Kings make double swoop
13 Sep 2012
The Southern Kings have signed lock Steven Sykes and centre Andries Strauss for the 2013 Super Rugby season.
Sykes and Strauss will make their exits at the Sharks and Cheetahs respectively. Both moves have been confirmed to keo.co.za and they will join the Kings after the Currie Cup.
The two players are the first to sign with the Eastern Cape franchise since they were awarded Super Rugby status in August. There are rumours that a few Argentine and New Zealand players are set to join the Kings in the near future.
Meanwhile, Cheetahs CEO Harold Verster believes Strauss will be one of the last players to depart from Bloemfontein this year.
They have already lost tighthead prop WP Nel (Edinburgh), No 8 Ashley Johnson (London Wasps) and lock George Earle (Scarlets) after Super Rugby, while flyhalf Sias Ebersohn (Western Force) and lock Izak van der Westhuizen (Edinburgh) will also make their moves following the domestic campaign.
‘We want to build on our achievements from this year’s Super Rugby,’ Verster told this site. ‘We have already extended most of our players’ contracts, while there will be a couple of more contract extensions made over the next few weeks.
‘We will also have some new players available in 2013, like [Blue Bulls] centre Johann Sadie.’
By Gareth Duncan
211 Comments
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13 Sep 2012, 15:39 pm
Good news….
Hopefully Catrakillis as well….[ Jantjes to wp please....]
13 Sep 2012, 15:43 pm
Mhhh, not earth tremour stuff.
13 Sep 2012, 15:43 pm
yesses why would we want to sign this donkey?
13 Sep 2012, 15:48 pm
Well….this is exactly what I said would happen.
This useless side will now go out and buy players from within the South African pool further diluting it and making it that little bit weaker!!
Well done Cheeky Watson…..you f%^&ing knobhead!!
13 Sep 2012, 15:55 pm
@CT Shark-4:
It is capitalist world. People will go where they feel their professional career will be advenced.
Read in testerday’s Times addition that a Springbok or two and 8 super rugby players will join them, assume negotiations are going on. Still early days THOUGH.
13 Sep 2012, 16:10 pm
2 good signing for the Kings!
13 Sep 2012, 16:29 pm
@Peter Mkata-5: the irony of being a Cape Town Shark is lost in him, forget about him.
13 Sep 2012, 16:32 pm
@Transformation-3:
who, sykes or strauss?
13 Sep 2012, 16:35 pm
Strauss has a bad tackle technique, he is a walking yellow card.
13 Sep 2012, 16:38 pm
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-8: there’s one donkey between the two and it is not steven…
13 Sep 2012, 16:39 pm
I heard a rumour that the Kings,when their sponsership deals are all signed up, will be richer than the Cheetahs and Lions combined.Well,anybody can be be richer than the nearly extinct Lions.
13 Sep 2012, 16:40 pm
Why bring in kiwi players? Rather bring some saffa players back from Europe, or are they too expensive? Agree with bringing in some Arg players, because for them to be even more competitive in next years RC they need to have players playing in Super Rugby.
13 Sep 2012, 16:45 pm
@Puma-12: what kiwi players?
13 Sep 2012, 16:51 pm
@Transformation-13: I have no idea. The article says their are rumours that there are some NZ players to join Kings in the future. Why bring them here?
Why not our own and bring some players back from Europe. Or some players here.
13 Sep 2012, 16:52 pm
@Puma-14: their = there
13 Sep 2012, 16:56 pm
@CT Shark-4:
How does it dilute the South African pool if the Kings buy players who are already in the pool an in the process prevent them from leaving the pool?
13 Sep 2012, 17:02 pm
@Puma-14: why did the Sharks bring a frenchman Michalak instead of our own? Andy Goode, Epi Taione, Juan Martin Hernandez.
why did WP bring Chris Jack, Matt To’omua, Sireli Naqelevuki?
why did the Lions bring James Kamana
13 Sep 2012, 17:08 pm
@Robzim-16: Simple…..they are now buying Sharks and Cheetah’s players…..now the Sharks and Cheetah’s are slightly weaker as they’ve lost players….
It’s rumored that Catrikilis from WP is on his way there too…..so WP lose another flyhalf….thus weakening them too…..
