Hernandez won’t swim with Sharks
1 Jul 2009
Reports that Argentina flyhalf Juan Martin Hernandez has signed for the Sharks are false.
Some French publications and South African websites have run the story as fact, claiming that Hernandez, who currently plays for French giants Stade Francais, successfully negotiated a deal with the Durban franchise.
However, keo.co.za has learned from a reliable source at the Sharks that while the franchise has been in negotiations with Hernandez, they simply cannot afford his wage requirements.
Unless Hernandez lowers his expectations, the Sharks will not be able to lure him to Durban.
It was well documented that France international Frederic Michalak, who the Sharks signed at the end of 2007, was prepared to earn significantly less than what he would have in Europe for the experience of playing in the Super 14 and Currie Cup.
He has since returned to Toulouse, leaving the Sharks short of cover for Ruan Pienaar, who was shifted to 10 at the beginning of the 2009 season. The fact that Pienaar was injured for most of the Super 14 highlighted their lack of depth at flyhalf.
With Butch James having extended his contract with Bath for an additional two years, the hopes of Durban’s favourite son completing his career at the Sharks have been scuppered, while Frans Steyn’s departure for the Paris-based Racing Metro leaves them even lighter in the pivot department.
Where the Sharks will look to next remains to be seen, but there is no doubt that they have to act quickly to bulk up this department or they could find themselves in trouble should Pienaar suffer another injury, or lose form.
By Ryan Vrede
39 Comments
1 Jul 2009, 16:47 pm
He must surely be one of the highest paid players in the World.
Twas never going to happen. A shame, it would have been great to see how he coped with real rugby.
1 Jul 2009, 16:49 pm
scamper
verb [I + adverb or preposition]
When small children and animals scamper, they run with small quick steps, in a playful or frightened way:
The children scampered off into the garden.
scupper
verb [T]
to cause something such as a plan or an opportunity to fail:
Arriving late for the interview scuppered my chances of getting the job.
1 Jul 2009, 16:53 pm
#2 kaksioek: So, rather than come back to the Sharks, Butch ran off with small quick steps, in a playful or frightened way. That doesn’t sound like him, but I guess that’s what playing in the northern hemisphere does to rugby players.
1 Jul 2009, 16:54 pm
Michalak was a failure at the Sharks. Would Hernandez have been any better? probably not.
1 Jul 2009, 17:05 pm
Damn. Hernandez is one of my favs.
1 Jul 2009, 17:05 pm
Hernandez could easily earn the difference on Point Road! No to pretentious posers at the Sharks – the guy would fit in much better at the Stormers.
1 Jul 2009, 17:21 pm
maybe natal should look at bringing peter grant home
, with the rand not being weaker than the pound euro oz and kiwi dollar its hard to bring in overseas players out best bet
is homegrown talent
1 Jul 2009, 17:22 pm
sorry i meant to say being weaker
1 Jul 2009, 17:23 pm
#4 kaksioek: Michalak didn’t appear to fail too badly in a Currie Cup winning team…
The Sharks have a history of recruiting foreign flyhalves – Thierry Lacroix, John Knox, Tony Brown, Michalak.
Whilst I don’t mind one star signing (provided he fits into the team) I would ideally prefer a team full of local grafters than foreign primadonna stars. The Bulls have set the example for turning some serious no name brand local players – Stegmann, Potgieter, Kirchner to name just a few – into SA stars of today and the future. My instinct is for the Sharks to look at local players first.
And it’s not just flyhalf the Sharks need to be looking at, it’s also hooker, lock, loose forward, centre and fullback that also need to be taken care of. The Sharks proved in this year’s S14 just what a tiny squad they really have.
1 Jul 2009, 17:46 pm
#9 wooden spoon: I’m talking about the Super 14. To be honest, I don’t watch the Currie Cup.
1 Jul 2009, 17:51 pm
They’ll look to the Freestate, as they always do
1 Jul 2009, 18:02 pm
#11 seamus:
Rob Eberbson…..
1 Jul 2009, 18:05 pm
#10 kaksioek: He was injured for most of the S14 wasn’t he? So I guess from that perspective his signing was a bit of an (unforseen) failure.
1 Jul 2009, 18:06 pm
I wish players like hernadez, BoD and Shane Williams would take a pay cut for a season or two so they could test themselves at S14 level, it would be great
1 Jul 2009, 18:09 pm
Heinrich Brussow (although I hear he has turned down the Sharks before).
Almost unheard of, a Vrystaater turning down candyfloss by the “groot dam” (the ocean).
1 Jul 2009, 18:32 pm
They should buy O’Driscoll
1 Jul 2009, 18:35 pm
#16 BULLET: We don’t like whingers at the Sharks.
