In a piece of news as unexpected as it is welcome, the Sharks have announced that former captain and centurion Keegan Daniel will return to the team for the 2016 Super Rugby competition.
Daniel, who represented the Sharks for over a decade, culminating in his captaining the side that won the 2013 Currie Cup, left the team in 2014 under a cloud after falling out with new coach Jake White.
The terms of his return are unclear and we’ll update you when we know more. In the meantime, let’s just enjoy the great news and say a big welcome back!
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Yes!
Welcome back Keegan!!
Welcome back Keegan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Was wondering what happened to him just last week
@robdylan (Comment 1) : that’s why we love you you’re even faster than Wikipedia!!!
Great news this….hopefully he will show the form he had when he left.
super news!!(now I’m just waiting for a certain 13 to join the squad :D:D ).
YES!!! 😀
I think this awesome
A bit of insight
http://www.sharksworld.co.za/2013/09/13/get-to-know-your-team-keegan-daniel/
Great news! I also saw Steve Haag has pics up of Chris de Beer training with the seniors, lot’s of good news!
Bloody brilliant!!!! 😀 😀 Best news of the day. Welcome back Keegster!!!
@Seth101 (Comment 11) : would be nice if someone like john allen could be brought in to assist with coaching the hookers.
Welcome back Keegan!
Who is Chris De Beer? Lol
@50shadesofshark (Comment 13) : Agreed, Hooker is definitely our weakest position right now.
@50shadesofshark (Comment 7) : Who?
@sharks_lover (Comment 15) : The future bok hooker 😉
Welcome back Keegan, brilliant news as he is and will always be a Shark
@Seth101 (Comment 18) : from where? Eish lol
I still concerned with lock too although less so
@sharks_lover (Comment 17) : richard kahui (though,it won’t happen).
@sharks_lover (Comment 20) : Hilton Head boy and 1st Team captain, U19 Captain, and then U21 captain before getting injured. Moved to hooker while in school at the recommendation of JW.
@sharks_lover (Comment 15) : plays hooker.
@sharks_lover (Comment 21) : waiting for confirmation re: the signing of uanivi.
Fantastic news. That’ll make the loosies well stocked.
Welcome back, just what we needed to get the forwards and backs gelling again, we have great loonies, but he was always a spectacular player in my opinion, just funny how many guys are returning since JW is gone
@sharks_lover (Comment 21) : interesting the sharks included hyron andrews (still u21 this year)in the team to france.2.03m no5 lock.
@50shadesofshark (Comment 28) : I saw and glad for him, thing is we are OK at 5, it is 4 lock that concerns me? We need a genuine enforcer lock.
Great stuff. Welcome back. Should really use a rotation system to manage the players during this long season.
Hoffman gone, Keegan back, all is well!!!!!
We are fine at hooker guys, flippen sexy at loose forward, fine at prop. Challenge for me remains at centre. Both 12 and 13. Hope Rob du Preez has been working with the centres and centre hopefuls. Mjekevu and Sithole can be serious options at 13 with the right coaching. Paul, I see him as a wing. Can also be effective at 13 if coached properly.
@sharks_lover (Comment 29) : understand where you coming from.was saying the sharks should sign jim hamilton-or even bakkies!strong in the scrum and someone to build the maul from line-outs around.and add his weight at the mauls and clearing at the rucks.experienced and 100% competitive.sharks can play jacques potgieter at no4-lock.oosthuizen is also still young and must be given time to develop in the position.no shifting between 4 and 7.mtyanda is big,1.98m +130kg.
@GreatSharksays (Comment 32) : agree with you re: jordaan at wing and sithole at 13.
Blixem – wonderful news – hope he is in good shape and fit – but welcom back.
so I hear Keegan was so keen to play for the Sharks again that he’s agreed to do so for far less than his market value. And that’s at his own insistence.
What a guy. We need more like him.
@robdylan (Comment 36) : Wow 😯 Imagine a team full of guys with that type of commitment.
They would not need to be the best, but they would dominate! 😎
@robdylan (Comment 36) : I just feel better with a guy like him in our squad. I reckon he’s ‘off-field’ value is immense.
@robdylan (Comment 36) : Wow. Must have made a killing in Japan.
Welcome back Keegan; really glad to have you back
Great to have him back. Will surely add the much needed balance in our pack. We actually have a squad that is more than capable of representing us well. That’s going to demand some good coaching from a technical and strategic view.
I’m very happy about this.
So much good news coming out of the Sharks camp lately.
Welcome back Keegan!!!
@robdylan (Comment 36) : Knowing that makes me respect him even more, he always played his heart out for the jersey. A true Sharks man and it’s great to have him home.
I really hope we can get our 12 and 13 sorted. It seems Gold has shelved the idea of Sithole at 13, but there is still a part of me that hopes they will give him a chance. I feel Jordaan would be better utilised at wing.
@robdylan (Comment 36) : need players like that who want to ply for the Sharks and not the wallet!!!
@JD (Comment 47) : yeah, that was my thought too
I love keegs his just awesome, however isnt loose forward the one position we have tons and tons of depth, having said that i hope this is a sign that we’re going to us our squad in a constructive manner
I know people hate the idea of resting or rotating in rugby, but this is a modern game and sports science is producing more and more evidence indicating how to properly manage players in different sporting codes and different people for that matter
when i saw the article online that keegs was back i extended both my arms in the air and shouted Yes! Safe to say the peeps in my office think im crazy to be so happy about a sporting event lol
to conclude, i hope having keegs back doesnt negatively effect a a guy like majola’s development, but im sure the coaching staff will make a plan, besides his experience is needed
I always liked Keegan,but to be honest do we really need him?
