The Sharks are asking fans to select a Fans’ Player of the Year through their website.
The shortlist of players is impressive indeed and it’s certainly tough to pick just one guy. You can choose one of:
Coenie Oosthuizen
Ruan Botha
Lukhanyo Am
Thomas du Toit
Curwin Bosch
Sbu Nkosi
Jean-Luc du Preez
Get over to this page to submit your vote.
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Tough one but I’d probably also pick Sbu along with Rob 😉
Thomas for me.
No one has come close to doing for the team ,as a whole than Ruan.
All the rest had great seasons as individuals.
He gets my vote, and its a pity that he never led the team during Super rugby, we could have had a different year.
Sbu for me, because he epitomizes everything that it means to be a Shark.
@The hound (Comment 3) : Have to agree.
Before you vote….lets see the BMT in this Sat semis.
Yip I’m with the Ruan vote. He’s been outstanding the whole season.
Jean-Luc du Preez in my opinion. There is good reason for why he made it to the Springbok starting lineup. He was usually the standout player whenever he played for the Sharks
Ruan
Threw my support behind Am. Plugged a huge midfield gap for us and performed damn well this year.
Why don’t we have our own Sharksworld award, voted on here ,
So far its Ruan 4
Sbu 2
JLDP 1
Thomas 1
Lukanyo 1
Ruan Botha …. under his captaincy the Sharks improved significantly …. and he, personally, has played very well in all our matches.
Nkosi here with Botha close second
Nkosi hasnt featured for most of the year. Coenie was better for the Sharks but good for the Boks. Thomas also out with injury a lot but is coming right nicely but still want to see him carry the ball more. Am has been good and does warrant a Bok place. But for me its a shoot out between Bosch/JL DuPreez/Botha and for me its a toss up between JL DupReez and Botha- would be happy if either won. Think it needs to go to a forward as they have been the reason for many a win
My vote goes to Ruan. He was a huge presence during SR and has proven to be an excellent captain throughout the CC. I hope to see him continue with the captaincy during SR next year with Phillip, Beast and JL as part of the leadership group.
Special mention to the rest of the guys they’ve all had super seasons and anyone of them could win that award and I’d be satisfied.
I think Franco Marais could / should have also made his list.
Tough one but I must go with Am.
No van wyk? Then Ruan. Got to give it to the guy who bot only plays well in his position but also provided the long lacking leadership. ..Lekker. ..
@Dragnipur (Comment 10) : same here
all great chooses but for me Am has been incredible all year long.
the push for botha is understandable seeing as how well his led in the currie cup, remember he was still playing sr when we lost our first cc game against cheetahs and I we were playing for fun on sat. so technically botha has never captained the team to a lose in a competitive game, however this is not cc play award, this is player of the year, and for me thats am.
Honorable mention: Bosch who as grown, and nkosi who burst on too the scene
We should have had this vote after SR and then after the CC as well.
But I guess people were feeling down after SR
If Andre Esterhuizen was in there he would get my vote, was superb in SR, but for me with the players selected I would go with …………….
Now starts the decisions 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 Ruan, Thomas or JlDup
I voted for Am. Case closed.
@robdylan (Comment 22) : Dictatorship. …this is why people call us a banana republic. ..
Coenie al the way!!! Cemented his place as starter at the Sharks and the Bokke!
Am and Botha…which one to go for? Am tops Ruan in Super Rugby, Botha has been brilliant in the Currie Cup…hmmm…
I think I’ll go Ruan…and that’s not because he plays the position I used to play!
Am
@pastorshark (Comment 26) : Lol I played lock as well, as much as I like Botha, Am gets my vote.
its just amazing when think about how in a very short space of time we watched Am go from being promising to one of the most effective and exciting players in all of sa rugby, def would have been a bok if it was not for untimely injuries.
I rate J krial, his not exactly a bad player, how ever Am was better in SR than JK, although stepping up to test level is another thing entirely but im confident Am can do it.
Not to mention his equally good at inside centre as outside centre.
@pastorshark (Comment 26) : maybe that’s why I voted for Coenie 😉
Not easy to choose only one…Sbu and Am…I will go with Sbu
I am gonna go with Thomas, he has been brilliant in SR and CC
http://m.sport24.co.za/sport24/Rugby/Springboks/campese-boks-not-going-to-get-any-better-20171013
@revolverocelot (Comment 32) : we used to have this guy as a coach, how exactly did we end up letting him go ? I heard it was not a acrimonious departure
@robdylan (Comment 22) : I thought u might. Two questions though- do you beleive 13 is his best position? and Do you think he can be fore the Sharks what Francois Venter is for the Cheetahs?
@SheldonK (Comment 34) : I prefer him at 12; I think his play-making skills are better utilised there. Not that he’s bad at 13, by any stretch of the imagination.
@Culling Song (Comment 35) : My thinking is the same as yours
@SheldonK (Comment 36) : Agreed!
@Culling Song (Comment 35) : @SheldonK (Comment 36) : @DuToit04 (Comment 37) : bit against the grain but think he’s better at 13. With his skills he creates opportunities for wings to finish. Another point is his “fetching” skills. Out wide he’s very effective at stealing balls as he’s there before the opposition forwards and at 12 I think that’s a part of his game that sort of disappear.
Personally I think André and Am could be as good as Brad and Waylon was in their prime!
