Monday, January 08, 2007

Fossilised Sharks

I nearly died. I'm not sure where I was late last year when this news broke, but Bob Skinstad has signed for the Sharks next season.

Keo has the story (and about 2500 comments!).

I'm just utterly amazed at this story and keep looking at my calendar to see how close we are to the 1st April. I am also mighty curious as to what sort of compensation could lure him from his part-time lower leagues rugby playing and Saatchi&Saatchi golf , ahem, sponsorship manager, job in the UK to come and warm the Sharks bench.

Monty (age 32) AJ Venter (age 33) & now Skinstad (age 30+). I know that sharks as species are from the prehistoric era (somewhere between the late Silurian to early Devonian period - around 400 million years ago) - but surely the Sharks players don't have to hail from the same time!

Well, ironically - good luck to the man - so long as his "friendship" with coach Dick Muir and director of rugby, Rudolf Straueli doesn't permit him preferential treatment in getting onto the match park ahead of youngsters like Kankowski.

I always felt that his Springbok selection of a then inform Andre Venter against Scotland in 97 (I think) was a turning point for the worse of Bok rugby at the time. Hopefully something sensible comes out of this. I'm not really holding my breath though.

3 comments:

ATW said...

Rob, I would just love to be surprised by something good coming out of all this but plenty of breath holding going on. Quite frankly I just don't think Skinstad's knees will hold out for the season.

Anonymous said...

I'm a bit of a sharks fan and as far as i can remember, skinstad was a good player.
Maybe they're bringing in the vets to show the youngsters what a team really is???

ATW said...

i don't deny that Skinsatd was a great player who was forced to grow up too quickly. Does he really have anything to contribute though? The game has moved on dramatically in the last 10 years and he hasn't been around in any serious form. I'm just not sure that he is the right sort of physical condition to play 80 mins of super14 rugby. I am a huge sharks fan win/or mostly lose so really hope that it will work. Just seems too much of a gamble for me though.