Bulls part ways with Adongo
10 Jul 2012
The Bulls have confirmed the release of recently recruited flank Daniel Adongo.
The 23-year-old was lured from the Sharks earlier this year after an extended chase, but has spent just six months at the franchise, in which time he has failed to break into the Super Rugby group.
He will join New Zealand side Counties Manakua with immediate effect. All Blacks legend Tana Umaga spotted Adongo playing for the Elgin Warriors against the touring English Counties team in Nairobi in June, and offered him a two-year deal with Counties.
After discussions with the Bulls, Adongo established that he was well down in the loose forward pecking order and requested to be released from his contract. Adongo is highly rated by Springboks coach Heyneke Meyer, who was the central figure in bringing him to the union.
Adongo is the second flank to be released this season, following CJ Stander’s departure for Ireland. ‘You never want to lose players with that much ability but one can understand that in both cases it is about playing opportunities and the financial benefits for both of them. At the Bulls we have released so many guys in the past and they have come back. We will stay in touch, follow their progress and hopefully they will come back,’ coach Frans Ludeke told the Pretoria News duo’s departure.
45 Comments
10 Jul 2012, 14:14 pm
Good luck Dragon Daniel!!
With some good skills training he could become great and there is no better place to learn that than in Kiwiland.
I hope HH keeps us up to date with how he’s doing.
Go Counties Manakau!!!
10 Jul 2012, 14:17 pm
Stormers could of used him right about now.
10 Jul 2012, 14:17 pm
Sometimes we buy goods that we would never normally buy. Bad investment I guess…
Good luck young man…
10 Jul 2012, 14:40 pm
Guess what Frans.
He won’t be back.
10 Jul 2012, 14:41 pm
Really weird that the Bulls did not use him more ? He scored 3 tries on his debut and then from there it went downhill ? I dont get it , they really rated him highly and he showed why when he played , Pity , I was excited about this youngster , sharks must be pissed !
10 Jul 2012, 14:43 pm
I see that Jono Ross is also leaving , he was the Vodacom Cup Cappie and I think ironically the reason Adonga got little playing time. Having said that , Adongo can also play lock very well.
10 Jul 2012, 14:54 pm
Unfortunately (for some) in rugby it doesnt matter how big and strong you are. If you cannot catch and you cannot pass, you will not make it far in professional rugby.@sparticus(sparticus)-5: The Sharks thanked the Bulls for taking him
off their books, great business by Van Zyl, Papa Dolf and co.
10 Jul 2012, 14:56 pm
Apparently Adongo does a sub 11 sec 100 m. Maybe the Kiwi’s will turn him into the next Jonah Lomu?
10 Jul 2012, 15:18 pm
The Bulls with their stockpiling, discarding, stockpiling, discarding are fecking up SA rugby.
People who can’t see this are either Bulls fans or Bulls coaches/administrators.
Something needs to be done.
10 Jul 2012, 15:19 pm
@ShaunMichaels(ShaunMichaels)-7: From the games I’ve watched him, he can catch and pass quite well, he even has an off-load! Tana Umaga doesn’t just offer people two year deals on the spot for no reason, the kid has proper talent. NZ is the perfect place for his skill set to be harnessed.
10 Jul 2012, 15:22 pm
Word from my mates at the Sharks is that the guy has some serious depth perception issues.
Notice how many times he knocks on when taking up a crash ball? The Sharks even sent him off for an eye test as they thought his eyesite may be dodgy.
I wonder if the Bulls know about this?
10 Jul 2012, 15:23 pm
Dissapointed, I was excited about seeing him in action.
10 Jul 2012, 15:30 pm
@Shark@Heart(Shark@Heart)-11:
A couple of months with Cheryl Calder should do it then?
10 Jul 2012, 15:32 pm
@Shark@Heart(Shark@Heart)-11: depth perception? an interesting approach, obviously Umaga thought he can catch and pass. I watched him play a few games and I didn’t notice an inability to catch the ball. I remember Danie Russouw having a serious issue with ball protection and he played for the springboks, wynand olivier has an issue with passing to the left and he also has a bok jersey!
10 Jul 2012, 15:35 pm
@Shark@Heart(Shark@Heart)-11: @mpundulu(mpundulu)-10: Exactly my point. Sharks arent like WP. We dont just let talent go, you know how many times Craig Burden has been offered tons of cash to leave and the Sharks make sure they hold onto the cream of the crop. I’ve seen with my own eyes how many up and unders Adongo dropped playing club level. Eventually the moved him to blindside flank and lock.
