Muyres to skip all-sibling rink next season

If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

No matter the clichè, parts of two rival Saskatchewan curling rinks are joining forces.

Kirk and Dallan Muyres, the former third and lead of Steve Laycock’s four-time SaskTel Tankard champion rink, are teaming with up with fellow Saskatoonians, Kevin and Dan Marsh, for the 2018-19 curling season.

“I’ve played (Kevin and Dan) since I was 15-years-old and we’ve butted heads forever,” Kirk said of his new teammates. “They are two of my best friends through curling and we’ve been really close for a lot of years.”

“They haven’t been to a Brier yet, but I can assure you they are one of the top seconds and thirds in the game.”

The sibling rink is hoping for some national success and an end to the 38-year drought for Saskatchewan rinks at the Brier.

The oldest member of the team is Dallan at 31-years-old. The team is expecting that youth to come in handy for the next Olympic cycle.

“We’re all kind of in that nice, younger age group. We’re all young, getting better, growing and we’re excited about that. I would imagine in that in the next four, five years there is a lot of good things to come from our team.”

Making the jump to skip isn’t unnerving for Kirk — it’s actually why he likes the game so much.

“I look at the game and why I enjoy it and why I get excited to go play,” he said of the new challenge. “It’s really those big moments when you really need a shot, or that excitement when the nerves are kind of getting to you and the excitement’s there – that’s when I love the game.”

Kirk does admit it’s been a while since he’s lead a team out on the ice.

“I don’t think I’ve been in the house for 10 years,” Kirk said before pointing to his nearly 12 years as a third. “I think I got a good grasp of what’s needed in the house and what a good skip is supposed to do.”

“Hopefully we can be that premier team in Saskatchewan going forward.”