who doesn’t! I lived there when Sonstraal Dam was a clean place you could go fishing though.
To to make myself clear. I have nothing against Bloem. Grew up close by. I still like the small town vibe it has, but… it can’t compare with Durbs.
@hendrikp (Comment 44) : I’m a southern suburbs lad, Im not supposed to say anything nice about that side of the world.
@robdylan (Comment 23) : He did fit in. He just wasn’t sure of what he wanted back then.
He’s all grown up now. He has to want to come back.
You can’t be a Shark once and not want to come back!
😥
@vanmartin (Comment 31) : To be factually correct, that should be be reserve-reserve kicking tee, after the plastic doughnut and the heap of sand.
@Clayton(PJLD) (Comment 46) :
True! I’m actually pretty much from everywhere but my earliest memories are Durbanville
Actually spent a few years in Tulbagh with my grandparents. They owned the Spar and a farm and that. Never will I live in a small town again 😆
Gone…but not forgotten…
Rob it is no big surprise that Sharks will not get Fransie back. Not just that we messed him about in all positions but some Shark supporters never treated him well at the Tank.
Just pleased he will be coming home.
Read he is getting married next June to a Durbs girl. So just hoped he would come back to the Sharks. Though no surpise he will not be coming.
Always said it would be a huge loss losing Fransie. Now hope we have learned a big lesson and not mess about with Lambie either. Just play him at fh or fb. Let him settle in one of those positions and just play him there all of the time and not mess with him in all positions. I personally would like to see Lambie back at fh.
@hendrikp (Comment 29) : As always, my opinions are informed equally by my somewhat limited rugby knowledge and my charmingly irrational reaction to certain people.
I’d accept CJ as a loosehead, but he’s so far down the pecking order there that it’s not worth considering. As a tighthead, he may avoid having his head shoved through his arse, but only just, and he offers absolutely zip else.
Coenie might be talented, but he needs to learn how to do his prinipal task (scrummaging) without conceding penalties at 37 second second intervals before I’ll take a liking to him. he also just has one of those “moer my gesigte” that they seem to be so adept at breeding in the Free State
@hendrikp (Comment 34) : Again with the delusions! What is it with you; Schalk 2nd greatest Springbok ever, no place like Cape Town!? FOR THE LAST TIME (please pay attention): 2nd greatest (as well as greatest) Springbok ever: Henry Honiball, no place like Newcastle!!
Case closed.
It would suck if he signed for the Cheetahs. He’s a Shark and needs to come home!
So apparently Steyn wants a farm is one of the reasons that he wishes to go the Free State. Maybe the Cheetahs will pay him in Farms?
you know what ,at cheetahs hell play fullback not inside center
@PTAShark (Comment 54) :
Played Free State Craven Week and junior rugby (U19 and U21).
Think that makes him a Cheetah!
He wasn’t appreciated in Durban anyway. Be much happier in Bloem.
@Talent (Comment 56) :
And you think that because?
@Culling Song (Comment 53) : I second that motion… On all accounts 😉
@hendrikp (Comment 57) : Bullshit. Played Currie Cup and Super rugby for the Sharks. Makes him a bloody Shark! He was very much appreciated by the Sharks fans and NO ONE is happier in Bloem.
When he comes back to us, the whole country will tremble!
I should get some sort of star or something. Advertising this page on the SuperSport website.
@Franshark (Comment 59) :
Well Rob, I am sure you are very glad about this 😛
Thats ok.
Hell, we’ve got Marius and Bosman at 12. Frans who? 🙄
@hendrikp (Comment 58) : becuase of how much he would improve the side from 15 ,Daniller is hugely over rated and they have strauss at 12 .MO
@PTAShark (Comment 60) : v true
@John Galt (Comment 64) : ROFL
@Mocho (Comment 61) : hey – thanks kwagga… that’s actually got us a fair few hits already 🙂
@John Galt (Comment 64) :
Comedy Hour?!
Dancing on my car’s roof naked soon I see! 😥
Let’s settle a few fallacies here.
Firstly, Fransie hasn’t signed a damn thing yet, and I recall reading that Beast, Barney and JP were all signing for the Lions last year already. How did that turn out?
Secondly, any Bok team that doesn’t include Beast is not a Bok team.
Third, Coenie needs to learn how to scrum in the CC before he can even think of playing for the Boks.
Fourth, the Cheetahs are gonna hurt this weekend.
@Big Fish (Comment 71) : 🙂
Tell ’em.
Haven’t trawled through the prev comments so not sure if anyone has made the following points.
