According to an article in the Mercury this morning, Sharks CEO Brian van Zyl has confirmed that the union has entered into preliminary discussions with Springbok Frans Steyn regarding a mid-year return to Durban.
Van Zyl told Mike Greenaway that he recently met with Steyn and his agent, Gerrie Swart, to agree preliminary terms in a deal that could see the former Sharks star return to Durban – where he owns property – after the England test series and in time to play in the closing rounds of Super Rugby this year. Steyn has apparently been told by new Bok coach Heyneke Meyer that he should ideally be playing his rugby in South Africa in order to secure his test future, which will probably be in the number 12 jersey.
The fact that Steyn is marrying a Durban girl on the day of the third English test will probably weigh heavily in his decision. Van Zyl, however, told Greenaway that is is far from a done deal. “We have had productive discussions, but nothing has been finalised because of the issue of a possible contract with SA Rugby that would need to be part of the process of him returning to SA. Hopefully everything will be sorted out, and if that is the case he would be able to play for us after the French season ends in June. The key thing is that all parties want Francois to return to SA.”
The timing of this news is somewhat ironic from a Sharks point of view, with both Tim Whitehead and Meyer Bosman stepping up really well so far this season. In short, inside centre hardly looks to be an area of weakness at the moment; that said, Steyn’s ability to turn a game is well-known and any union would surely be mad to turn down the opportunity to sign him.
Tweet
If Steyn does sign for the Sharks what a turn-around from last year it would be, sitting with more quality centres than we know what to do with! MB, TW, JPP, PJ and maybe FS! 😯
Last year we had no centres, this we have 3 brilliant ones and we might get another one, strange how things (last year we had many props now we have a crisis)
But we will gladly welcome Steyn back home
He was’nt be the first to leave us for greener pastures and then return!! After last seasons mid field strife, it will be a relief to not have to worry about that part of the team for a while 🙂 🙂
I will not say no.
Not sure about MB. Still think he is a chop.
Brilliant news!
Injuries happen so quick – so another quality centre would not be a waste. I’ll have you back, Steyna!!!!
@Bite me (Comment 5) : Time to forgive and forget!
If Steyn signs we should look to MB as backup flyhalf perhaps. He’s always looked very handy in that position.
The return of Steyn will be so awesome!!! Just imagine McCloed, Lambie, Mvovo, Steyn, JPP, Sithole and Viljoen all in one backline with Whitehead, Bosman, Odwa and Ludik to provide cover. Then with Beast back and all the youngsters thats really making a step up like Bresler, Marais, Chadwick and Paul Jordaan, siver wear is bound to follow sooner than later.
Sign him…he can either win or lose you a game…but at inside centre he is more likely to win you the game as he cannot make really costly mistakes from there. Bosman can be backup at 10 (Michalak must pack his bags im afraid). McCloed, Lambie, Steyn, Pieterson (Whithead) …pretty decent 9/10/12/13…
Whoooohoooo!!!!!
@vanmartin (Comment 8) : Had the same thought imagine:
McLeod
Lambie
Steyn
Whitehead/JPP/Jordaan
Lwazi
Ndungane/Jordaan/Sburra
Viljoen/Steyn/Lambie
Who will ever again laugh at our backline? Stormers watch out 😉
@SheldonK (Comment 10) : Freddie is returning to France at the end of the SupeRugby to challenge for a spot in the French team in any case. And I would also use Bosman as back up flyhalf
@Sharksmad – The Blog’s Dudette (Comment 12) : It’s now time for Hoffman or Reinach to step up too!
@vanmartin (Comment 14) : In the time that Hoffmann has played for the Sharks and not been injured he has really not impressed me 😐 I whant to see Reinach make the step up!
What does this mean for the starting side though??
Does Plum drop Whitehead for Steyn??
And does Bosman lose out altogether?? 😕
Competition is always good for a team.
@KingRiaan (Comment 13) : The French need some help in the flyhalf department if their backup to Trihn-Duc is Beauxis.
@Sharksmad – The Blog’s Dudette (Comment 15) : I agree Hoffman….mmmm
@Sharksmad – The Blog’s Dudette (Comment 15) : He needs a bit of time to play, he hasn’t been on the field 5 minutes before he has been injured. Hoffmann just needs an injury free run.
@Bite me (Comment 5) : I’d prefer if you restrict your commentary to rugby matters, thanks. If you have a personal issue with Bosman, then please keep it between the two of you.
the backline should be
Viljoen
JPP
Jordaan
Steyn
Mvovo
Lambie
Mcleod
Bench
Whitehead, Hoffman, Bosman/Ludik
@Uli (Comment 17) : what competition? If Steyn doesn’t start, he gets the humps and threatens to leave. That’s hardly competition.
