The review, which involved stakeholders across all levels of the organisation, concluded that the team’s problems were “multi-faceted” and required systemic change rather than “simple fixes.”
No no, their problems lie at 10 and 12. Ask Mike.
The review, which involved stakeholders across all levels of the organisation, concluded that the team’s problems were “multi-faceted” and required systemic change rather than “simple fixes.”
No no, their problems lie at 10 and 12. Ask Mike.
These 8 months from now departures only work if the person leaving has the confidence of the team. If the team is imploding, it’s better to have the assistant head coach, who may be a candidate for the job, in charge temporarily while a search for the new Head Coach takes place.
Plumtree is dead in the water.
Perhaps Esterhozen can play flank, center and Head Coach…..he seems to be versatile
"Perhaps Esterhozen can play flank, center and Head Coach…..he seems to be versatile"
hahaha!!!!
The 4D hybrid
What wasn't clear to them last year that is clear this year?
Did they think the Sharks were playing well? My word, they were awful and playing well below what they should have been. I thought that was obvious.
Also, this is all clearly JJ's fault. The rot started when he arrived.
The fault lies not only with Plumtree as is clearly stated above in the statement quoted by Dave-
"The review, which involved stakeholders across all levels of the organisation, concluded that the team’s problems were “multi-faceted” and required systemic change rather than “simple fixes.”
"Director of Rugby Neil Powell will assume broader operational responsibilities, including oversight of the academy and junior systems, player recruitment, logistics, and medical and rehabilitation programmes."
Some of the above have not been under control of Plumtree provng there are inherent problems in the organization that need to be corrected. Won't be surprised if the contract of some players will be terminated at the end of this URC season.
The Sharks need a coach like Vemeulen that ended the shit prevailing at the Sharks at present. Erasmus will have a saya s to whom should be appointed - I think the strongest claim will be the present coach of Glasgow or Nienaber. The present leadeship clique comtrolling the team at present will be eliminated in the process as well.
JJ will glide into the coaching role
Lol Dawid
Now some sanity please. Read the followin g and see what the ownershio of the Sharks think of Plumtree - he is not elaving the Sharks set-up nd will tke on other dutoes a mentioned:-
REACTION: John Cyril Plumtree is not everyone’s cup of tea, but he still has some powerful support in the Sharks structures.
It was announced this week that a series of ‘significant changes’ to the coaching and upper management structures will take place over the coming months.
The result is that he will step down from his coaching role and move into a mentoring and advisory role.
Despite the dramatic changes, Plumtree’s boardroom popularity has not waned.
“Plumtree retains the complete backing and support of ownership, management and players,” the Sharks said in a statement.
This was supported by New York lawyer and controlling owner of the Sharks, Marco Masotti.
“Coach Plumtree arrived at the Sharks in 1988,” Masotti said of the New Zealanders’ first stint as a Currie Cup-winning player.
His first coaching stint in Durban was from 2008 to 2012, followed by terms with Ireland, Hurricanes, Japan and the All Blacks, before returning to the Sharks in 2023.
“He cares deeply about our team and is a special coach,” Masotti said.
“We won three major trophies since he returned to Durban, and our club is stronger and more resilient because of him,” said of their European Challenge Cup, Currie Cup and United Rugby Championship South African Shield wins.
Turning to the remainder of the season, with just five of the 18 rounds of league action completed, Masotti said there is a lot of rugby left.
“I hope our fans will join me in standing behind our coaches and players for the remainder of the season."
The above indicate that the problems of the Sharks was not with the oach only - it went much deeper. I still think a number of playersare gong to get the boot at th e end of this season. S ome of t he players are too old to continue paying and others are to thick to realize what is expected from them.
Will we see Jake White make a come back? The only two coaches outside of SA right now that should be at our Franchises are Franco Smit and Johan van Graan. However, they have been locked into contracts.
Then we have Nienaber, but I am always really confused what the coaching structures are in Ireland. They have Leo Cullen and he always seems to call the shots on match day. But I don't quite know what Nienaber does. They just extended his contract for another year but now Leinster has lost their opening 3 games and a mountain to climb,
Then you have the saaarks, obsessed with race, so many good white players. They kept Pepsi and got rid of Roos, so many white players left and then pop up else where. Then, don't forget about Libbok too who become a bok at the Stormers.
The stormers rugby culture works and both coloured and white rugby are well integrated and the union has learned how to play towards the strengths with a sprinkle of black talent.
Where was the sharks has no rugby culture and they trying to force a black identity onto it.
This is always the refrain.. .the problem isn’t with the coach, the U13 pool of players is being neglected. This man has a magnificent squad of explosive players, he has simply not put the pieces together. No need to look any further or keep him around confusing things….move on, it’s not working.
