Mitchell denies bankruptcy rumours
12 Jan 2012
John Mitchell says the upcoming retrenchment of players is no indication of the Lions’ financial status.
It was reported on Thursday that the Lions are looking to offload 15 players from their payroll. This website understands that this is being done to ease the union’s financial woes which surfaced last year following the failed relationship of former investors Robert Gumede and Ivor Ichikowitz.
Wandile Mjekevu (who has recently had a trial at the Sharks), Kevin Buys, Jannie Boshoff, Dries van Schalkwyk and Trevor Hall are some of the players that are expected to be released.
However, head coach Mitchell has denied these claims, saying that the situation has been misinterpreted.
‘The media has got it wrong. There are no financial issues,’ Mitchell told keo.co.za. ‘We are just retrenching players who do not live up to Super Rugby standards. That way, we are creating an elite squad here at the Lions. This is all part of the restructuring plans that we have for the union.’
By Gareth Duncan
39 Comments
12 Jan 2012, 14:15 pm
It’s hard to see how Wandile Mjekevu, who was one of the few stand-outs when the Lions were piss poor, does not live up to Super Rugby standards.
We’ll take him at the Sharks, thanks.
12 Jan 2012, 14:21 pm
the Elite Squad is all very well….but how big does it need to effectively be?
It is a marathon season…..injuries and player rotation are essential.
So what is the Elite squads size? And can that ‘ size’ be afforded?
This is the problem.
12 Jan 2012, 14:31 pm
@grant10-2: If you run into trouble you go your younger ranks (WIN in the long run) or get some players on a trail basis from a another union (Pumas). You cannot sign every Tom, **** & Harry just to bolster your squad. Or do a Sharks move and sign someone from overseas. Even if you have big squads they will still run the “elite” guys into the ground like Bekker and Morne Steyn etc etc.
12 Jan 2012, 14:36 pm
I wonder whether it’s too late for Mitchell to apply for the Bok job – his circumstances have changed.
12 Jan 2012, 14:39 pm
Dont think this is a bad move – there is definately alot of dead wood that needs to be sorted out at the Lions – would be interesting to know if any of the old guard management are also being retrenched
12 Jan 2012, 14:41 pm
@kaksioek-5: He hasn’t spoken to Saru. He isn’t interested in anything else but the Lions – well, for now.
12 Jan 2012, 14:45 pm
@mvk-7: If these guys were “staff” shouldn’t they be on the field doing their job?
It’s called dead wood/ free loaders boet, get with the program.
12 Jan 2012, 14:49 pm
Pat Lambie will be playing 10 for the S15 with Michalak playing off the bench or covering 9 should the need arise. According to Plum.
Great news.
Enjoying the noises coming from the Sharks camp at the moment. Still early days but it looks like Plum is really rating the likes of Jordaan, Whitehead and Mjekevu etc to have a proper role in the Sharks setup.
Time for Ndungane, Joubert etc to take a hike.
12 Jan 2012, 14:49 pm
@Gareth-8: That was before the union started retrenching his players.
12 Jan 2012, 14:50 pm
@HHS-4: I certainly dont disagree with you….I am just wondering what size this Elite Squad needs to be >?
I dont know the answer….
12 Jan 2012, 14:57 pm
Going to be a very interesting S15.
Im not even holding that much hope for the Sharks, or any SA team for that matter.
But I think with all the dead wood out the system there are going to be some exciting youngsters starting to come through.
12 Jan 2012, 15:01 pm
@kaksioek-11: Go and have a closer look at the players that’s been retrenched. Then you’ll get a better picture of what’s going on. From all the names mentioned to far some of these guys (if any) was never even in Mitch’s CC setup.
@grant10-12: To answer your question I don’t know but I heard the Crusaders are a 25 – 30 man squad. I think they earned the right to be called “Elite”. Injuries will hamper any squad, it’s usually players that get hurt were the stock is low…. big or small squads.
12 Jan 2012, 15:08 pm
@HHS-15: You’re right there. Wandile Mjekevu is the only player of note among those named so far, and I guess that could have been a clash of personalities or something.
12 Jan 2012, 15:10 pm
@kaksioek-1: the mjekevu issue could be over his contract, in 2010 muir played him on super rugby so one assumes he had a valid SR contract.
last year Mitch relegated him to the juniors & he played u21 the whole year – question is, was he still on a SR contract or did they downgrade it to a junior contract?
come contract renewal time, will mjekevu himself accept the pay grade reduction or will he take his chances at making the sharks SR squad?