1. Bugger, bugger, bugger.
2. Have always had a recurring nightmare that Frans will convert the winning points against the Sharks in a V V V important game in years to come – after “letting us down” twice in the final minutes in 2007.
3. Always thought he would return to play for the Bulls but read about his mentoring of SuperPat at the RWC and how he felt isloated by the Bulls players in 2003 cos they thought Johan Roedts/Roos(??) should be fullback (and thus had great confidence that he would never go to them).
4. Knew the Lions couldn’t afford him (after the money left the union recently) and was sure he was not a Province kind of guy, so had high hopes of him returning to the Mighty Haaie eventually.
5. I repeat, bugger bugger bugger!!
@Mocho (Comment 61) : i was looking for it and could not find it, Where?
@perran_dw (Comment 73) : Man! Johan Roets! What a super player! In my opinion, 1 of the best players of my rugby following time not to become a Bok. I was sad when he retired prematurely without a Bok cap. He was definitely Bok material.
@robdylan (Comment 68) : Just let me know when you want a few moew hits Boss. Studying Marketing, so I got a few tricks up my sleeve.
@Franshark (Comment 74) : Its not there anymore, but if you go to the homepage, all the way down, there is a section called expert opinion. They feature blogs from sport24.blogs website.
@perran_dw (Comment 73) :
Hold a second: rejection by Bulls players in 2003??? Frans was about 16 then – that particular anecdote doesn’t ring true!
@beet (Comment 75) :
Is there a “peeing-myself-while-laughing-uncontrollably” emoticon here? If not, we should create such just for that comment.
What next – “Jaco vd Westhuizen the best leader of men never to captain the Boks”???
@Big Fish (Comment 77) : No Big Fish, I was being honest. I rated Johan Roets. I even thought he deserved CC player of the year in 1 of the Bulls glorious seasons.
I better not tell you about how sad I was when Tony Watson, one of my all time favourites called it a day. 🙂 Bok caps weren’t that easy to come by when he was in his prime but in 1992 he had a realistic chance. 🙁
@beet (Comment 75) : Johan Roets!? Seriously!??!
We are talking of the same player, are we? Fullback for the Bulls? Because I’m secretly hoping there’s some other Johan Roets, maybe a prop for Northern Free State or something like that that I might not know about…
@beet (Comment 78) :
Blasphemy!!! Don’t you dare mention the Great Tony Watson and Johan Roets in the same sentence again! 😉
@Culling Song (Comment 79) :
I’m hoping he has a secret crack habit or something – at least then this particular confession is excusable.
@Big Fish (Comment 80) : It woul have to be something stronger than crack for it to make sense…
@Culling Song (Comment 81) : @Big Fish (Comment 80) : haha too funny guys. Maybe I should have taken that Johan Roets backing to the grave with me.
@Culling Song (Comment 81) :
Good point that. What substance known to man is strong enough to make a usually lucid man think Johan Roets was a great rugby player…? Would have to be Satan’s own mampoer in my opinion. Or maybe Mrs Pokkel’s secret vindaloo?
@Culling Song (Comment 81) : up late for a Newcastle gut 😯
why would francois steyn come back to durban? To warm the bench for 78mins? Unless plum would drop stef for him which just aint gonna happen. You may be good enough to be the springbok center but that doesnt mean you good enough for the sharks.
@Big Fish (Comment 83) : For the record, I’ve just been at Bullsworld where 2 well known bloggers Groot Koei and Uitdunning Lied happened to agree 110% with me that Roets was the man. As the saying goes “You can’t argue with a levelheaded Pretorian”
@Franshark (Comment 84) : gut=guy 😳
@cody007 (Comment 85) : Okay where have you been the last 2 weeks? Stef is retiring after the Currie Cup…
@Ben (Comment 88) : I suspect tongue was lodged firmly in cheek with his last comment. The fact that there’s a good chance of Plum actually doing this if Stef decided to stay on and we signed Frans is what threw you 😀
vanmartin, spot on there lol
@Ben (Comment 88) : retire is not right, his not gonno be with the sharks but said nothing of retiring 😉
@beet (Comment 86) : Uh, Beet, you forgot to tell the kind folks out there what the full saying is: You can’t argue with a levelheaded Pretorian, because he’ll hit you with his brandy bottle and reverse his Ford Cortina over your prone body.
@Franshark (Comment 91) : That is correct! But I think he’s going to retire.