10 Jul 2012, 15:40 pm
@ShaunMichaels(ShaunMichaels)-15: surely, as a lock, he had to manage kick-offs from the halfway and 22? Up and unders are a technique issue, the AB’s suffered from this in 2009. In other words, it can be sorted out, enter Mick Byrne!
10 Jul 2012, 15:55 pm
@mpundulu(mpundulu)-16: If I was kicking off I’d take aim at Adongo, guaranteed to drop 9 out of 10. Its gonna take many years (if ever) for him to grasp the art of becoming an effective forward. Maybe some time on the 7s field would do him some good with basic skills.
10 Jul 2012, 15:59 pm
It was not a case of there being a problem with Odonga being unable to catch a ball in general but more around the fact that he would knock on 9 out of 10 times when taking a flat pass at pace.
Obviously with him being a big strong and fast brute of a man the Sharks would have wanted to utilise his potential to tear a defence wide open via taking the ball up at pace. This was not possible as invariably the ball would hit him in the chest time and time again.
Depth perception enables you to quickly and accurately judge the distance between yourself, the ball, your opponents and your team-mates. It also allows you to judge the speed and direction of the ball and players.
Fact is, the Sharks released him and a big part of the descision was his chronic problem with depth perception.
10 Jul 2012, 16:02 pm
@ShaunMichaels(ShaunMichaels)-17: with respect, the kid played sharks u19, u21, and vodacom cup side, and was in the sharks squad for a time, within this period, Sharks lay in hope that he will eventually catch and pass?!!! Perhaps, you are prone to hyperbole as Heyneke Meyer also went off and fought to sign up this kid, therefore, Meyer also missed this catching “depth perception” issue? Tana Umaga watched him played was so impressed that he gave him a 2 year contract to play in the ITM cup! This kid must have the luck of the devil.
10 Jul 2012, 16:04 pm
@Shark@Heart(Shark@Heart)-18: that’s curious as this article seems to suggest the opposite in lieu of his abilities: http://www.supersport.com/rugby/sa-rugby/news/120710/Bulls_throw_Adongo_away
10 Jul 2012, 16:14 pm
Don’t shoot the messenger, I am just repeating what I was told by a number of Sharks players that I know. The fact is that the guy has a serious depth perception issue. If it is fixable or not I have no idea.
I certainly rated the guy highly hence my questioning of my mates when the Sharks let him go. Perhaps such a technical issue is not so noticeable until you reach the highest level?
Anyways, good luck in NZ I certainly hope he reaches his full potential
10 Jul 2012, 16:17 pm
@Shark@Heart(Shark@Heart)-21: Fair enough mate, I just find it curious that he could move through the ranks at the sharks, then signed up by the bulls, and thereafter by a NZ ITM cup team for two years, and it was Tana Umaga no less who spotted him!
10 Jul 2012, 16:23 pm
Adongo’s depth perception issues can’t be worse than the Ludeke’s, who seems to see depth where there is absolutely fckall.
10 Jul 2012, 16:26 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-23: lol
10 Jul 2012, 17:05 pm
Does Mvovo has the same depth perception issue?;)
10 Jul 2012, 17:29 pm
The Bulls have another big, fast loose forward who can’t catch – they made him their captain
10 Jul 2012, 18:10 pm
Sounds like Tana bought himself a hole in the pocket, while the Bulls were saved.
And those criticising the Bulls for holding on to him for 6 months, remember he was with the Sharks for more than twice as long.
10 Jul 2012, 18:47 pm
what about the lack of diversity in professional rugby in SA. probably at its worst at the bulls. i doubt that adongo has learnt how to speak die taal for instance. that must have been a serious handicap. as for any defects with his sight, well those can be corrected.
10 Jul 2012, 19:58 pm
this guy should have replaced should have replaceed spiesies.
10 Jul 2012, 20:26 pm
Adonga think he will ever go back to the Bulls.
10 Jul 2012, 20:38 pm
He found his career in Adonga and decided to bite the BULLet
10 Jul 2012, 20:54 pm
So HM reckoned he was a replacement for Danie, who also couldn’t catch a ball. What worries me is how HM assesses the requirements for his forwards.
10 Jul 2012, 22:21 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-23:
wrong,
the guy was headhunted by heyneke.
10 Jul 2012, 22:59 pm
@Shark@Heart(Shark@Heart)-11: dude jaque potgieter is a BOK and a averages THREE knocks a game! he was the same when he was at the Kings how is he different to adongo?