Mozart
It is easy to blame the coach for problems the Sharks had this season and even in the past. The S harks has the best Tight 65 in the series - but that is where the game plan ends, The loosies are pathetic and the backline worse, That is the real situation. One just has to look at the matches the Sharks played in to realize that man of the Springboks do not play any plan they may have to play according he rugby they are supposed to play.
Some players are played their own game and not a team game - in other words they regard themselves as their own coach and they have becomae uncouchable. Amongst those are Springboks who t hink they are the best in the world playing the worst rugby imaginable, It will be virtually impossible in the case of over 30 years of age players. If the players did in the Springbok what they did playing for the Sharks squad they would be out within an hour,
All the Springboks in the squad are just going through the paces and in the process fuck up royally, If one lok at the game the Sharks played against Ulster and compared that with the Rugby played by the Lions against the sanme team one realize how deep the rot actually is.
One only have to look at the point differences to realize the shit produce by the playes as a team mafunction:-
Stormers - plus 118
Bulls - minus 8
Lions - minus 9
Sharks - Minus 30
The Stormers have only 2 Springboks regulars and they actually only playe in 2 of the 5 matches played.
The Lions have no Spring boks in their midst and play far better rugby han the Bulls and Sharks and Bulls play
The Bulls have oodles of Sprigboks - many of them should not have been contracted by the Bulls,
The Sharks had most Springboks in their midst but play idiot rugby most of the time.
I believe that the fault lies more with the players than the coach. That is why Plumtree remains employed by the Sharks franchise and given some powers to develop players coming through the system.and not jsut contract has beens costing the team millions and producing cents, There is no cure for stupid and that is what sonme key Sharks players are,
, . .
The coach has the authority to deal with all this…Plumtree couldn’t.
Why not just fire him now? I suppose if they can't find a coach, and a temporary option takes over, and it is a disaster, it will spread accountability.
I would bring in Jake White for a short-term deal until a longer-term replacement is found.
The Sharks are the worst-coached team in the tournament.
Fuck Jake White he needs to retire
There is talk Brendan Venter might be brought in - it’s not clear in what capacity as he has not coached for some time
Unfortunately Franco Smith and v Graan are tied into their clubs - one of them would have been ideal for the Sharks
We need them both back in SA
Jake White would turn the team around quickly, at least before destroying the team moral in the medium to long term. He is a short term fixer.
Too many big egos in the Sharks squad - old established Boks most of whom are on the way out
Jake is a crap player manager - he would not get the best out of them
No thanks to Jake - he is done, his ship has sailed
The Sharks franchise owners will never consider White as a coach, He was the Sharks coach before and he was fired within a year from being appointed. So forget about White . if present coaches linked to other franchises by conmtract are not available then Erasmus will have a major say in the appointment proccess, He promotes playing of 15 man rugby - while fanchise like the Bulls and Sharks had a fixation about playing 10 man rugby without any other way to play.
If any coach start recruting players over 30 years of age the teams wil suffer sooner rather than later, White recruited players like Coetzee, Pollard and Serfontein in key positions way past their sell-bye dates thus making the performances poorer by the players of the team is associated with low crowd attendance, The players give away penalties and get carded for dangerous play and could not care what happened in such situations. The URC finals last year and his year were lost beause a combined between approach of a coach and the team led to the matches lost befire the matches started.
As a result White was fired and Plumtree remained part of the Sharks set-up with different duties being assigned to him. It will take Ackerman at least one season to clear up the recruitment mess White caused and the same is as bad in the case of the Sharks, The Stormers perform better because they are not handicapped by disinterested players and generally have younger players in key positions. In this regard the case of Libbok leaving the Stormers they found a youngster like Matthee to replace him and thus far he performed very well. Where are the "Matthees" in the Sharks and Bulls teams? Nowhere. I am afraid.
.
In 2013 Brumbies beat British & Irish Lions 14–12 during their Australian tour, which was the first Lions loss to a non-international side since 2005, when they lost to M?ori All Blacks, though they had a draw with Emerging Springboks in 2009.