My dream first choice loose 3 is Marcel and the twins,with van der Walt,Majola,Bothma,Kleinhans in that order filling in when needed,
where does that leave Keegan.
Instead of riding the bench in the hope of a game He should go and captain the Kings,they really could use him.
@revolverocelot (Comment 49) : With Potgieter or Bothma at 7 and Coetzee at 6, we will want more of a linking type 8, like Keegan. As good an 8 as van der Walt is, I think in the interest of balance, in the loosies, Keegan is the better choice at 8. With the younger loosies, the du Preez twins and Kleinhans or Tera, we will want an 8 more like van der Walt. I like that we have two very different 8s, and one (Keegan) who can cover all three loosie positions. Even besides his immense leadership and off=field contributions, he will add massive value on the field as well.
@The hound (Comment 50) : Sorry Mtembu not Majola.
@The hound (Comment 51) : coetzee/keegan at no6.
@Dancing Bear (Comment 52) :the sharks have 2 good no8s in van der walt and mthembu.keegan and coetzee can be the sharks tag team at no6.
@50shadesofshark (Comment 53) : Marcel at 6,Dan at 8,Jean Luc at 7,
They just need to play like that together once and I will be a happy man,for the rest of the season.
@The hound (Comment 56) : seems like dan du preez will get gametime at no8 on the french tour.hope the games are televised.would like to see how he goes there.
Was praying for exactly this to happen! He may finally add the x-factor and flair that we need.
@robdylan (Comment 1) : Yes please! Welcome back Keegan!!
@Henkb (Comment 27) : We have great LOONIES?! I thought we had been working so hard to reduce the number of loonies in the setup…
@GreatSharksays (Comment 32) : I agree with that statement, for sure!
@robdylan (Comment 36) : It all makes me a little bit excited…
@pastorshark (Comment 59) : Sorry was ment to be loosies, auto correct was a bad ass today and I did not even check properly, but yes I’m also glad we got rid of the loonies ????????
@GreatSharksays (Comment 32) : @pastorshark (Comment 60) : somehow I think JPP will be 13 to start the season.
Hooker and tight head prop is also not really covered and are a great concern for me especially at the start of the season.
Anyone know in what form Keegan was whilst playing in Japan?!? Did not see or hear anything about him for some time?!?!
@Henkb (Comment 62) : 😆 Ja, I thought that was the case…I was just having some fun… 😆
@pastorshark (Comment 65) : Might be that I got a bit loonies about the news on Keegan also
He will be very valuable as an impact player at flank and 8. He can also provide some good rotation for Marcell. Let’s hope Gary can rotate well enough to keep all our loosies happy. The only things still worrying me is 9 and hooker. Keep up the good work in getting our sticks replenished Gary and team. Must say since he and Rob dupreez joined forces there has been many positives.
Stocks not sticks. Use the sticks to beat the loonies off…
Great news indeed, welcome back Keegan
Great news, great player.
@The hound (Comment 50) : Go wash your dirty mouth out!
Keegan brings something to the game that none of our other loosies do imo, he has more ability to create something from nothing than any of the other loosies.
@Bump (Comment 71) : Yes…. like passing every now and then. 😆
But seriously, welcome back Keegan! Glad you returned home.
I have been so happy since I saw this news. Makes me extra excited for this season.
Things started going wrong at the Sharks the moment Keegan and Botes left. I think his value to the culture of the sharks will be immeasurable.
I think this is both good and interesting. Good in that the young loosies will learn a lot about dynamic play from him…and he does have a knack for turning it on against the Bulls 🙂 But its also interesting as we do have a lot of loosies so does that mean one or some are perhaps carrying more serious niggles than we think or perhaps not performing as management would like? Or is it a sign that a guy like Potgieter will be mainly used at lock?
Well the way the game is going the loosies carry most of the workload on the field, and careful rotation would be needed to keep them fresh and injury free.
@garyxxl (Comment 74) : I agree
@SheldonK (Comment 75) : no – I think the signing here was opportunistic, rather than based on any perceived weakness in the loose forward ranks.
@robdylan (Comment 78) : Yeh fair call…lack of rugby means i read into thing too much. Definitely a good grab…think he has unfinished business
@SheldonK (Comment 79) : we’re all bloody desperate for some rugga
@robdylan (Comment 80) : haha yeh thats true…i even watched the dreadful Varsity shield game between Fort Hare and UWC last night…eish that was cap rugby but still something to watch. Dont think there will be any shortage of games once Super Extreme Rugby gets started
options at no8: van der walt ,mthembu ,keegan ,bothma ,dan du preez. options at no7: potgieter, jean-luc du preez,dan du preez,deysel,bothma,mcduling,de bruin. options at no6: coetzee,keegan,kleinhans,majola.
@Bump (Comment 71) : Read what I said again,I have always liked Keegan,but do not think he is our future.
He had his time,good player,but not a leader,although he had a terrible bunch he was supposed to lead,Bismarck,Jannie,Frans Steyn who had open contempt for him.
Marcel and Pat have been identified as the new leaders,they are the future,Keegan unfortunately is the past.
Great Fantasy team news!!
@Volstruis (Comment 84) : likes to score a try….
@The hound (Comment 83) : not our future, but maybe still an important part of our present?
Welcome back!
Great to have Keegan back!! Don’t think he will start every game but the experience he brings will help a lot. The fact that he didn’t demand a moerse salary just shows his heart has always been at the Sharks.
@The hound (Comment 83) : not all leaders needs to be captain to show their leadership!!!!