Hello Everyone...

Its your old friend Sharky. My apologies to those who have no clue who I am - just ignore my message.

Ok - so, I was persuaded by deny to make my grand reappearance :-) Thanks deny.

Hope you guys are all well. Quite a lot of water has passed under the bridge for me since I last chatted with you guys. Been forced to build a lot of character over the last couple of years. Been tough. Somehow chatting on a rugby forum just fell in priority....

Still a Sharks supporter though - Fortunately, or unfortunately :-)

Going to be an interesting season. With the Lions resurgent, and the Cheetahs looking likely to be coming into the competition with some form, its not a done deal that the Sharks, Stormers or Bulls for that matter will be playing Super 15 next year.

Other news from me - I am leaving South Africa on the 20th March !

 Hey Sharkie good to have you back, I have only been on here a few weeks. Life been tough old boy - I know the feeling, where you moving to? Dave S

Welcome Boet, Welcome....we've missed you and it's great to have you back. You're the one person I've always enjoyed reading and you have the unique ability to write funny. We're surrounded by some really nice folks...one if them is me mate Beeno....brings back memories? Thought that would get a smile...then we have a lovely international contingent which is growing by the week....I swear there's more Kiwis on here than Safffas...and I'mhoping to see some Ozzies join in shortly.

Mods and the Editor are great folks as well and rarely interfere.

I'm sure you'll love this site.

Same Sharky as back in 2004?

Shit I thought you died or something!

Welcome back boet.

I reckon we are in for a rude awakening in SR this year.

Methinks the Cheetahs may spoil a few semi finalists hopes.

Lions... i reckon a top 8 would be satisfactory.

With Mitch, King, Elton and Baard around...

ANything is possible.

Welcome back bud.

A blast from the past!! Very glad to see you make an appearance Sharkie, welcome back.

What a great welcome ! Thanks Guys.

Chippo - I nearly did shuffle off this mortal coil dude :-) Ja - I reckon we going to see a serious fight to stay alive. I dont think the SA teams will be concentrating too much on who makes a semi-final this year, but rather who gets to play next year. Its going to be tightly contested. It seems the playing ground is more level this year than it has ever been. And we all know the SA teams enjoying donnering each other the most.

Denny - Thanks ol buddy.

Davey - I am off to North Carolina, USA dude. Hey - in the few years since I posted on here I have actually developed some grey hairs. My beard comes out almost completely grey ! LOL ! My bush is still brunette though :-) Too much info ? Ha ha ha ha....

Hi there Sharkie wonderful to have you on the board. Hope you are fully over your illness  and that you can enjoy a great rugby season and a new life overseas.

A brush with death is always a sobering experience and we end up better folk for it somehow - learn to appreciate everything that much more and think more deeply about things (think intelligent design).

As for the guppies they are still strong and should make the top 6. Last season they were robbed blind in two matches by that ref Marks who was subsequently given the boot by Oz. I note that JP is looking good at center - now that would be a big boost.

Thanks Beeno. 2011 wasn't a great year, but 2012 is looking exciting so far !

As far as the Sharks are concerned. I think they are their own biggest opponent. I was astonished that they fell for the same trick in the Currie Cup that they played on WP the year before. You cant get more stupid than that. They have disappointed me to be honest.

They have really just been a gear or two short in the last couple of years. Cant seem to raise their intensity above average even though they clearly have the potential to. There were some shocking performances from them in the Currie Cup where it actually just looked like they were completely disinterested. As you would say in Afrikaans 'Slapgat !'

Ok - I guess we should continue talking rugby on the rugby section ? :-)

Chippo, did you sa yyou always posted under the name Chippo?

You go back a long way and I should recall your name. 

Great to have sharkie here. Denny has said Mike should be joining nearer the season. Did you know him?

Ou Maaik !? With his Smirnoff Spin ? :-)

Where is rooinek - that is what I would like to know !

Yes the sharks seem to have hit a ceiling and maybe they need new input ala the Lions and Mitchell/King Carlos.

As for Rooinek he seems to have disappeared. Not sure anyone knows where he is - maybe Dave?

However some may think peace in our time!  Hahahahhahaha he was very funny if taken the right way.

Welcome here Sharkie. You made a point in your very first post that isn't being seriously considered.......yet!!! We may have a S15 next year without one of the Bools, Sharks or Stormers. If any of these franchises are off to a slow start the tension is going to mount very quickly.

I trust in spite of your travails you are still taller than Dave

No ways will either of the Stormers , bulle or guppies be dropped from the Super 15. History does' t allow for that. They can't judge on one season!

Dave is a good looking 6 footer I hear!

Hi Beeno

I posted back in about 2003-4

Always been Chippo

I remember a few of the names like Denny, you and Sharkey.

Also remember nukefreekiwi. But  i dont see hin here anymore.

I have a vague recollection of the Chippo name. Anyhow it will be nice to see Mike again on board. I think you will find others drifting back as well.

Sharkie what was the medical problem. Don' t answer this if you feel you wouldn't like to discuss it. Seems it was serious.

I am off now so pick up your response tomorrow.

Beeno - I dont mind talking about it - but it is a bit morbid. Here is the whole story.

I got some kind of systemic viral infection. Caused the glands in my neck, under my arms and in my groin to swell up, hard like golf balls, and was extremely painful. No doctor could really figure out what it was. This eventually spread into my stomach lining, and for a few anxious weeks there was serious talk of possible cancer. Thank heavens it was not that. I was very ill though. This spread into my pelvis, and without going into too much detail, its frightening when things start happening down there - especially when that amount of pain is involved. I am much better now, but this road has been 3 years long. When they test my blood, it still shows signs of an underlying infection, but the doctors are dumbfounded - they cant find the source and they dont know how to treat it. I have taken so much medication - its crazy !