@JD (Comment 38) : or a Halstead and Snyman/Jacobs
@JD (Comment 38) : My only issue with him at 13 and a guy like Esterhuizen at 12 is that Am will spend majority of the attacking ball cleaning the ruck Esterhuizen creates rather than creating anything. Im told Esterhuizen is working on his distribution etc in Japan so will see. Just personal preference but if we have a hard running and a distributing centre , id rather play the distributing guy at 12 and the hard runner at 13.
@robdylan (Comment 22) : Scandal.
Sbu got my vote
@stevovo (Comment 42) : i think in general he is solid – running with the ball, hitting gaps, taking on opposition players, defensively sound – solid tackler, stands his ground – ability to cover wide which gives players on your inside and outside confidence in the defensive line…and off course no substitute for pace…and last but not least his a youngster!
@JD (Comment 38) : You’re totally entitled to your opinions, even though they are clearly incorrect…
@SheldonK (Comment 40) : I think Andre has start working on offloading in the tackle. He has the size to take a defender or 2 and still get a pass out, which will make Am dangerous on his outside. He still has work to do with this skill, but I did get the feeling that he doesn’t just take the ball in 2 hands and bash up, but rather in one had to push away defenders and then offload.
@HeinF (Comment 45) : Andre has been working on the skills not that he was bad before but he will now be better,
I reckon this backline next year will be hard to run thourgh
15 Mvovo
14 Mapimpi
13 Am
12 Esterhuizen
11 Nkosi
10 Robert
09 Schreuder
reserves can rotate, Claassens/Wright, Bosch covers 10/15, Van Wyk/Louw
Long season mean player can be rotated as needed, Ward and Deysel will also be back, then there is Blewett too.
I think the lots of injuries to our backline players has forced the players like Blewett and Louw to be fast tracked and as we saw they stood tall and every position is well covered.
For me the only positions we may need another is Hooker and TH, because they are such specialized positions.
With so much depth the planning must be there to not play some players into the ground,
I am not sure how players like Zas will fit in, I also am not sure how a Smith or April or Ben10 or Radebe will fit in with so much depth well unless again there are a lot of injuries
Let us just take center where I myself was very worried a year ago….
Now there is Esterhuizen, Am, Ward, Louw, Deysel, Blewett, and If needed Van Wyk. is there any one you would say is not good enough?
All these centers have proved themselves and there is still Zas who is a 13/14 just not sure how good he is.
@Culling Song (Comment 44) : Am I allowed to agree and disagree with both of you!
I think am should play at 13 for a number of reasons. If we play Curwin at 10 we need a big 12 to close the channel so to speak.
At 13 after the structured play is broken, AM will likely be at 12 which is where we need him.
Am has to be our best choice 13 and esterhuizen our best 12
@HeinF (Comment 45) : the carrying the ball in two hands or one hand debate has come up a few times, mallet is often critical of players carrying with one hand.
the two arguments are: if you carry with two hand the defense doesnt know if your going to pass of take contact or which direction your going to pass
however some would say its better to carry with one hand and too hand off the defender and pass.
it likely come down to situations and skill, and when I say skill dont mean your natural ability to do it, but how long you have been practicing both techniques, seems to me NZ, oz, england, ireland and wales players are practicing these techniques a lot
@sharks_lover (Comment 46) : @sharks_lover (Comment 47) : Options, so many options.
good point about smith, inny and ben10, will they stick around.
Has Zas been confirmed
looks like we may have very health depth in the back line.
Really sad to hear that Mzamo Majola has left us for the kings. there is no indication if its loan or permanent. great talent but still finding his feet at prop, very young. guess he was behind beast, tank and schoeman. who do we have at lose head after them though :/.
with a this depth hopefully we do better in the Super Sport rugby challenge next year, but then again they can have a very good backline in what amounts to the SR reserve league but your forward determine if you win or lose. we had a very young team towards the end of that tournament.
depth is a good thing its going to be a long season.
@SheldonK (Comment 40) : You do need a good line breaker with a lot of gas at 13. Andre is is solid but not fast enough and he doesn’t have a quick step. For that I would train and pick Nkosi ( who has shown hw has great situational awareness) and move Mapimpi into wing next to van Wyk. Andre to Fullback.
@coolfusion (Comment 51) : I guess its just a personal preference for me. I like a play maker/good passer at 12. A big guy like Andre can be used at 13 as opposition defenders will need to be aware of him and not shift early…this could create space out wide or even have Andre breaking the tackles of some smaller 13s. As i said its a personal pref and most likely we will see Andre and Am at 12 & 13 next year with Ward as cover.
@Culling Song (Comment 44) : well I’m only a Prop/Hooker so really don’t care how the backs play as long as they don’t lose the balls we forwards worked so hard to give them!!! 😉
Strong Sharks team selected for the semi. Cant argue with any of the selections. Just interesting to see Chilliboy left out.
@SheldonK (Comment 54) : Akker brings too much agro from the bench to be left out. Likewise IMO Franco is our best hooker. So a bit tough of Chilly, but that is the problem with 3 competing for 2 spots
Was Cam available for selection?
@Bokhoring (Comment 55) : @Bokhoring (Comment 56) : Yeh Cam was available as far as i know. I just thought interesting leaving the Bok reserve hooker out thats all. Like i said i cant argue with any of the selections, think they spot on the best we have.