12 Jan 2012, 15:11 pm
@HHS-15: The rest could be typical Keo.co.za spin to fill the time until the rugby kicks off again.
12 Jan 2012, 15:16 pm
mvk, you are not a rugby supporter, u might a wanna bee politician, forget about gumede and the failled partnership, have you noticed that the guma group is the only part of the split partnership to have k@k to talk, the Lions union have gone, makes one think…. Back to the rugby. The Lions by hook or by crook won the CC, the story as many other persons have mentioned regarding the financial problems have never stopped since King Louis left, that aside many positive steps have been taken and it are being taken, I don’t think the Kings replacing any team is a answer as even they have budget restrictions, do you think that Province would have let Sadie and Engelbrecht leave if they could keep them and the Bulls able to sign them if players like Fourie, Matfield etc were not off there books, Rugby is a business and tough decisons need to be made, rather late than never.
12 Jan 2012, 15:21 pm
Basically players who will not feature in the Super 15 campaign anyway. Financial responsibility in action.
12 Jan 2012, 15:23 pm
@John Galt-10: fantastic news!
lambie is gonna cook when fransie comes back to play 12 next to him, that will be the bok 10-12 axis sorted.
and with whitehead or mjekevu or jordaan outside of fransie, the sharks will be putting JPP and Mvovo into space all night long.
freddie the frog to 9 imo.
12 Jan 2012, 16:12 pm
@rangerman-21: I don’t think we can count on getting Steyn back, but it still sounds like the Sharks’ biggest weakness – the backline – could be sorted out at last.
12 Jan 2012, 16:14 pm
@Transformation-17: Thanks for the insight. I don’t see how the Sharks would not give him a contract, unless money is tight.
12 Jan 2012, 19:41 pm
Sounds like mitchell is in denial…
maybe he is the lions fun guy…?
more correctly known as Leonus fungii
kev de klerk & co been keeping him in the dark and feeding him sheet…
which doesn’t leave ol’ mitch too mushroom for manoeuvring…
and the fun gal sightings are not restricted to the prematch dancing girls… but also the fungal rot infesting their finances…
12 Jan 2012, 19:44 pm
@grant10-2: interesting, is an elite squad the 30 players that will make up the Super squad, are these the players with Super rugby contracts. The remaining 15 contracted senior players will they have Vodacom cup contracts with stipulations making them available to play Super rugby if needed.
The Lions are looking to have no fewer than 45 senior contracted players, 3 per position. That sounds like a nice small and workable number and much better than the reported 70-90 contracted players they had last year.
The Sharks have a small squad of around 45 senior contracted players and the Cheetahs about 40 senior contracted players so it seems that the Lions are following similar business structures to these unions.
What will happen is more u21 and Varsity cup players will be playing in the VC, CC and Super rugby competitions which is not really a bad thing.
12 Jan 2012, 19:51 pm
@Transformation-14: he will not get a Super contract at the guppies, they may keep him on for the Vodacom cup. The problem for is that the guppies have enough centres with new oupa, Bosman and Whitehead supported by their youngsters Jordaan and Lindeque. So is Mjekevu going to leap-frog all of these players and play Super rugby – Mshini will say yes
If anything the guppies will keep him around as a ready replacement for the aging Odwa but then he will be in competition with 3 other good wingers.
12 Jan 2012, 19:53 pm
@ufo-21: sounds like you would like to have Mitch – knowing that AC is in his last season with the rumour mill and Tightass gunning for Chester Williams as his replacement … it is true
12 Jan 2012, 20:36 pm
RL @ 24…
don’t put the thunder before the lightning bud…!! or you could find yourself flying a kite in a storm…
AC to leave on a high when Stormers spit in the eye of all the haters, unite in adversity and win the S15…!!
Unlike all the kenners on keo… this simple supporter believes AC has not been given any credit… let alone due credit…
and it’s not like WP are the only union with issues… this year all SA unions have issues…
But let everyone write us off and dismiss us before the season has even started… underdogs is a position from which we will willingly take on the season…
if we don’t do well… you will say ‘I told you so’ and we never stood a chance…
If the Lions, Bulls n Sharks don’t do well…. what are your excuses going to be?
