Sharks 2014 & 2015 Comparison

 Freeing the shackles of Jakeball is not easy 

One of the problems was that the Sharks backline is overrated and als depth. This team is all about the pack, and that is where Jake founded their gameplan. Unlike the Brumbies, the Sharks do not possess the talent in the backs to work off that platform. Gold et al knew better, however, and undid everything Jake built and tried to establish a game they did not understand fully with a group of individuals who could not execute. Well, that isn't entirely true, they executed the gameplan alright. Hence they are dead and buried all season. 
Maybe if Gold fetched their slippers in the morning, accompanied by a glass of warm milk fresh from the farm. It is a tragic demonstration of very naive coaching, and worst of all was assigning a captain with the worst discipline and temperament of all players on the squad, that set the tone for the ill discipline  that followed. 

 Maybe next year we will begin to see more of Golds plan unfolding

 The problem with the Sharks is not easy to identify.  Basically it seem as if the problem is basically two-fold, namely -
*   the fact that their forwards are reaching retirement age and are fading out; and*   a disfunctional backline with reputation players like Murray, JP and even Steyn in the mix.
The issue of their forwards are clear.  Jannie du Plessis is going downwards fast and Beast plays one good game and one average one.   Their lock combination without Du Toit and Lewies is a joke in bad taste and they have a loosie problem as well with three below par loosies (Alberts, Kankowski and Mthembu)  and two good ones (Coetzee and Bothma).   They do not have sufficient back-up players to make a difference.
Their backline last year was malfunctional with limited performance potential.  Without Lambie and Jordaan the malfunctioning of the backline was evident and that remains a fact.
The loonie idea is that Jake White did miracles with the Sharks team last year, but was that really the case?   The answer is relatively simple.  The SA conference was exceptionally weak last year - same as this year - and the fact that the Sharks ended up as top of the SA Conference took them into the play-offs - with a local play-off game to boot.  They won that game against the Highlanders by a fluke - having lost to them by a wide margin in the round robin stage - and that was in reality  the end of their campaign.
Lets look at other facts as well.   The Sharks in 17 games last year managed to score the ridiculously low figure of 25 tries - in 14 games played they already scored 29 tries this year.   The difference came in that last year they defended better than this year.   The problem this year was they had too many questionable defenders in their backline and those included Esterhuizen, Steyn, JP, Murray  and the two wings. JP is a wing - not a center.  Steyn was poor last year and equally so this year with figures of missed tackles in excess of 26%.   Esterhuizen is a rookie and will improve. Murray is a joke in bad taste.
It is clear that the Sharks should have started rebuilding their squad over the last two years and not only now.  Nothing happened under Jake White and nothing of substance happened this year - matter of fact is they went backwards insofar as forwards are concerned this year.   Bringing in hasbeens like Wentzel, Botha and Stevens were going further backward - not forward.
Over the past few years the Sharks lost too many players of substance like the Marais brothers at lock and players like Daniel amongst the loosies.   
In the backline they saw a serious decline in their player stock as well.   Players like Ndungane is way past their best and Steyn had a disastrous record since 2013 - no attacking ability and extremely questionable defence.  JP's pace went down the drain.  Instead of building up a reasonable backline they failed to do so.  When players like Lambie and Jordaan are not available that backline has about as much clout as a powder-puff.  
I think the issue is that as was the case in 2005 the Sharks will have to start with  some serious team rebuilding.   They have some good youngsters coming through the ranks and they will have to do some "shopping" for others.   Whether Gold would be able to do that is another question.
However, rebuilding is necessary and will be forced onto them.  It is likely that both du Plessis brothers, Beast and Alberts will leave them this year and the geriatrics they brought in towards the end of last year should be send packing.   They should also pay some bonus to a club to take over Steyn and urgently replace Murray as well.  Ndungane is also past his best.   Of the above only Bismarck in his few games this year showed anything of substance - the rest would not be missed.                               
    

  I think you have clearly identified the problems Mike