Out with the old in with the new at The Sharks

THE Kings is dead, long live the King, they say when one man’s departure can’t be too heavily lamented because there has to be celebration for the ascendancy of the new ruler, but in terms of the Sharks’ coaching job, that is bull dust.

With respect to Brendan Venter, who I have nothing against and have never met beyond asking him the odd question in a press conference when he was still a player, John Plumtree is a true son of Natal and The Sharks, despite being born in the remote town of Hawera in New Zealand, and deserves better treatment than that given to him this week.

Plumtree gave his all to this province as a player and even more when he returned here as a coach in 2007 (he became head coach in 2008). He deserved so much better than to learn through the press that the new guard at The Sharks had for months been negotiating with potential successors to him after had had led the Sharks to two Currie Cup titles, two more Currie Cup finals and a Super Rugby final.

In his time at the Sharks as coach, Plumtree has had a heavy focus on “the jersey”, on the legacy of the Natal ‘black and white’, on the heroes that have gone before and the importance of the current players delivering on the standards set by those who have gone before. But this week he has been let down by the custodians of that jersey. You would forgive him if he screwed up his old Natal jerseys and tossed them onto the rubbish heap.

It really is a poor show that the man who was voted best coach in South Africa last year is dumped simply because there “needs to be a change’.

One would think that when there is such a big change at administrative level as there has been with John Smit taking over from Brian van Zyl at CEO level, the logical thing would be to at least keep consistency on ground level with a reliable, world class coaching set-up until the new boss gets up to speed.

Is there not supposed to be a hand-over/take-over period for the inexperienced Smit under Van Zyl? Why are all these unilateral decisions been taken before Smit has even taken office? He is only due to take up his appointment on July 1.

I am telling you that there is too much change too soon. The new broom is sweeping so fast it is going to sweep itself off its feet.

Van Zyl, by the way, emerges from the stink over the sacking of Plumtree with honour. He backed Plumtree for a two-year-extension and has stuck by his guns. He said he knew nothing of the celebrated offer to Nick Mallett and the inference is that work was being conducted behind his back, despite him being the man in power.

Van Zyl, himself, was one to learn at a very late stage that he was to be replaced by Smit. And the process that led to the Smit appointment is not unlike that of Venter succeeding Smit. There were behind-the-scenes negotiations that the protagonist knew nothing about and then, at the moment critique, Brutus stepped out with the dagger and plunged it into Ceasar’s back.

The thing with the Sharks these days is that if it is true that a new broom must sweep clean, then it must be done in the right manner. It must be done with integrity. It must not be done in a shadowy underworld.

If a brave new world for the Sharks is to truly be forged, it has to be done on the foundations and traditions forged by those of a proud Sharks player such as John Plumtree, and continued correctly by a proud Sharks player in John Smit.

But continued skulk and duggery will not win over the players and certainly not the fans.

By Mike Greenaway