My loyalty and support remains resolute…
12 Jan 2012, 22:55 pm
@ufo-25: It is not about loyalty and support imo….that is basically a given.
13 Jan 2012, 05:34 am
It’s amazing what lengths the keo clowns will go to to trade in trash journalism. I see my old ‘mate’ Ryan doesn’t get his calls returned (always a sign of a journalist held in less than even ordinary regard). Alternatively, he resorts to the favourite trick of the slapgat journo looking to peddle propaganda – they tell you they couldn’t reach those to give the other side of the story when absolutley no attempt has been made.
That off my chest, surely the real ‘news’ story would have been the Lions doing nothing.
Yes, we all agree, the financial position is precarious, but they’re no orphans in that regard. Surely they should be commended for taking decisive action and off-loading a truck-load of free-loaders who offer nothing while swanning about in the lower divisions…and on obscene salaries.
The Lions have done the commendable thing.
They’ll be rewarded in time, mark my words.
13 Jan 2012, 08:09 am
@Joe Maher-27: Ever heard of PinoKeo? No, its not a wine
.
13 Jan 2012, 08:49 am
@grant10-26:
hey grant…
yeah i know where you’re coming from…
but imo… it is indeed ALL about loyalty and support…
of course i’m not oblivious to the bad things happening and the consequences of those things…
but as i’ve said on keo before and as i say at any given opportunity in the real world… attitude is a choice… whether it’s rugby, wp or bokke, life in south africa or life in general… i believe in looking for and building on the positive… sure the hits hurt me just as much as they hurt you and everyone else who cares… but if we all succumb to the doom and gloom ‘this is farked that is farked everything is farked we are all farked’… well then… we may as well all follow the example on one jimmy jones…
i choose to be positive… every day… i make a conscious choice to be positive… (sure, sometimes i slip and let rip… but am always ashamed of myself afterwards)
i choose to see the glass half-full… i choose to walk on the sunny side of the street…
the perception that you have created about yourself here on keo is that you’re a glass half empty person who would rather focus on the negative, the faults and the doom and gloom…
that doesn’t make you wrong or me right.. or make you right and me wrong… it just makes us different… in how we see things… in fact i’m sure many people here on keo would agree with your perspective… and poke their fingers down their throats and gag at my approach…
while you often say you’ll stop supporting the boks or the stormers… and support namibia and puke on the jersey etc etc… for me that just never enters my mind… i’ll keep on supporting wp/stormers/boks 100 percent no matter what… and hope things eventually improve… and i’m not going to start hating players for just doing their jobs… good or bad…
sure… you and many other people may call me naive, stupid or lightweight… i really don’t care… life is simply waaay too short to linger on the negative…
this is not meant to insult you grant… and i know i risk alienating you… but like you, i’m just calling it as i see it honestly and without any agenda… we’ve met several times and i know you’re a really stand-up quality man… but that’s not how you present yourself on keo…
this was not a planned post… just responding to your post and explaining my POV… i hope you see it as constructive…
13 Jan 2012, 09:05 am
@kaksioek-1: I suspect Mjekevu requested to be one of this group to get out of his contract and get signed by the Sharks.
14 Jan 2012, 11:01 am
I trust Mitchell…and this is inline with him letting players go that are not in the future plans even while still contracted….i.e. Rory, Andre, Jano….
The names mentioned have not done nothing for the union…Jannie did have a few storming games for the Lions, especially the game vs Crusaders when the Lions won against all odds….
However….they all seemed good when the Lions were poor…the Lions are building to a new standard….and I trust Mitchell if he says they don’t have the skill to make it…..then they don’t…or they might just not be working hard enough which is another favorite reason to let people go…
14 Jan 2012, 11:02 am
@kaksioek-1:
The fact that he has to do trails to “convince” the selectors at the Sharks should answer your question….
Decision pending…………………..
14 Jan 2012, 17:06 pm
@ufo-29: LOL
AlIenate me? wHY? bECAUSE YOU BEING TRUTHFUL? iMPRESSES ME MORE THAN ALIENATES ME MY MAN?
aS TO HOW i PRESENT MYSELF ON A BLOG? wELL MATE i DONT REALLY CARE TO BE FRANK….
fark sorry caps…
Facts are I am always honest , frank and truthful……and call things as I percieve them…. I am not blindly loyal or supportive of anything ! I am highly critical of wp / stormers because I support them , I dont like what I have seen and heard about WP / Stormers last few weeks and will not pipe down and keep quiet just because I support the okes….
