League targets SA schoolboy talent

League targets SA schoolboy talent

26 Jun 2009

The Sydney Roosters have signed 18-year-old Paul Roos centre JP du Plessis on a three-year deal.

The NRL club, who are currently last on the log with three wins from 14 matches, have also made an offer to another South African teenager.

‘JP is a quick and beautifully balanced player and will be a real asset to the club,’ Roosters recruitment manager Peter O’Sullivan told Sydney’s Daily Telegraph.

‘He is considered a rising star of South African rugby so while he will take 12 months to learn rugby league, he has the potential to be a key player for the Roosters.’

O’Sullivan said he planned to attend Craven Week in July to check on other potential signings.

Melbourne Storm’s Frank Ponnissi, a former consultant to the Boks, is also considering whether to scour South African rugby for player talent.

‘The talent is there, there’s no doubt about that,’ Ponnissi said. ‘I know there is an abundance of talent, but I’m yet to be convinced how easy it will be to get players here.’


71 Comments

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  • 51.the peanut gallery: Reply to this comment
    26 Jun 2009, 10:09 am

    #49 the peanut gallery: viscount brokeback methinks.

  • 52.dWeePer: Reply to this comment
    26 Jun 2009, 10:11 am

    Just a piece of information. Barend van Graan (CEO of the Bulls) claimed recently that there are about 300 (three hundred) SA born players plying their trade overseas. They are their for mainly two reasons, money and opportunity.

    SA needs the sixth franchise!

  • 53.RedMan: Reply to this comment
    26 Jun 2009, 10:34 am

    #37 Viscount Crouchback:

    Ask that to those Glasto festival goers, they will tell you.

  • 54.Dumb Supporter: Reply to this comment
    26 Jun 2009, 11:26 am

    #42 PissAnt: My opinion of this is that you do not get that many great players. Simple as that. Our rugby team has seen many of the same names for 4-5 years. Smit, Matfield, Bakkies, Jean, Habana, Os, Percy, Juan, Schalk and Fourie du preez are some of the names that have not been dropped since breaking into the bok team.

    They play there until shortly before they retire.

    So it seems to me every now and again a player comes along that will be unrivaled (sp?) for as long as he plays. These are the players that should not be lost. There will be many good players that come through the structures (however ineffective) that will keep rugby in the country competitive.

    But I do not think these structures (if working properly) will unearth a legend – I maybe wrong.

    A few players that I think we should not have lost:
    Gerhard Vosloo, Juandre Kruger, Cliff Milton, Frans Streyn, Pieter De Villiers, Vickerman, Big Joe.

    But the fact that players with lots of talent do not always get to start regularly means they will chase the pound.

    There are many players that come into the professional game with a lot of hype that do not deliver on their young potential – Hougaard, Rose, Big Joe to some degree, Chilliboy to name a few.

    What was the subject again?

  • 55.panniepeet: Reply to this comment
    26 Jun 2009, 11:32 am

    #51 RedMan: LMFAO!!! Quality!! Weather at Glastonbury – torrential showers for 5 days long… Discount Hunchback – read it and weep

  • 56.PissAnt: Reply to this comment
    26 Jun 2009, 11:46 am

    #52 Dumb Supporter:

    There are many reasons players fall by the wayside, it is not a perfect science.

    But I cannot believe that cannot develop one percent of our registered rugby players into international quality players – the 150 I refer to.

    That tells me we are getting it wrong.

  • 57.Koos: Reply to this comment
    26 Jun 2009, 11:52 am

    #2 PissAnt: Calling the wrong people names…but you know that! On the flipside, a little taste of what Oz rugby has to deal with on a daily basis.

  • 58.PissAnt: Reply to this comment
    26 Jun 2009, 11:55 am

    #55 Koos:

    Tongue in cheek.

  • 59.Koos: Reply to this comment
    26 Jun 2009, 12:03 pm

    #56 PissAnt: I knew that but still, the constant fight they have. You just have to look at the papers, the news and the ‘rugby’ shows to see where Union ends up in Oz…they do very well in spite of…

  • 60.XhosaKid: Reply to this comment
    26 Jun 2009, 12:04 pm

    #15 Viscount Crouchback: What a pity with Pat Barnard, he should be scrumming for the Kings together with Ryno Gerber

  • 61.PissAnt: Reply to this comment
    26 Jun 2009, 12:05 pm

    #57 Koos:

    Oh no agreed totally.

    They are getting a lot right where we go wrong.

  • 62.Puma: Reply to this comment
    26 Jun 2009, 12:06 pm

    #3 PissAnt: You make a very good point there.

    We do need a Director of Rugby or someone to take care of our rugby structures in this country.

  • 63.Koos: Reply to this comment
    26 Jun 2009, 12:10 pm

    #59 PissAnt: Stop being so agreeable! Feck, how do you spell that?

    O’Neill for all the **** he gives us must be the best administrator in the worls..any sport.

  • 64.The Riddler: Reply to this comment
    26 Jun 2009, 12:11 pm

    #52 Dumb Supporter: Where has Juandre Kruger gon. i though he was the next big SA lock when Vic and Bakkies pack it in. Damn man!

  • 65.basil: Reply to this comment
    26 Jun 2009, 12:53 pm

    Juandre is playing for Northampton Saints. He is playing good rugby there. Northampton will be playing in the Heineken Cup this year and his contract expires at the end of next year’s season. Might be a good aquisition for any franchise in SA

  • 66.allycat: Reply to this comment
    26 Jun 2009, 14:27 pm

    whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.. Pat barnard. Now theres a clown!

  • 67.Amerifikaner: Reply to this comment
    26 Jun 2009, 14:28 pm

    #44 Dawn: Dawn, That must be the ultimate compliment for the wannabe-uppercrust, but really-white-trash rooinek.

  • 68.sparticus: Reply to this comment
    26 Jun 2009, 15:18 pm

    #8 PissAnt: Haa haa Nice coming out of the closet there !! Thought he sounded familiar. Welcome back St M !!

    On the rugby matters – We simply have too much to look after all but having said that the problem is simply politics on top , we losing too many talented coaches and admins due to this , where is Mallet ? H Meyer ? Solly ? Gert Smal just to name a few , and yes we need a director of Rugby in SA.

  • 69.TheTackler: Reply to this comment
    27 Jun 2009, 05:09 am

    NZ doesn’t have a “Director of Rugby”. That’s just a sinecure position anyway. A place where a rugby pensioner pulls a fat wage for doing nothing constructive and who bores everyone rigid with stories about “In my day…bla bla…”

    Director of Rugby?

    Pffft! Bad idea. Besides, in SA, it’ll have to be an affirmative-action transformation appointee anyway.

  • 70.money_man: Reply to this comment
    27 Jun 2009, 05:12 am

    #67 TheTackler:

    You mean like the national coach?

  • 71.Gold Coaster - Aus: Reply to this comment
    27 Jun 2009, 09:19 am

    hi

    i arrived in Aus back in 2002.. i found it painful watching the game.. it took me 3yrs to sit through the full 80mins.. now i am a Warrior (Kiwi nrl team playing in the national comp) supporter.. to me AFL sucks!! cannot watch it..

    i guess with such a big pool of players coming through the ranks in SA, some will look abroad knowing they have a slim chance of making the bok team..

    other than the super 14 and tri nations.. we don’t get other union games on telly..

    so good luck to JP.. the Roosters are only doing this to beat the salary cap.. JP will be paid peanuts so the Roosters can spend more money on the big players..

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