@Big Fish (Comment 77) : Error. 2007. Shouldn’t post with beer under the belt. 🙄
@Big Fish (Comment 71) : 🙂
So when the EP Kings replace the Cheetahs in Super Rugby Frans Steyn can dominate the Vodacom Cup…good choice 😉
@SheldonK (Comment 96) : 😆
@Ben (Comment 93) : Nah – he said he is not retiring in an answer to SW, but when I asked if we might see him in a coaching capacity, I got no reply…silence might also be an answer…or he might be headed overseas…I am hoping for the first!
@SheldonK (Comment 96) : You mean the Bulls silly! Their CC season is merely a taste of things to come! 😉
@Clayton(PJLD) (Comment 41) : Apparently Durbanville and Bloemfontein are the 2 areas in SA that have the highest number of maaried (to women) gay men.
@Ice Ice Bokkie (Comment 98) : Also hoping he gets involved with the Coaching at the Sharks. Honestly there is no reason he should retire. He is in excellent physical shape. Just not good enough a player to play in SA anymore! A french club will be interested in him. Even Marius Joubert is good enough for the French Top 14! 🙄
@Salmonoid (Comment 100) : Dude arent you from Durbanville?
@Salmonoid (Comment 100) : maaried = married.
@Clayton(PJLD) (Comment 102) : Not anymore, my wife forced me to move after reading that statistic.
@Ben (Comment 101) : One very audacious blogger from a very rural part of KZN even suggested that Stefan should become some kind of unqualified conditioning coach. Like a sangoma of conditioning coaches or something outrageous like that.
I really try not to discriminate against folks from those rural KZN regions but when there’s more than a hint that the guy has moonshine instead of milk with his coffee in the morning, it tends to become very difficult.
@Salmonoid (Comment 104) :
😆
I believe wpw lives in that area. Explains a lot.
@beet (Comment 105) :
‘Ware the might of the Newcastle mafia, neighbour! They are capricious and not to be trifled with.
@beet (Comment 105) :
Have you been to Newcastle?
It not nearly as rural as you make it out to be! 😀
@beet (Comment 105) : 😛
@beet (Comment 105) : Eish, you can’t trust them rural folk! I mean, have you seen Deliverance!? I rest my case…
I do however know that the intention from the country hick in question was never to suggest that Stef just walks into a coaching job, but that the Sharks retain him and provide correct training to allow him to ultimately fulfill a coaching job. It was just not properly articulated on account of being too busy chewing tobacco to type properly.
Laters, y’all!
@vanmartin (Comment 99) : The Bulls were always going to go through a bad patch when the stars they relied on so heavily left. But they have a good group of young players and a coach that is strying to drag their rugby into the modern era. They wont be amazing in Super Rugby but dotn write them off just yet.The Kings are nowhere near ready for Super Rugby in my opinion though, the gap between Premier and 1st Div CC is huge! I feel for the Pumas and Leopards going down.
@Culling Song (Comment 109) : @Pokkel (Comment 107) :
Jokes guys. I have much respect for the N.nItalian mafia and the value you guys add to this site. I last visited Newcastle 10 years ago. Of the places up there that I’ve been to (Dundee and Ladysmith included), I thought Newcastle was the best by far (Not that those other places were bad).
I was attempted to call you Culling SongP, claiming that you’d earned the suffix like another famous blogger from NZ, for making a dramatic 180 degree about turn on you previous set in stone proclamation.
And Culling Song I know what your honourable intentions were when you penned the article about Stef. It’s just fun having a dig now and again
@Culling Song (Comment 109) : 😆
Why can’t he coach? Perhaps not conditioning without training, but I am sure he’ll be able to coach. Or am I being dof?
@Big Fish (Comment 106) : it actually not that bad to stay in Newcastle, it only when the wind blows and visibility gets bad when driving on the dirt roads, especially when the cows are delivering milk at the towns “pad-stal” 🙂
@Ice Ice Bokkie (Comment 112) : Maybe he can coach, maybe he can’t, I’m not in a position to judge. All I know is Stef has a work ethic bar none, and an experience base not many people can draw on, and there must be some way in which that can add value at the Sharks.
@beet (Comment 111) : All comments were made in jest, and ripostes accepted in the same spirit. Forget about it
*whispers* Pokkel, put away the concrete mixer, Beet no longer needs to sleep with the fishes.
@Franshark (Comment 113) : Hey Franna, have you heard of this new-fangled thing called lektrisity? Apparently we’ll be getting it soon, it’s supposed to make your candles last longer or burn brighter or something. 😉
@Culling Song (Comment 115) :
But Boss I was so looking forward to it! 😥
I’ve already made the mix….how about I use it on the Blue Bull, Muesli? Please! 😈
@Culling Song (Comment 116) : don’t talk to me about that shit… I’m having strange problems with mine!