1 Jul 2009, 18:49 pm
What the hell? SARUGBY.COM, is saying he DID sign and he IS coming for a year.
1 Jul 2009, 19:24 pm
Thanks goodness, he cant tackle
1 Jul 2009, 19:26 pm
#18 Leeu tot die dood: well he hadn’t signed last night when the story broke… so maybe sarugby got it wrong
1 Jul 2009, 20:20 pm
I have just visited the Sharks website. There is nothing about this to confirm this claim. SArugby.com is not the official website for the Sharks
1 Jul 2009, 20:37 pm
Dream on, chaps.
Hernandez was never going to slum it with the paupers in the south.
1 Jul 2009, 20:41 pm
#22 Viscount Crouchback: What? Would he really prefer to play for a 3-0 series loss outfit…
1 Jul 2009, 20:45 pm
Real porkers the BL team.
Lost the series and lost the fight.
Even broadcasting before the game they don’t want no action!
They don’t deserve the loyal supporters they have.
2 Jul 2009, 02:46 am
The Sharks Academy has produced these players:
JP Pietersen, Lwazi Mvovo, Waylon Murray, Clyde Rathbone,
Brad Barritt, Riaan Swanepoel, Frans Steyn,Ross Cronje,
Ryan Kankowski ,Tim Dlulani, Nikolai Blignaut, Keegan Daniel, Conrad Stoltz, Alistair Hargreaves, Johan Snyman, Steven Sykes, Patric Cilliers, JC Strauss, Craig Burdon and Beast Mtawarira….and they’re saying that they can’t produce one quality flyhalf out of the entire academy?????
This is why I am finding myself less and less inclined to supporting the Sharks and slowly becoming a closet Bulls fan.
Something is not right in the Sharks camp and somebody had better start cleaning out shop before there is a repeat of the disasters of a few seasons back.
2 Jul 2009, 08:08 am
#25 Predawn: Looking at the current sharks backline, there is very little homegrown talent in there.
Steyn and Pienaar developed in Bloem, Rory’s from Jhb, Adi played all over and Odwa is from the Eastern cape. This leaves JPP and the new inside center.
I do not understand how one of the richest unions cannot produce their own players?
The only quality players from Sharks in recent times are Kankowski, Rathbone, Barritt, Johan Snyman and Skinstad. The rest on the list are either not from there or average.
2 Jul 2009, 09:06 am
#26 Dumb Supporter: Rory is from East London. And Kanko is from Queenstown. There are 7 players at least in the Sharks squad who are from Border or EP. But if they make successes of themselves there then I’m quite happy for them to go play with the Sharks.
2 Jul 2009, 09:11 am
#26 Dumb Supporter: Why grow them if we can buy them?
2 Jul 2009, 09:56 am
Why buy them when we have the largest base of contracted players in the country.
2 Jul 2009, 09:59 am
News 24 reckons that Hernandez is a very humble person, who take a pay cut to test himself in the currie cup and super 14, also goes on to say that he’d like to live in either durban or cape town. Still wouldnt suprise me if he turns out for the sharks !!
2 Jul 2009, 10:03 am
Just what the Sharks need..another gun for hire.
2 Jul 2009, 10:10 am
Come on Juan, think of the surf and the chicks in Durban before rejecting the idea!
Shame for the Sharks, he’s an outrageous talent!
2 Jul 2009, 11:01 am
The territorial waters of Argentina have abundant ocean life; mammals such as dolphins, orcas, and whales like the southern right whale, a major tourist draw for naturalists. Sea fish include sardines, argentine hakes, dolphinfish, salmon, and sharks; also present are squid and spider crab (centolla) in Tierra del Fuego. Rivers and streams in Argentina have many species of trout and the South American dorado fish.
2 Jul 2009, 11:06 am
#33 Soda: You up late Joe? It must be 2am your time there?
2 Jul 2009, 11:10 am
#26 Dumb Supporter: Rory is actually from the Eastern Cape. Played in Joburg yes but not born and bred there.
Now has his own house in Durban.
2 Jul 2009, 11:29 am
#29 Predawn:
This oke is class though, it would have been an amazing buy, but am not surprised it did not go through, no ways the SA franchises can compete with the NH in terms of cash. Thought maybe hernandez might have been doing it for the experience.
Probably one of the best paid players in the world.
2 Jul 2009, 17:43 pm
#34 Puma: I’m not SodaJoe so nope, it’s not late for me.
2 Jul 2009, 17:45 pm
#37 Soda: You had me confused then
Are you knew here?
2 Jul 2009, 17:46 pm
#38 Puma: knew meant new
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