Reports in the Afrikaans dailies suggest another Sharks prop is set to leave the union, with Danie Mienie opting to join Griquas at the end of the season.
Mienie, who proved a valuable Currie Cup squad member last year, has failed to even catch a whiff of first team action this year, as the likes of Thomas du Toit, Lourens Adriaanse and Matt Stevens have all leap-frogged him in the front row queue. Given the apparent depth, this doesn’t appear to be a big loss for the Sharks, although the bigger picture is perhaps more concerning.
With Jannie du Plessis and Beat Mtawarira both expected to move on after Super Rugby next year and Stevens, at 31, a short-term option at best, the Sharks will perhaps soon start to rue the number of talented Durban-trained props (tight heads in particular) plying their trade elsewhere. While the emergence of Thomas du Toit – a once-in-a-generation sort of player – has done much to shore up the systematic weakness at loosehead, it’s the process of identifying a long-term tight head option of similar calibre that has me scratching my head.
With no disrespect to Mienie, it’s disappointing that we couldn’t rather have kept one of Maks van Dyk, Julian Redelinghuys or Nick Schonert as a squad player, given the better value that such an investment might have meant over a slightly longer term.
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It is still a shame we let Julian Redelinghuys and Herbst go.
As long as its not more locks leaving haha
Can understand why he’s leaving with Beast and Thomas currently ahead of him. He might even get some SR experience next year if he gets called up to the Cheetahs side.
Wish we had held onto Redelinhhuys. That guy is a machine.
Man, I have to stop reading Sharks news, it’s just getting depressing.
@GreatSharksays (Comment 4) : He was pretty average whilst at the Sharks….he was no loss, but old Ackers seems to know a thing or two about scrummaging.
I’m not too sure whether it is their front row, or just their pack’s ability to scrum as a unit.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 6) : ja I think they scrum well as a unit and I also think Ackers is a very good coach.
@vanmartin (Comment 3) : He’s really behind Beast, du Toit AND Chadwick…no surprises here. And right at the moment tighthead is also well covered with Jannie, Stevens and Adriaanse. But I do agree that the lack of tightheads for the future is a worry…
@pastorshark (Comment 8) : he was always third choice at the Sharks. Glad he’s doing good.
Cheers Danie, hope you find success wherever you go, and great for you when you took a stance against what you felt was an injustice.
@Salmonoid the Subtle (Comment 10) : Now see, you can’t say something like that without expecting a whole lot of this ➡ ❓ ❓ ❓ ❓ ❓ ❓
@FireTheLooser (Comment 11) : Nah its just support he showed for someone when the world was crumbling around that person.
@Salmonoid the Subtle (Comment 10) : I too am intrigued??
@Salmonoid the Subtle (Comment 12) : @Bokhoring (Comment 13) : I think old Salmo is holding out on us…especially based on previous comments by him regarding player unhappiness at the tank.
No, seriously nothing as sinister as that – it had nothing to do with anything current and I also dont know about any unhappiness at the tank – although I can imagine.
@Salmonoid the Subtle (Comment 15) : Okay, good to know then…with all the fear and panic being spread regarding behind the scenes issues at the Sharks we seem to be a bit paranoid. 😉
@pastorshark (Comment 8) : You’re right, completely forgot about Dale!
@Salmonoid the Subtle (Comment 15) : @FireTheLooser (Comment 16) : it a problem that the Sharks are losing all their depth. I can understand a player leaving because he’s not make the match 22/23, but lots of players that’s first or second choice also leaving and that bothers me.
@JD (Comment 18) :
That’s an SA Rugby thing – not just a Sharks thing. Game time and money are understandable motivators during what is a short career.