I’m sure that with the money they’ve been given they’ll be able to attract some players from the other franchises too……and all this does is deplete the ranks in the other franchises leaving them weaker.
Remember the Kings were all supposed to be about the abundance of wonderful local talent that was in the Eastern Cape and giving them a chance to compete at a higher level……NOT about going on buying spree to deplete the player stocks of the the other franchises……
I’ll be interested to see just how many “local” players are picked for this team….. I’m willing to bet that it’s very few….
13 Sep 2012, 17:09 pm
@Transformation-17: Because they all had creative agents…………?
13 Sep 2012, 17:11 pm
@XhosaKid-7: Exactly that he hell is that supposed to mean……?????
13 Sep 2012, 17:17 pm
@CT Shark-19: so what is Puma’s issue with the Kings bringing in Kiwis with equally creative agents?
13 Sep 2012, 17:21 pm
@CT Shark-18:
It is therefore not dilluting but rather a “redistribution” of resources.
There is no difference between Cheeky Watson buying players from the Cheetahs for example and Rudolph Strauli doing exactly the same- in both instances the Cheetahs will be weakened.
The Kings have been given one year to perform or they will be out- under that circumstances they have no alternative to try and buy the best they can afford as soon as possible .It’s dog eats dog survival of the fittest out there.
13 Sep 2012, 17:21 pm
@Transformation-17: I would never have brought those players to Sharks. I am for using our own talents here. Rather use our own always. Now why the heck bring in kiwi players? Thought this was more about bringing players through in the EC? Divvy was right, he said Kings should have waited and played in CC and BUILD a team from the EC for Super Rugby and then start playing SR once they had a team. Now Kings will be a Cosmopolitan looking side. This defeats the object of why Kings MUST be in Super Rugby, if they bringing in players from around the world. And they not only gonna be bringing one it will be quite a few.
I suppose Kings have to start somewhere. I do hope they eventually bring through players from the Eastern Cape, as it was meant for that.
Arg players I agree. Every team in Super Rugby should be helping Arg out here, to have at least one Arg player. That way we get them into playing Super Rugby which will help them more for RC.
NZ have 5 teams they can use their players there, why must we bring THEIR players here and play them? Why not our own? I am always for our own.
13 Sep 2012, 17:26 pm
@CT Shark-18: Snap! Your 2nd last paragraph. Exactly what I was talking to Transie about. Spot on there bud.
13 Sep 2012, 17:32 pm
@Transformation-21:
What about Canadians?
Have you heard anything about DTH van der Merwe signing for the Kings?
13 Sep 2012, 17:47 pm
@Robzim-22: You missing the point mate. There was all sorts of big statements made by Watson about this being for the “good of the local community” and to “promote local talent in the Eastern Cape”.
It’s done neither…..
And lets look at this from another perspective……
Lets say that a Sharks player (ie: Sykes) signs a two year contract with them. At the end of the season they’ve performed like rubbish (as we expect) and the Lions get a crack at them in a promotion relegation match…..and beat them. Kings out…..Lions back in. Sykes still has a year to go on his contract……so now he’s stuck in a Vodacom Cup side while the rest of SA is deprived of the services of a good Super15 lock for a year. If another franchise wants him……then they have to compensate the Kings by buying out the contract……placing a financial burden on the franchise on the franchise that wants him.
This has been a f#ck up from the start.
What should have happened is that SARU should have brought in some good coaching and coached the Kings through Vodacom Cup….into Currie Cup and on a merit and performance based path had them challenge for a spot in Super15.
But no…..like everything else in Africa it had to be done in a complete shambles……
13 Sep 2012, 17:50 pm
@Transformation-21: “Because no local talent is being given a chance…..and we should be developing local talent first…..not Kiwis.
13 Sep 2012, 17:53 pm
@Puma-23: tough luck for YOU puna your union has been at the forefront of buying internationals and have benefitted from them immensely now please kindly step aside & allow the Kings to prepare the ONE SHOT saru hs afforded them. how many players in europe do u know that sign ONE YEAR DEALS?
it’s easy to sit there & scream “bring our own”
13 Sep 2012, 17:53 pm
@Puma-24:
Ok, so let the Sharks and the other provinces give back their EP players to help them fulfill that role.