At the same time (uncannily so) my brother was diagnosed with prostate cancer.  Prostate cancer isn't all that serious if caught early, but it turned out his has metastasized into his liver and lungs. He is responding well to treatment, but in the end he has been told by doctors that his cancer is terminal. They have given him odds on living for another 5 years, and its scary. You might know this from me talking about him constantly, but I idolise my boet a bit hey....its hard....

A few months prior to this, my neice got ill and ended up in ICU on dialysis. The diagnosis was Wilsons Disease which is an inability for your body to get rid of copper. Apparently copper poisoning is one of the worst heavy metal poisonings because it just eats your liver. She was only 17 and on the liver transplant list at Donald Gordon in Joburg. Miraculously, she recovered. Believe it or not, she is the first patient in the history of medicine that has recovered from such a severe liver dysfunction. She nearly died - and when I say that, I am being serious. The doctors told my brother and sister-in-law to come to the hospital and say goodbye.

It was just weird - like our family was under attack for some reason. Been a rough time, but it is looking up :-)

I was sad to watch the Sharks go down like that in the final. The Lions deserved it, but that will be my last Currie Cup final on SA soil for some time to come. So - I cant deny - I was a bit emotional about it even though I could see the Lions deserved the trophy.

Never mind Sharkie, some nice N Carolina spare ribs will set you right. Seems there are more and more of these infections of unknown origin floating around....scary stuff.

Sad to hear about the suffering of you and the family Sharkie, our thoughts and best wishes are with you guys and always will be.

What's with Beeno, badgered me to get you back now I see he's on about Mike.......jirre!!

Oh alright, tell you what, let's get Mike and Groenbloed back up, hey? Do you guys remember Groen?.....the two of us were always at each other but guess what, we met together with our wives over dinner and later went to watch the Stormers play the 'Tahs .....what a great night that turned out to be. Typical bloody Stormers had to lose of course...but hey who cared!?

@Sharky

Not sure if you remember me as well?

Good to see the forum cracking again.

Bud, you almost had me in tears!

May your entire family be blessed and all recover 100%

We are a little rugga forum, but hell these things get to me hey.

Like i feel as if its close to home.

In anycase, welcome back buddy.

 Wow Sharkie you have had it bad - thoughts are with your boet. I thought I had it bad, but compared to you my ordeals have been childplay. Good to hear you have turned the corner, long may it continue. Good luck in the USofA!!

Howzit manne. A friend of mine told me about this leka site, and I just joined. I'm from Milnerton and I support the Stormers and the Wiepie, but I smaak the All Blacks stukkend. I have been shouting for them for many years now.

Sharkie thanks for sharing that and heck you guys have been through the mill for sure. I do beleive in coming under attack - in fact know it to be true.

Well let us trust a new season is opening up to you and your family and the move to the USA is all you hoped it too be. 

I can't gurantee the Sharks winning the Super 15 but they will be competing hard and should JP star at center things could get interesting.

Well said Flash and a warm welcome to Kaapse Klong who supports SA's premier franchise but unfortunately also likes the abs. But heck the kiwis here clealry need some assistance!!!

No, the Kiwis don't need assistance my bra. We sommer do it one our own, ek se. Respect the World Champs asseblief my broe.

Kaapse when the abs earn respect they will get it. Stealing the wc will not cut it.

I wonder if this kaapse is a genuine oke or is there something moleish at work here.

Hmmmmm time will tell.

Bye the way kaapse is it bra, broe or bru?

What more do you want Beeno. You telling me you do not have respect for the team at the top of the world rankings, who also happens to be the Champs ook. Bra, broe............. makie sakie. Wat oekal vir jou tiekel ek se.

Kaapse Klong - Welcome aboard

Is your friend a member of this site?

Yes, he is. I am waiting for him to start posting again. He was telling me last night that he used to post here, and he has recently checked it out again. He will be posting later in the day I think. He is working night shift my broe. I think his name was Snoek, but I don't know. Ek dink hy sal my sien. I said I will use this name.

Klong, do you know William Sitter? Something about you reminds me of him.

Nai, sorry my bru, I don't know him.

Well KK the board is growing and as you can see buzzing along nicely, every week we have new members starting. They said we were dumb to post in a place where there is no traffic, they questioned whether anyone posted here at all..well look at us now!  Management of the site are aware of the forums shortcomings and are busy as we speak making updates. Together we aim to be the best board...we're not there yet but give us time and we will be. My aim is for the board to have an international flavour, I've invited Kiwis, Ozzies and English to join and that's coming along nicely. As you can see we already have 3 Kiwis and I have a slapgat Ozzie joining shortly.

Which brings me to you, you've come along by word of mouth you say....that's great, if everyone did that we'd double our membership. I don't care whether you support the ABs, that's your unreserved right, I don't understand why and neither do I want to, I also supported foreign teams above the Boks in the Apartheid years and I've waited a long time for a free South Africa to arrive but as opposed to you I have thrown my heart and soul behind the team representing the country of my birth. I could support the Ozzies, there are many reasons  why I should, Malcolm Fraser as PM of Oz  campaigned vigourosly for a democratic South Africa is a good enough reason, another is that I've spent half my life living in OZ.

I've chosen to put the past behind as I've waited too long to throw away the opportunity not to support the team of my birthplace.

Hey Sharkie. I have a message for you from some of the old guys who used to post on the old site and are now at Supersupporter. They wanted me to wish you well with everything and are really sorry to hear you've had it so rough of late. So, that's what I'm doing now ! :)

Nice to see you are posting here Sharky!! it has been a rough time for you but hope 2012 will be the start of better things to come.