Murray signs with Lions
7 Jun 2010
Waylon Murray has left the Sharks and will join the Lions with immediate effect.
The former Springbok centre was plagued by injuries last year and had limited game-time with the Sharks’ Super 14 side this year. From the Sharks’ 2007 backline who played in the final, only Ruan Pienaar – who has been linked with a move to Leinster – and JP Pietersen are still in Durban. Percy Montgomery has retired, but Brad Barritt, Frans Steyn, Butch James and now Murray have all left the union.
Murray’s contract with the Sharks ends this year, but he’s been granted an early release.
‘I’ve been in discussions to join the Lions for a while,’ said Murray, ‘and I made the decision two years ago to move to Johannesburg. I officially signed this morning and I hope I will be able to contribute during my time here.
‘I’m still young and I want to further myself and get back to how I was playing a few years ago.’
Murray is enthused at the prospect of working with Currie Cup coach John Mitchell and reuniting with Dick Muir.
‘I’ve met John a few times as he’s visited the Sharks over the years, and he’s a really great guy. I’m very excited about working with him. I’ve also worked with Dick in the past, and we have a great relationship. He really knows how to get the best out of his players, and I can’t wait to work with him again,’ he said.
The Lions are enthused at the signing of 24-year-old Murray.
‘Waylon arrived this morning and has been busy with all the documentation signing and administration, but he has joined the squad and will be thrown straight into the deep end with the rest of the team for their pre-season training,’ said CEO Manie Reyneke.
‘We’re pleased to have a player such as Waylon joining the squad for the Currie Cup, and we expect much from this talented youngster.’
21 Comments
7 Jun 2010, 15:39 pm
Sharks??? WTF???? We planning on playing loosies in the backline?
7 Jun 2010, 15:49 pm
Good move for the Lions, poor for Murray.
7 Jun 2010, 15:50 pm
24 years old. He needs to be managed correctly or he could easily become a very wasted talent.
7 Jun 2010, 15:51 pm
@Cyborg(Cyborg)-2:
To qualify that statement, I think its fantastic that he has moved to a union where he will get regular game time but the Lions are just not the place to rescucitate a career (look at Tonderai Chavangha who is not even considered as a Bok option after his move).
7 Jun 2010, 15:56 pm
Lions are k@k cause they sign k@k players …
7 Jun 2010, 15:58 pm
Awesome news for the Sharks! Get rid of all the dead wood!
7 Jun 2010, 16:05 pm
Stupid move Waylon.
And I dont believe for a sec that statement about deciding to move to JHB 2 yrs ago.
Should have signed with the Bulls,who made inferences about him in 2009 and early 2010.
His indecisiveness has cost him.
Plus plumtree is shocking at retaining players.He simply doesnt see value in backs.he is old school forward coach who will line the backline with rubbish like Strauss,Swanepoel,Terblanche and list them as GOOD SOLID PLAYERS that wont let u down.While sharks score least amount of tries and lose games they should win by a canter.
7 Jun 2010, 16:07 pm
Did not realise that Murray was only 24, hope he can reinvent himself at the Lions !!
7 Jun 2010, 16:31 pm
I hope Waylon regains his form that saw him win a Bok jersey a few years ago. Can’t see it happening in the current Lions setup though.
7 Jun 2010, 16:32 pm
Hmm…. Interesting – wonder where in the formation behind the posts he will fit in? Crouching to the left of the upright staring at the kicker, or more upright with back to the opposing team’s conversion kicker?
Maybe he has that special anguished look the Lions look for in a player when standing behind the posts.
Or perhaps he is viewed as future captaincy material, since he loves talking about the “positives that can be taken from a loss” or the “guts the boys showed, even in defeat”.
7 Jun 2010, 17:34 pm
Perhaps he has heard that the Lions have areally good retrenchment package in the event of liquidation.
7 Jun 2010, 17:42 pm
@Mongril(Mongril)-10:
Ha ha ha!
7 Jun 2010, 18:31 pm
pity he didnt consider the Bulls, under the right management and coaching he could be good. would even do well in a hard running team like the Cheetahs.
7 Jun 2010, 19:20 pm
I can’t see this Lions team being rubbish forever , not with **** and John Mitchell. the Currie cup will be easier , no Springboks for long parts of the competition etc..
This Lions team will eventually click and start performing in the next year or two. a Good coach with a good vision ,reputation and funding will always be able to draw players and **** Muir will do this.