Same as Boks…I hated what went down in 2010 and 2011 ….what was I supposed to do….just keep quiet and accept the Fat Boys club and the inevitably of the cr ap man management and ego driven selections?
I am and always will be a SA…Stormer and WP fan…..does not mean I am blindly loyal and indifferent to the royal stuff ups and stupidity that has been a hallmark of our teams for a while now….
Blind support and non questioning loyalty leads to the Nazi regimes ….I far prefer independent opinion and personal analysis…..far healthier imo…
14 Jan 2012, 17:14 pm
@ufo-29: and
PS
When did I ever call you a lightweight?
I have chosen on Keo to put 2010 and 2011 firmly behind me and only make rugby observations and comments….so far so good…
I have been baited a few times but wont respond….
I will only make my rugby observations and discuss rugby issues…..
I am sorry if you believe I consider you to be a lightweight……my opinion should not carry much weight anyway , this is just a forum of opinions……dont take it serious because I promise you I certainly dont my man…
14 Jan 2012, 17:35 pm
@ufo-29: JR and i are lifetime best mates….we differ on many rugby and other issues….but remain best mates….because we respect each other as individuals …as I do you…..dont take what I say to heart bud…please….life is far too short….and I like and respect you..you a cool oke….
from now on please just accept that my rugby only comments are purely from the heart and not meant to be negative or aimed at anything other than the subject matter at hand.
I dont consider you a lightweight …at all
Nor do I consider myself a heavyweight…
14 Jan 2012, 19:57 pm
@ufo-25: fully agree with you, Stormers don’t look half as bad as most people portray on here and yeah they may have some admin hassles behind the scenes but I dont think there is a union anywhere in SA that doesnt have their challenges this coming season. Its also amazing the impact a negative media can have on a union/team/squad and the resulting impact on the opinions of supporters and before you know it everything is on the slide.
Keep on supporting your team, I reckon they have a gr8 opportunity if they settle on the right tight 5 (without injuries). I reckon the Sharks and the Bulls have to pull out all stops this year to convince but I am also staying positive.
Anyways after such a long break from SH rugby I just want to see some decent games.
14 Jan 2012, 20:23 pm
So Upho Punani is not considered lightweight and the one doing the consideration also does not deem himself heavyweight?
Quite confusing then.
Is it not that the both of you are mere featherweights then and should consider slugging it out at that level? It should be an amazing battle but very equal since one sees the glass half full and the other sees the same glass half empty
Do you both not realise that whether that same glass is half full or half empty the number of millilitres(mls.) of juicy, flowing garbage is exactly the same?
Silly, but stupid, catch phrases plus silly writings, from one to the other, do not hide stupid ‘thinking’, deficient attitudes and woeful ideas being written here daily. They are just empty phrases and remain so.
My fellow S.Africans you are funny but sad delinquents caught up in your cultural inheritance and frustrated by the ever increasing daily uncertainty of life in the land of your birth(but just that and no more).
Do you ever see how immature and stupid this SPAT is? Can you ever imagine your friend, the fattened version of a lithe and agile ‘Black Cat’ Cele, ever indulging in this type of C R A P when their is so much more for him to enjoy in life or even real problems for him to find solutions for?
If all this, or even too much of it, flies over your heads it actually is fine and may well be the better outcome. It at least gives you both sufficient time to KISS and make up. But it is all still one way and that is eventually downhill.
15 Jan 2012, 00:46 am
@ET.-37: LOL
You are truly unique…..truly…
15 Jan 2012, 06:42 am
cool grant…
just need to say that because I choose to be positive doesn’t mean I’m blindly loyal… there’s that wise saying about changing what we can… accepting what we can’t… and recognising the difference…
would i do things differently if i was in charge…? definitely… (rightly or wrongly)… but i’m not… so I don’t take it so seriously that it detracts from the enjoyment of supporting my team and watching the rugby they play…
I love rugby and my teams… but they are not the be all and end all in my life and I try to keep them in perspective and my passion in check…
hey bananaboy…
exactly… that’s what it’s all about imo… being realistic about our chances but positive in our outlook…
yeah… like you I want the rugby to start already…!!
enjoy it…!!!
extra testicular…
hehehe… you’re hilarious… you try so hard… a little too hard… but keep trying… godot is coming tomorrow
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