@wpw (Comment 16) : Wes, ;ets worry about the starting team once the guy has actually signed a contract and showed up for a few practices…
Man, you Stormers okes love jumping the gun. Enjoying the Super Rugby trophy?
@lostfish (Comment 20) : Maybe I am expecting too much but he got game time in CC but really made me whant an out of form McLeod starting. Unlike Whitehead who made an immediate difference to the team!
why do people have to get personal with players and be insulting?? they dont even know these peoples personally??
🙄
@sharks_lover (Comment 26) : an inflated sense of their own importance, I think.
What kind of person calls themselves “bite me” anyway?
If this happens it will be the end of the JPP at 13 experiment.
@robdylan (Comment 24) : 😆
@robdylan (Comment 27) : 😆
@KSA Shark © (Comment 28) : 😥 I am really liking JPP at 13! I whant my cake and eat it too, although I am still wondering whether Steyn coming back makes me happy or not 😯
just remember that these are just talks… he is not “coming back” until we see him in a Sharks jersey.
Roomers on twitter suggest he’s talking to WP too
@robdylan (Comment 32) : thats prolly rassie trying
@robdylan (Comment 32) : you know the stormers have to gate crash all the parties, they tried with Alberts etc 😈
😈 rumours 😛 @robdylan (Comment 32) :
@robdylan (Comment 32) : I think he is talking to everyone.
@sharks_lover (Comment 33) : Rassie doesn’t work for them.
@Sharksmad – The Blog’s Dudette (Comment 31) : He can stay where he is IMO. We already have one primadonna we don’t need another.
i have no doubt steyn will return to the sharks fold , and yes i am happy about that, what i do know however is that the sharks medical staff etc will have to work on his over weight frame
@wpw (Comment 16) : you guys juggled between JdV, JF and JdJ for 2 season… Maybe we should ask you guys how to do it… 😕
let’s just hope they find a way to release Marius Joubert from his contract before this happens
@KSA Shark © (Comment 28) : And why would that be? Really don’t understand why you are saying that. Whitehead and Tim at 12. Lambie and Bosman at 10 and JPP and Jordaan at 13.
@Ben (Comment 42) : Sorry meant to say Whitehead and Steyn at 12.
@robdylan (Comment 41) : I’m hoping for his release regardless of this deal 😈
@Sharksmad – The Blog’s Dudette (Comment 44) : true!
@KSA Shark © (Comment 38) : @robdylan (Comment 23) : Geez guys, give the oke a break! Yes, he was, but who says he has not changed? We all make mistakes, especially when u are young. Why can’t u just chill and give the guy a fair chance. If he then has not changed, by all means, hammer him. But for now, I think you are being pretty unfair.
@Ice (Comment 46) : I think KSA was just having a dig at me 😉 Bissie, in KSA’s opinion being the Prima donna in the squad now 😆
ha ha – Gavin Rich has spotted an interesting conundrum.
Sharks have only 2 matches after the England series. If Steyn does play in both of those, would he qualify for the knock-outs?
@robdylan (Comment 48) : I guess if we make sure the rest is “not available”… 😉
@Ice (Comment 46) : +1
I just don’t get it where all this rage is coming from. Actually, I know, people are still hug onto the 2007 failure. Get over it, and one man can’t take the blame of the whole team. If the Sharks played till the last whistle then we would have had the cup. Secondly, we would have never even made the final in the 1st place if Steyn were not in the team.
@Ice (Comment 49) : they didn’t let us take Swannie last year… and he’d been contracted to us all along
@robdylan (Comment 51) : True that was just to weird….
Saw this in Rapport on Sunday. I haven`t popped the Champaigne yet, been disappointed with Steyn rumours too many times now.
But if this does happen we`ll have a brilliant backline, might be the end of the JP at center experiment though.
McLeod, Lambie, Mvovo, World Cup Winning Frans, Whitehead, JP and Viljoen.
Add Michalak and Odwa on the bench and we`re sorted.
So I won’t count my chickens yet, and I still think we will need to pick that backline carefully (both Whitehead and JP have looked awesome), but if we can afford him, we should definitely buy him. This guy is super-talented.
@Original Pierre (Comment 53) : and if you would grace us with your presence more often, you would see that it was also covered on SW on Sunday! 😈
@robdylan (Comment 48) :
Rob, let’s wait for him to sign, we don’t want to jump the gun! 😉
@Ben (Comment 42) : Because although having 2 players in every spot is ideal it is not practical.
Look how poorly it worked for the Bulls with their “Chili this week, Gary next week” policy. No player gets time to settle.
You need a DEFINITE 1st choice and then a back up and VERY few top class players will be happy to hang around as backups without it causing friction in the camp. And I’m afraid some players are more prone to throwing tantrums than others, Steyn being one of them.
😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 really very happy with this news …..JPP and Steyn at centre…no body is going to get through there. With the amount of rugby the guys are playing and will have played by the time Fransie gets here Bosman and Whitehead will be wanting the rest. I think the Sharks will be using all 4 of them.
Ps….lucky Girl whoever she is…. 😛
@Sharksmad – The Blog’s Dudette (Comment 47) : Hehehehe I wasn’t having a dig it you 🙂 I did find it amusing that I was replying to a comment of yours refering to Bismarck though. 🙂
@KSA Shark © (Comment 59) : 😆
By the way people, Schonert is the prop chosen to join the Sharks in Sydney.
@Uli (Comment 50) : How does not wanting a player to join your team translate to rage? 😯
I don’t want Steyn to join the Sharks because we have a well set up squad at the moment in which he would do nothing other than upsetting the applecart.
I suggest you go and look back to see how I supported him to play ahead of Barritt all the time AFTER the 2007 final before you decided to just determine that I have an issue with him joining the Sharks because he missed a kick for touch. 😯
@robdylan (Comment 23) : According Plumtree Steyn (and Ruan) leaving had nothing to do with the Sharks and everything to do with PDV.
@Just a Fan (Comment 63) : Where did you read that? Plumtree is much braver than me to make a comment like that.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 62) : I hear you man, thing is u can never have enough top centres in your team. We should all know that after last year 🙂
@KSA Shark © (Comment 64) : afik, its true
Steyn is World class, one off the best there is, would love to have him around… Him, Tim and JP awesome stuff… Can’t wait….
@wpw (Comment 56) : very clever wesali 🙂
@KSA Shark © (Comment 64) : SA Rugby March edition…..
Would love to see Lambie, Steyn, Whitehead, Jordaan and JPP play together in the same backline…they will cause serious problems for defenders.
BTW, anyone know how many games or minutes a player needs to play to be eligible to play in the superugby knockouts?
@KSA Shark © (Comment 57) : This is – unfortunately – a very valid point. 🙁
@KSA Shark © (Comment 57) : Still don’t really see it affecting the 13 spot except if you think Whitehead is better than JPP. I actually wouldn’t mind seeing JP move back to wing to accommodate Whitehead at 13.
When it rains, its a thunderstorm 😳
Thought this could happen, when he mentioned in the papers last year during the wc he was going to be marrying a Durbs girl in June this year.
Brilliant if it happens. Frans Steyn imo was the best inside center during the world cup. He was absolutely devastating there. He left a huge hole after he had to come back home injured. JdV was just not at the same level as Fransie. Think he is our best inside centre in SA without a doubt.
Whitehead can shift to outside centre with Fransie slotting in at 12 and move JPP back to wing. Though really enjoying JPP at outside centre.
Every franchise in SA would welcome Fransie with open arms. So really hoping this happens and he is back with the Sharks in June.
@Original Pierre (Comment 53) : With that backline think we would probably have the best backline in the S15….
😎
@Uli (Comment 50) : Very true. Agree.
Why would this be the end of JPP at 13?
Fred is headed back north soon, and unless plum wants to make Jordaan a 10 or move Zeilinga up to SR, Bosman should be our 10 cover, that leaves Jordaan and Oupa as centre cover, atm Jordaan looks to be more of an extra wing than a 13, but either way, lets say Steyn doesn’t come, and Fred is gone Bosman is our 2nd 10, we have Jordaan or Oupa to left cover 13, no 12, no good! Option 2, Steyn does join the Sharks, we move Tim and JP up one spot and drop Ndungane/Ludik to the bench, we have Oupa and Jordaan to cover 13, but no 12, better looking lineup, but stil no good. Option 3 then, keep JP at 13, play Steyn at 12, with Tim on the bench able to cover 12 and 13.
@Die Kriek (Comment 77) :
I a pencil and paper for all that…
@Big Fish (Comment 78) : I’m not following
@Die Kriek (Comment 79) : There’s so many combinations that you need to write it down and draw lines to follow. 🙂
Wait for the oak to be signed first before you start picking teams already.
Just hope it does go through, great player. lets not jinx now.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 80) : Ah, got it now. Thought I had the lines and links explained, guess my brain had one of its moments again. Unfortunately SW’s comments box doesn’t have a graphical input yet (the ‘yet’ is me hoping :wink:)
😈 Memories of Steyn’s try in 2008 CC final comes flooding back. Happy!!! 😈
I see Beeld has upped the chances of Steyn returning to the Sharks as “likely” quoting Brian v Zyl as saying “We want to sign a contract of at least 3 years with him” and then they speculate that the deal could be concluded in a couple of weeks.
@Die Kriek (Comment 82) : 🙂