Habana signed for Province during the early parts of last years Currie Cup after we ended like 9th or 10th in last years Super 14 , whilst he had a winners medal after winning with the Bulls. You cannot simply just sign someone like that for a large sum of money after such bad results, you have to sell a vision & have a reputation. Without a reputation you have nothing. **** has made things happen and theres no reason why he can’t do it again.
I hate the Lions , but im also sick of them not being competitive. You aren’t Griquas or the Spears
7 Jun 2010, 21:05 pm
So this is the young, partially talented rugby players the lions have, some internationals in chanvhanga, murray, van heerden, sephaka and clever. Good talent in vermaak, francis, killian and mjekevu. Along with experienced cobus, labausgachne and delport, they should do well in the currie cup and with the coach that is fully focused in john mitchell shouldnt do too badly?
15 Michael Killien
14 Tondrai Chavanga (s)
13 Waylon Murray (s)
12 Marius Delport
11 Wandile Mjekevu
10 Burton Francis
9 Jano Vermaak
8 Todd Clever (usa)
7 Wikus Van Heerden (s)
6 Cobus Grobelaar
5 Franco Van Der Merwe
4 Johannes Labausgachne (s)
3 Lawerence Sephaka (s)
2 Willie Wepenner
1 Kevin Buys
Mokouena, Minnie, Franklin…
Shame about the loss of Ludik, Fourie and Heinke.
I want to compare the team they could have had if they held onto their young talent few years ago
15 Louis Ludik (s)(moved – sharks)
14 Tonderai Chavhanga (s)(SIGNED from stormers)
13 Jaque Fourie (s)(moved – stormers)
12 Gcobani Bobo (s)(moved sharks + stormers + newcastle)
11 Bryan Habana (s)(moved bulls + stormers)
10 Conrad Janjtes (s)(moved – stormers)
9 Ricky Januarie (s)(moved – stormers)
8 Joe Van Niekerk (s) (moved – Stormers + Toulon)
7 Wikkus Van Heerden (s)(moved – Bulls + Saracence, now back)
6 Jean Deysel (s) (moved – sharks)
5 Gerhard Mostert (moved – sharks)
4 Anton Van Zyl (moved – stormers)
3 Brian Mujati (s) (moved – stormers + northampton)
2 Schalk Brits (s) (moved – stormers + saracens)
1 Heinke Van Der Merwe (s) (moved – Leinster)
16 Willie Wepener (moved – clermont)
17 Lawerence Sephaka (s)(moved – biarritz, now back)
18 Dewald Sekenal (moved somewhere)
19 Willem Alberts (moved – sharks)
20 Jano Vermaak
21 Andre Pretorius (s) (moved – Force + Sharks)
22 Waylon Murray (SIGNED from sharks)
Anyone else that left that is still playing now that would have made that team?
7 Jun 2010, 21:36 pm
WARNING.
John Plumtree is SABOTEUR for NZRU. His hellbent of making Sharks a mediocre team. Its a sad day that only one Sharks backline is in the Boks.
Whats worse, in his Union he is played by the Saboteur at scrumhalf.
Do we need these New Zealand coaches since they are not necessarily world beaters? Perhaps Laurie Mains was the best of the lot.
That was before we had confidence in our coloured coaches. PDV, Eric Sauls, Alistair Cotzee, Chester Williams, Paul Treu.
The Lions considering their earlier mishandling of the ‘Loffiegate’ quota bungle, could have appointed a South African first, who will be better qualified to handle these persisent race relations issues we have.
8 Jun 2010, 05:17 am
Lions will improve with John Mitchell….ANZAC coaches know how to manage limited talent, and Mitchell is a former All Black coach from their glory days…that’s no mean feat. So expect an improvement from them
8 Jun 2010, 05:19 am
Consider how much of an injury nightmare the Force had (resulting in them hiring mercenaries and bringing in rookies) yet they were still competitive and scraped some good wins towards the end. Mitchell will relish having real rugby players at his disposal who sadly have not had any direction
8 Jun 2010, 06:04 am
Sharks need a backline
8 Jun 2010, 07:12 am
The “MacIntosh Mafia” strikes again.
Soon the Sharks team will be composed entirely of forwards who only bash it up and old goats who just kick it away.
Slow, predictable and boring.
That’s how John Smit likes it (and Ryan Vrede).
Poor Sharks.
8 Jun 2010, 09:14 am
@Rhys7(Rhys7)-15:
Jorrie Muller? Surely even he could have cracked the current squad.
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