10 Jul 2012, 23:06 pm
Ah well, there you go. It’s a shame, I would’ve liked to see more of him. After Juandre, Flip and Steenkamp I’m not aware of any other locks that show promise.
Are there any youngsters coming through? vVelze is heading off (not S15 or even CC quality IMO), And now Adongo too. I can’t help but feel that both of them were considered more in a 5 lock/ blindside flank capacity than the 4 lock we desperately need. We have enough loosies (especially with Adendorff & Liebenberg also coming through), and quality at 5 with Juandre & Steenkamp. But nothing much to backup for Flip?
I know Fudge is back after the season once recovered from injury, but the same goes for him than vVelze (CC quality as best…if that).
Should’ve gone in for Quinn Roux!
10 Jul 2012, 23:38 pm
good luck lad, but i noticed your weaknesses when you played u20 wc with lambie and elton.
seems nothing has changed.
like branco du preez, you never mad it and though i was castigated by the likes of transie back then, the lack of superrugby gametime shows that QUOTAS dont work in sport.
hohoho.
funnily enough we just won the u20 wc, with no brancos in sight.
11 Jul 2012, 01:56 am
Big loss to SA rugby,I saw no problem with his depth perception when he scored those 3 tries for the bulls against cheetahs pre season,I have no doubt that once he has qualified for NZ he will be an all black a huge loss to sa rugby mark my words when he is punching holes
threw our line in 4 years time.Obviously didnt fit the stereo typical style of bulls play.Didnt think it possible but my passion for Sa rugby is relly starting to wane.
11 Jul 2012, 05:19 am
We have seen this before. The uproar when Hendrik Roodt went to Australia. The same with Pat Barnard. Potential does not mean anything. I suspect the Bulls cut him loose for a reason. Maybe he will come back to our shores as an AB. Good luck to him. I remain to be convinced though.
11 Jul 2012, 05:57 am
@stormer in a teacup(stormer in a teacup)-38:
It is a bit of a storm(er) in a tea cup, he did not break into the Super team and may even struggle to make the CC team. So he signed to go and play the equivilant of CC in NZ for a while. If he is any good he may even pick up a Super contract in NZ, if not he can always come back and play for the Kings…it is not like we just lost a super star!
On another subject, what happened to Sarel at the Worrytahs? Is he injured or did he get dropped all together and is he going back there next year?
11 Jul 2012, 06:41 am
Sarel is out of favour at the Wallytahs. They don’t play the sort of game that suits him. Hopefully he will be back for the Cheetahs next year. Together with Goosen these guys could be the best halfback duo in SA.
11 Jul 2012, 06:47 am
@stormer in a teacup(stormer in a teacup)-40:
Would have thought they knew that before they signed him, then again management and coaching staff at the Worrytahs do not come across as very clever!
I think Piet v Zyl and Goosen worked well this year and I won’t fiddle with it too much. Having said that I would much rather see rotation between Sarel and Piet than Piet and Tewis any old Saturday of the month!
11 Jul 2012, 06:49 am
he Waratahs could suddenly find themselves with more scrumhalves that they know what to do with next season, with Australia Under-20 ace Matt Lucas moving to Sydney.
Lucas has played for the Australian U20s in the last two Junior world Championship and was also added to the Australian Sevens side as injury cover earlier this year, but he could be involved in Super Rugby come 2013.
Lucas has been signed by the Waratahs according to the Sydney Morning Herald, which means he could be up against his brother, Ben, when the ‘Tahs take on the Reds next season.
The Waratahs now find themselves with four scrumhalves on their books for next season, with Grayson Hart, Brendan McKibbin and Sarel Pretorius already contracted.
The promotion of Hart to the starting line-up last weekend could mean the writing is on the wall for marquee signing Pretorius, who hasn’t been able to hold down the No.9 jersey this season with McKibbin generally favoured by coach Michael Foley.
The coach was reportedly very happy with his new halfback combination of Hart and Bernard Foley, which is an indication of his plans for the 2013 season.
The Waratahs play their final match of this year’s campaign against the Reds on Saturday and in all likelihood Hart and Foley will be at 9 and 10 once again.
Rugby365
Down the pecking oredr it would seem…………
11 Jul 2012, 06:50 am
Ja Tewis is a fryer, but a journeyman at best. Young van Zyl has the look of quality though.
11 Jul 2012, 06:54 am
Fryer = tryer.
11 Jul 2012, 07:01 am
@whatever(whatever)-42:
Ahh thanks.
@stormer in a teacup(stormer in a teacup)-43:
Indeed, Naka kept him on the bench during his best years and now wants to play him.
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