After a successful stint with the Brumbies, White was believed to be a strong contender for the Wallabies head coaching role when Robbie Deans resigned. However, he was beaten to the role by fellow Super Rugby coach Ewen McKenzie. Surprisingly, after just two months after leading the Brumbies to second in the Super Rugby, White resigned from his post at the Brumbies explaining he wanted to return home to South Africa.[21] On 7 October 2013, White was appointed director of rugby at the Sharks, replacing Brendan Venter.[22]
One of White's first actions as the Sharks' director of rugby was to establish Pat Lambie at fly-half for the upcoming Super Rugby season, saying that he felt that the talented Springbok utility back had been "messed around" with enough.[23] White also announced that François Steyn would play at inside centre.[24] The decision was partly to provide Steyn some much-needed stability, but also because he felt that playing Steyn at inside centre would help Lambie:
With Frans at 12, you will see a much better Pat Lambie. Even at 80 percent, Frans is a better player than most people at 100 percent. We will do whatever we can to make those two the best 10–12 combination in the competition.[25] White's next move was to restructure the Sharks' on-field leadership; he replaced Keegan Daniel with Bismarck du Plessis as captain, and appointed Lambie, Odwa Ndungane and Jean Deysel as vice-captains.[26]
White's first game in charge of the Sharks was a friendly on 25 January with Saracens F.C. in London. On 15 February, the Sharks started their 2014 Super Rugby campaign in the best way possible with a bonus-point 31–16 victory against arch-rivals the Bulls in Durban.[27]
But the Sharks' first major hurdle of the season came during the re-match against the Bulls in Pretoria on 22 March. Up to that stage, the Sharks had been undefeated. In addition to losing the match 23–19, their starting halves combination was injured early. Pat Lambie was subsequently ruled out for the rest of the season with a torn bicep tendon, and Cobus Reinach fractured his hand, which would cause him to miss eight weeks.[28]
White went on to coach the Sharks to top of the South African conference, finishing third overall in the table. They had to host the Highlanders in the quarter-finals, where for much of the match, the home side led, finishing 31–27. Unfortunately for the Sharks, they had to travel to Christchurch to face the Crusaders who were favourite to win the competition. The Sharks lost the match 38–6, conceding 5 tries, 4 of which came in the second half. The result came as a massive surprise for some, since the Sharks had the best defence in the competition in the normal season.
Like with the Brumbies, two months after leading the Sharks to that semi-final, White resigned as Director of Rugby, to pursue an international role ahead of the 2015 Rugby World Cup.[29]
The truth
Mozart
The 2014 Sharks got to the semi-final by a flook and lost the semifinal match against the Crusaders by 38-6. Fat Fransie was out of Springbok rugby since 2012 and brought back to the Springbok squad by Erasmus the RWC 2019 and played in some tests against minor teams and in the end was brought back to play in the final when the match was already won by the Springboks.
To be factual as a center he was rated as the no 32 playr in that position in 2014, And in 2015 his contract was termianted by the Sharks and that showed what he was good for.
White was fired by the Sharks for two very good reasons. First of all his player management was divisive and caused a player rebellion when 16 of the players due for extension of contracts refuse to sign any such agreements why White was the head coach, That was repeated in the case of the Bulls - he did not even got along with his assistant coaches and the saga was ranked BS causing his firing,
There is some smilarities though between what happened in the case of him being fired by the Sprin gboks, the Sharks and the Bulls;-
In the match a gainst the All Blacks in the Tri-nations in 2007 the Spring boks lost the match against the AB's with the Springboks lostn 33-6 - so if the Springboks had to play any of the AB's Wallabies, Ireland and France they would have lost badly. In the 2007 final the difference was the English team in the final made stupid penalisable mstakes and between Montgomery and a very slim and a fit Frans Steyn. The latter left to play for Racing Metro in France, The only real succes he achieved during three seasons with Racing was Fransie attack of French food supply and he came back from France being as fat and unfit as possible and together with Morne managed to destroy Springbok backline rugby in 2012.
Whether you like it or not White fot fired because of thes ame reason four times in his career. Wit his record the Sharks will not be mad enough to re-appoint White as a coach. This si especially so in the case of the major private sector shareholders in Sharks rugby at present.
. , .
No — the Sharks’ performance did not improve immediately after Jake White left. In fact, their 2015 season was markedly worse than 2014. They only began recovering in 2016.
Jake White coached the Brumbies from 2012 to 2013, taking them to the Super Rugby final in 2013. Wikipedia+2The Guardian+2
White left (requested release) in September 2013, with two years remaining on his contract. brumbies.rugby+1
For 2014 (the first full season without White), the Brumbies finished 2nd in the Australian Conference and 6th overall (10 wins, 6 losses) under the new coaching team (Stephen Larkham/Laurie Fisher).
So in the case of the Brumbies and the Sharks performance declined after Jake left. And in the case of the Springboks Jake finished with a 14 wins/3 losses season…..and a WC win. In the first year after he left the Boks were 9 wins /4 losses and in the next WC we exited in the QFs.
So Saaiman it seems getting rid of Jake, which you always supported, turned out to be a mistake.
Mozart
With at havebeen elft of t h e S harks squad would have been gone and the Sharks destred as a franhie if White was not fired, To be quite frank in both the Sharks and he Bulls were the same. His totalllack in creaing he eam into a al playing force. Wh ite reated palyers like school boys over which had totl control.
