Will Shalk Burger ever play again?

The following statment by the family indicates thelatest development:-

 "Stormers captain Schalk Burger has been ruled out for at least another six weeks after he contracted bacterial meningitis.

The Burger family have released a statement which explains that Burger contracted the condition after having an operation.

"We as a family herewith would like to advise all the fans, supporters, sponsors and employers of Schalk that he was yesterday afternoon diagnosed as having contracted bacterial meningitis following an operation to reduce pressure on a nerve that was influencing the performance of his calf muscle."

"Given a successful recovery, he will remain in hospital for the next 14 days and where after it will be at least another six weeks before he will be fit for playing."

"We would like to thank the specialists looking after him, and are doing a marvelous job, as well as everyone who has sent their best wishes, given the tough time he, his wife Michele and son Schalk are going through."

"We will issue a further statement as his condition improves."

"We would like to thank the specialists looking after him, and are doing a marvelous job, as well as everyone who has sent their best wishes, given the tough time he, his wife Michele and son Schalk are going through."

"We will issue a further statement as his condition improve."

Burger has not played rugby since the opening round of the 2012 Super Rugby season.

I think the operation stemmed from his previous neck injury and explains why his claf muscle injury kept troubling him.   The question is that he wont be back until the middle of May 2013 at the earliest - so from there to the June tests is a very short time to even qualify for test selection - so what is going to happen.

Has his body been so knocked up that any future career is still possible????

Mike please! Firstlycan you clean p this messy posts so busy executives dont have to waste valuable time scrolling down to my post!

Next no more negatives waves re Schalk. The man of steel will be back and fresh for the business end of the Super 15.

Go Schalk do not be discouraged by all these misfortunes and doomsayers like ou maaaik!

Its almost like there is a nz plot afoot to keep Schalk off the playing field!

 Schalk after his latest operation will be ready. Even if half his body has to become robocop

 Nice one SB. The man who turned round our rugby in 2004 done? Say it ain't so!

might be time to accept the fact that burgers time has come and gone, talk about shitty luck contarcting meningitis, whats the deal with that,  for every 100 knee operations u get one free batch of meningitis??? o_O

with the number of class loosies around, i cant really see what he can bring to the table, that others cant. even in his own stormers, he would be hard pressed to become the incumbent.

i agree with Beeno. It's obviously a NZ plot cooked up to to keep Burger from playing.  You gotta watch them Kiwis. They're capable of anything except of course losing on a regular basis.

Yarpy you started so well but ended very lamely!

Schalk will be back and the egg will flow. Bwahahhahaha

I don't think the Kiwis are that stupid. I'm sure they realize that Skulk's unavailability is a big blow to their chances against us.

Rooitwit you are sure confused.

Sorry but cant correct you as I am off home.

Just when you think RooiAAS may be joining the human race  as he approaches old age.....he proves that he remains a slimy rat, for whom a smart aas comment is more important than a bit of human empathy.

You Saffers go on incessantly about your "manly man" forwards, well Shalk was about as hard as they come, any game he played in the opposition knew they had to be up to it. He I suppose typified a SA forward, hard and uncompromising, I hope he overcomes this latest illness and makes a return to the paddock at any level. Good Luck Shalk.

Actually Schalk was a tough guy, but we have plenty of tough loosies like Potgieter and Deysel, who never amounted to diddly at test level. Schalk was great because he played closer to the ball than any Bok loosie I have seen. Look at any significant action in a test he was in, and Schalk was likely involved or running into frame. The guy has an amazing read of the game.

Before he hurt his neck, he was also as good on the ground as George Smith or McCaw. That fell away a bit with the steel rod in his neck. But he became a superb link player.....facilitated by a cricketer's hands. The pick up he made to spring Habana on his 95 metre dash past Drew Mitchell was a good example.

But rugby is also a game of applied physical force and no player I can think of, produced more kinetic energy in a game than Schalk Burger.

Mozart

Nobody would ever argue about the faact that Burger was a great loosie in the past - repected by teammates as well opposing playes.    The argument is not about what he was in the past - the argument is whether he will play again in future.

Here we have a guy that has not played a full game of rugby since the end of 2011.   He was injured in February 2012 and had only 290 minutes playing time in 2012.  He was reported to start playing in February 2013 - but that did not happen - because he had calf muscle problems.  Now two months later we heard that the calf muscle problem was the reult of pressure on a nerve and he had to be  operated on.

Somehow h got meningitis - a disease that weakens muscles in the body as well  because of the high level of anti-biotics and the time he has to spend in hospital.   When he comes out it will take at least another 2 months to get matchfit.   Even if he succeeds he will not be available until July 2013 - that is 18 months since he was last playing rugby.

In the meantime there is no certainty that he would recover his physical abilities and playing capaity of the past and his body is showing signs of wear and tare, while theire is a host of oher loosies yapping around ready to play for the Springboks.

In any event he cannot hope to be selectd on reputation - he must prove that he is still up to it.   I would be the first one to welcome him back with open arms - because s you stated he really has ball sense.  Before selection is possible though  he has to show that he is still a worthy candidate.

It is not the greatness of the past that counts - it is what he or any toehre player is capable to do at present. 

Ou Maaik....if you just stop and take in what's happening, you will see I'm reacting to poly's take that all Schalk provides is physicality. These boring "lessons" you keep providing are tedious. Everybody with half a brain has to be asking if a player with Schalk's issues will play at top level again. It an obvious point....try to be less obvious.

Mozart, no disrespect was meant to Schalk from my post. In fact quite the opposite, It was his physicality that was his greatest assets and what I remember about his play, but I don't think I implied he was a brainless hulk.

Thanks for that clarification Poly.