@robdylan (Comment 118) : I saw that. You didn’t perhaps buy those lights at a nuclear power station garage sale?
@Culling Song (Comment 119) : well… the website was in Japanese…
@Big Fish (Comment 106) :
Brackenfell dude!! Get it right next time!
So how’s Brooklyn treating ya’ll?? 😈
@Culling Song (Comment 116) : I wish it wanna come now, my wife complaining now that every time a lite up one of those brown candles wit the fast burning ropes the furniture disappears.
@robdylan (Comment 120) : hahahahahaha!
@Culling Song (Comment 119) : I came to swim a competition in NewCastle a while back.The Small town vibes were awesome. They Newcastlians basically drag you to come home for supper everyday.
But jeez that place gets cold. Swam there is winter. The Organizers must have been smoking when they planned it. #turboreverse in the waters of Newcastle.
The reality is that for Steyn to return to South Africa, his reasons would have to be about lifestyle
Uhhhhh. In that case, why the hell would one choose Bloem over Durbs??
Steyn is looking for a stable team environment, with guarantees about game time as the first-choice inside centre and given that he enjoyed neither of these things while in Durban, our sources indicate that he won’t return there.
And you don’t think he’d be first-choice given the dearth of quality centres in the current setup? Come on Robster. 🙄
@Mocho (Comment 124) : Not surprised they dragged you home; if you were swimming in winter there’s every chance that if you weren’t properly tended to you could die of hypothermia, which would discredit the organisers 😆
I start swimming at home in Sep, but I have solar heating for the pool. For swim training in a regular pool, anything before Oct and after Mar, maybe Apr is bordering on lunacy.
@klempie (Comment 125) : I’m just repeating what’s been told to me…
But he did enjoy game time whilst at the sharks.and he was inside centre when the sharks won the cc in ’08.
I thought the big issue was about him wanting to be a ten and not a 15 or 12 ?and that racing metro presumably did sign him with the understanding that they sign him as a ten?
@beet:comment78: tony watson’s chances of representing the boks in ’92 disappeared when the sharks kicked an up and under on tuigamala,which he caught(with his back turned to watson and stationery).watson tried to tackle him but just 2 shakes from the burly winger’s hips shook watson clear off him.
Pieter muller put in an excellent tackle on the flying inga the winga.hit him low and hard (still had a cut out of the tackle somewhere but lost it).
@klempie: comment125:agree with you
@klempie (Comment 125) : Rob doesnt like frans steyn becuase of his attitude 🙄 …he will no doubt refute this.
I red the post but no comment so forgive me if I’m not on the same page or repeating thins that was said already….
@Franshark (Comment 132) : I would love Frans to come back to SA, his should play for any team @ inside center so he could be first choice for the boks..
I can’t believe that the Cheetahs can offer him a better life-stile but good for him if he thinks so.
What they gonna do with Andries.. We’ll take him back then 😉
van Zyl and Strooli have got to go. These two clowns are polarising everyone that is not a part of their ‘Yes man’ club. Anyone slightly talented is alienated and eventually somehow leaves The Sharks. 😡
@Predawn:I thought there might not be the finances to sign and keep some player,but they found money for joubert( although,in fairness,sykes and mostert, plus a few others – wynand pienaar,lambert groenewald,kobus de kock were let go or wanted out).
Think they shouldve tried harder to keep both sykes and mostert- the sharks wouldve looked quite impressive in the locking dept for next season.now,suddenly we look a bit short on experience – and players if one considers that they decided to play deysel theee rather than back either one of bresler or jandre marais.
@bergshark (Comment 135) :
The Sharks need a shake-up or will end at the bottom of the Super Series next year. It’s kinda looking ominous with all the defections.
@Predawn: and it was all looking so good not so long ago..bad signings and letting good players leave that left gaps not easily filled ( ie,bad signings).
And the coaching dept is lacking.. If you want to build a championship winning side,start in the back room (ie ,the coaches).
We need to go after the best available backline coach and get a skills coach involved ( campese was skills coach at sharks .dunno who,if anyone,is doing that job now ).
Sykes and mostert shouldve been convinced to stay one more season at least and give it their all to make the bok team ( matfield retirement,although bekker has that pos to lose ( though injury prone,as is mostert unfortunately),and both rossouw and bakkies playing overseas).