I lived near to Durban and White had no support from the rugby supportes in KZN and his departure was a wish came true, In eh case of th Brumbees backline coach was Lrkham and he was ambitous = he wanted the Autralia coachibg job and did not apply hs antics whilst at the Brumbees - but when it came out he would not get the Aussie job he breached his contract woth the franchise and keft in a huff,W
White always had problems with three issues and those were -
The above is rpovven by the fact that he longest he retained his coaching job were - beause of disastrous he ws not fird because of the imminent world cup he was retained as coach. In the case of the brumbies he lasted for two years. with Montpellier and 3 hears with the Bulls,
In teh case of White the eams he coached only wo two trophies - namely the 2004 Trinations series wn on the basis of point difference and the 2007 RWC - where the team was extremely lucky not to playa gainst a team ranked higher than the Springboks whatsoever - while he publicly attacjed players in public becsue theugffer as a result of deficient coaching,
Based on the above rgw ia zero chance that White wol be appointed by the Sharks - once btten twice shy,
, . .
The Sharks were only bitten after Jake left.
Mozart
Get real - if White was not fired the S harks would have solst their key 16 players - they refused sig nb renewal of their contracts if Whiteremained as coach,
Take for instance the Bulls - the lost the URC final smf his conduct before and ater the match caused a player rebelion. White's lack of game plans caused major problems and hen he blamed the palyers for the loss. Polalrd this year never palyee a half-decent game for Leicester, the Springboks and the Bulls.. Pollards was a great palyer - but age took its toll and he is bound to eb out of the S pringbok squad next year and Sefontein is way past his sell-bye date.
Ackerman always was a good coach and White's inheritance will take a season to repair the contracting mistakes White made.
,
Ah so now it will take a year…..but White came and reversed de Stroyli’s mediocrity in one year.
And ededup destroying the team in 3 years.
Nope three years after that he won the WC…..he had a poor year in 2006, partly because we lost Burger to his neck injury, but mostly because the Boere/ Watson axis tried to sabotage the Engelsman. White was called back to South Africa to justify himself during the Trinations, hardly helping the Boks..
With a reluctant vote of confidence from SARU he put together a 14 wins/3 losses record in 2007, despite Dr Lucky abandoning the Boks for his own needs as captured in this shameful comment by his lawyer:
’His lawyer Frikkie Erasmus said after the meeting, “For Rassie, this is a long-term career matter. He will use all his energy to make a success of it.’
His long term career ahead of the Boks, just one of the reasons I find it hard to support this man.
Useless Jake White won’t get another coaching job in SA - at the moment he is helping out Selborne College in East London
He’s just waiting around over here for the England job to be vacant again !
Mozart
White was a sht coach who suince 2028 never won a trohy in ant torurnament. If he was such a good coach - how come he got fired 4 times by teams he coached,
The four wors coaches we had since 2004:-
1 De Villiers
2 Coetzee
3 Meyer
4 White,
All four the above had one thing in common - they ahf zero gme plans and that is why the all four failed,
30,291 posts
The Sharks have confirmed that head coach John Plumtree will step down at the end of the 2025/26 season as part of wide-ranging structural changes at the Durban franchise.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the club’s ownership and management said a “comprehensive review” of rugby operations had been undertaken following a disappointing start to the campaign.
The review, which involved stakeholders across all levels of the organisation, concluded that the team’s problems were “multi-faceted” and required systemic change rather than “simple fixes.”
The Sharks said in a statement: “John Plumtree will step down as Head Coach by mutual agreement at the end of the 2025/26 season. Plumtree retains the complete backing and support of ownership, management and players. To continue building on the significant contributions he has already made, he will move to a mentoring and advisory role.”
To assist in the interim, the Sharks will bring in a technical coach consultant “as a matter of urgency” to focus on on-field performance and the team’s game model. “My priority has always been what’s best for the Sharks and that remains my focus,” said Plumtree.
Director of Rugby Neil Powell will assume broader operational responsibilities, including oversight of the academy and junior systems, player recruitment, logistics, and medical and rehabilitation programmes.
Chief Executive Shaun Bryans said the organisation’s entire rugby programme would remain under review for the rest of the season, with external experts to be brought in to help drive improvements.
“Our performances this season have not been good enough, and we owe it to our fans and stakeholders to acknowledge and take full responsibility — no excuses,” Bryans said. “That accountability sits across the entire organisation — from management and players, to myself as CEO.”
“As an ownership group and leadership team, we remain ambitious about the future of The Sharks and, over the coming months, no stone will be left unturned as we look to build a high-performance environment capable of delivering the success that our players are capable of and that our fans and partners deserve.”