Hear the captivating story of how Steve ‘Tomo’ Thompson ended up in the States playing in the AMNRL and much much more in this fascinating tail of endurance and intrigue.
Read more →It’s been an interesting journey watching the young Sharks continue to develop their rugby skills. Ryan is no exception. Coming from the banner rookie year that brought us Steve ‘The Velvet Fog’ Tormey, Timmy ‘T-Mac’ McCall and Matt ‘Where Did He Go’ Pullen; Ryan has emerged as a perennial crowd favorite with his “Mighty...
Read more →It’s hard to believe that Timmy has been playing for 6 years; the time really does fly when you are having fun. His on and off the field contributions have helped the Sharks and Hibernians remain competitive throughout the years. His recent campaign to rally the troops to work out through the ‘Shark Fit’...
Read more →Johnny is a perennial crowd favorite with his explosive runs, deceptive quickness, and dedication to the team. Coming up through our feeder Union high school program and playing straight through college he has positioned himself as an experienced leader. He has been appointed Captain of the Hibernians and has led them through some good times and bad. Our version of the ‘pocket rocket’ continues to deliver on the field, and has even stepped out of his league with a smoking hot girlfriend off the field. Here’s to our token ‘get out of jail free’ card.
Name: John Vella
Height: 7’2″ *
Weight: 255 lbs (solid muscle)**
Age: 21 (and sexy) ***
Position: Anywhere ****
Rugby Experience (in years): 10
What was your greatest experience during the 2011 season?
Playing
What is the greatest strength you brought to The Sharks this year?
Experience
Most Challenging aspect of playing rugby league in the AMNRL and for the Sharks:
Fitness
Goals for the 2012 season:
Win the league
What does playing for The Sharks mean to you?
Playing the most fun game with my friends
What is your rugby league career goal?
Be a better player
What is most important to The Sharks Success Moving forward?
Numbers at training and games
Name one team in the AMNRL that you want to beat more than any other:
The Bulls
Who is your greatest influence in Rugby league?
Steve Tormey
What message would you like to send to the fans and competitors of The Bucks County Sharks?
Buy our merchandise
* He would be lucky to break 5 foot
** Surprisingly accurate. If you do the math it makes him about as tall as he is wide
*** Notice the receding hairline
**** He really does play anywhere providing the unique opportunity to drop balls and miss tackles from a host of positions
Dan’s speed and awareness on the field is very impressive for someone so new to the game. It became obvious early on in the season that we needed to get the ball out wide so he could use his speed in open space. I had a funny moment as I was cheering him on from the sidelines last Summer. His family was looking at me like I was a lunatic and their expression said it all: “what did Dan get himself into?” I navigated them through some of the finer points of the game and while I don’t think I convinced them that it is a perfectly safe way to spend an afternoon, they did see the huge smile on his face when he scored a try. Dan simultaneously increases our speed and street cred; we look forward to his continued development and expect big things from him this Summer.
Name: Dan Johnson
Height: 5’8″
Weight: 180
Age: 23
Position: winger
What was your greatest experience during the 2011 season?
Scoring for the first time in my career. I’ve talked to guys that had to wait a couple seasons for that to happen, and getting mine in the first game was amazing.
What is the greatest strength you brought to The Sharks this year?
I think my combination of speed and strength is something that helps me with the position that I play.
What do you plan to bring to team in your sophomore season?
A better overall knowledge of the game. I think that by understanding the game better I’ll be able to put my team in better positions to win games.
What do you find most challenging aspect of playing rugby league in the AMNRL and for the Sharks?
The most challenging aspect for me was learning the game on the fly. As long as our team can consistently get the same people out to games and practices we will be fine.
Goals for the 2012 season:
Get more involved in the offensive part of the game.
What does playing for The Sharks mean to you?
It’s good competition, a great way to stay in shape, and another way to hang out with friends.
What is your rugby league career goal?
To hopefully win a championship and make the national team.
What is most important to The Sharks Success Moving forward?
Steady turnouts in practice and at games.
Name one team in the AMNRL that you want to beat more than any other:
New York Knights
Who is your greatest influence in Rugby league?
Steve Tormey, he’s the one that got me into this.
What message would you like to send to the fans and competitors of The Bucks County Sharks?
Come out and watch us, this is going to be an exciting year for us and we’re only getting better.
Dan made an immediate impact with his defensive mindset. His Union experience had him familiar with the general concepts, and his League debut was sensational. He has an impressive fitness level and his tenacious approach to the game makes him an impact player at multiple positions. Recently he came back from college to step into a Hibernian rugby game and his presence was felt immediately. Towards the end of the game when everyone was gassed he was able to stand in and complete the game; which went down as one of the more memorable games in the recent rebirth of the Hibernians. His attention to detail manifests in his critique of Facebook grammar; let’s hope that type of manic behavior leads to continued development of his League skills.
Name: Daniel Emmons
Height: 6ft
Weight: 215
Age: 22
Position: Lock/Center
What was your greatest experience during the 2011 season?
Traveling to different states to play elite rugby teams
What is the greatest strength you brought to The Sharks this year?
Youth and disciplined defensive play
What do you plan to bring to team in your sophomore season?
Better knowledge of the game and desire to be an accountable player
Most Challenging aspect of playing rugby league in the AMNRL and for the Sharks?
Elite competition, raising the necessary capital to cover operating & travel costs
Goals for the 2012 season:
Make other teams not want to play us
What does playing for The Sharks mean to you?
80 minute street fight alongside a bunch of my Levitown, Fairless Hills & Yardley buddies followed immediately by consumption of a lot of beer
What is your rugby league career goal?
Bring the sharks back to dominance
What is most important to The Sharks Success Moving forward?
Accurate spelling on the Facebook page
Name one team in the AMNRL that you want to beat more than any other:
Knights
Who is your greatest influence in Rugby league?
Dean Schofield got me into the sport, but the older fellas like Phil, Tomo, and Freddie taught me how to play. Natural leaders like Justin ‘Beluga’ Zadnik have been instrumental to my growth on and off the field.
What message would you like to send to the fans and competitors of The Bucks County Sharks?
Come out to a match and get weird after
Tackling machine
Dean is a throw back player who relies heavily on his work ethic and grit to get the job done on the field. Having never played a game of Rugby League before we could see right away that there was going to be a short learning curve as he hit the line at pace...
Read more →Ol’ Sharky was impressed with Jeff’s play from the first moment he saw him on the field. Having never played the game he has amazing awareness and is deceptively elusive. Don’t let the fact that his height, weight, and depth are all the same dimensions (earning him the nickname ‘Spud’) fool you, he can get around the field quite effectively. A more lasting impression of his natural feel for the game was his ability to stand in as Hooker for multiple Rugby Union matches with the Hibernians without any formal training. His off the field shenanigans are equally impressive due to the fact he rocks a minivan, and manages to look cool in the process. Jeff has been a solid addition to the club, and we look forward to his development on and off the field.
Name: Jeff Pesature
Height: 5’9″
Weight: 230
Age: 23
Position: Center/Second row
What was your greatest experience during the 2011 season?
The whole season was great an a ton of fun. I don’t think I could pick one thing .
What is the greatest strength you brought to The Sharks this year?
I would have to say my tackling.
What do you plan to bring to team in your sophomore season?
I want to be more involved on the offensive side of the ball.
Most Challenging aspect of playing rugby league in the AMNRL and for the Sharks?
The most challenging part was the rule changes from league to union.
Goals for the 2012 season:
Make it to the finals
What does playing for The Sharks mean to you?
It’s mean a lot because of the history of the team.
What is your rugby league career goal?
To have a long, healthy career. Maybe play in a different country at some point.
What is most important to The Sharks success moving forward?
Keep growing with committed players.
Name one team in the AMNRL that you want to beat more than any other:
New York Knights
Who is your greatest influence in Rugby league?
I’d have to say Tim McCall. I wouldn’t be playing if it wasn’t for him harassing me every year to play.
Nice pass