13 Sep 2012, 17:53 pm
Seven Sykes is Eastern Cape borne and bred and I believe he has a farm there. In his case it is therefore a local player returning to his roots and that is perfectly in line with the aim of the kings to bring local players back.
13 Sep 2012, 18:01 pm
This time next year, the Kings will be engaged in proceedings to prevent the promotion/relegation play-off from taking place
13 Sep 2012, 18:05 pm
@Transformation-17: No man , they dont count cos they not a black region ! Dont be silly now and try and use fairness
13 Sep 2012, 18:09 pm
@CT Shark-26: How can you expect the Kings to make up of just local players and still survive ? So he picks only local talent and they get relagtated , everyone shouts – Told u so !! He dont pick local only players and everyone is up in arms again ! Talk about a rock and a hard place.
The Kings need to be successful on the field if they ever gonna be successful off the field ! They have one year to get it right ! Absurd.
13 Sep 2012, 18:22 pm
My take on the dilution of the overall competitiveness of the SA franchise : Taking a look at the Aus conference post the introduction of the Force & the Rebels its clear that building a new squad from the ranks of fringe players from existing franchises, stars chasing a bigger pay cheque, a couple of foreigners & over the hill veterans & complete unknowns has not delivered the expected competitiveness. What it actually does is cause a chronic annual spike in player movements, although not necessarily to the new franchise
13 Sep 2012, 18:22 pm
I see this is in line with Watson’s “signing returning players from overseas” mantra.
Way to go Cheeky…
13 Sep 2012, 18:37 pm
Aren’t both Strauss and Sykes white ? I thought so, but I could be wrong. Do I need my eyes tested ?
13 Sep 2012, 18:41 pm
Sharks were not prepared to commit to a contract with Sykes after 2012. Can’t really blame them. Since his return he has been below par. So he is scrounging now for Super 15 time. Can’t think of any other Super 15 franchises that would have been interested in him.
Good luck at the Kings Steven Tshabalala….I mean Sykes….
13 Sep 2012, 18:56 pm
@Dusky-37: Very interesting that he is now worthless.I remember certain Sharks bloggers waxing lyrical about their rugby depth in terms of Sykes.
13 Sep 2012, 18:59 pm
@wnbb-38: Sykes isn’t completely worthless – I would rate him as average to slightly above average – a decent stop gap at lock. There was a time when he earned his praises. At the moment, even the immensely thick Kings supporters must be able to see that his form is not quite where it used to be.
Evidenced by the Sharks not offering him a Super 15 contract beyond 2012.
I dont really care about that though. I am interested in hearing about Steven’s ancestral African black heritage. I was unaware. I mean he looks completely Caucasian to me.
13 Sep 2012, 19:02 pm
WOW – looks like transformation is already happening.
13 Sep 2012, 19:04 pm
I want the Sharks to leave the Super 15 and join tournament the Lions are busy setting up. The money grabbing imbeciles in charge of the Super 15 can bring in the Limpopo Crocodiles or the South Western Impalas or the Stuyvesant Extra Milds into the Super 15 to take up the Sharks place.
It wont be long until the moment the other tournament gains momentum that the ******* corrupt politicians will want a piece of it and force themselves into it. As long as they have a shower afterwards.
13 Sep 2012, 19:07 pm
@BULLET-40: I hate the Kings. On principle I will support a team of Somali Pirates playing against them. First time ever I will not support a South African team – just simply because all they stand for is money grabbing corruption and nothing else.
13 Sep 2012, 19:09 pm
jeez, so many bean counters? hhahaha i’m sure this lot has boycotted woolies too
13 Sep 2012, 19:10 pm
@wnbb-38:
Like Hekkies?
The Stormers supportes called him sh-ite while still at the Bulls but now at WP he’s suddenly a good player ?
13 Sep 2012, 19:10 pm
@BULLET-40:
Yes, Cheeky is tranforming from a doos to a rich doos
13 Sep 2012, 19:13 pm
@Transformation-43: Yes. You will ridicule this simply because of the size of your brain, but I retracted all approvals for my team to travel on SAA until further notice. Cost SAA R 1.6 Million worth of business per month. That was my contribution.
As I said – you dont have to believe it if you dont want to.
Unfortunately dumb wops like you and the ones that you support think that the consumer has no power. That is changing very quickly in South Africa.
13 Sep 2012, 19:13 pm
Sorry, but no respect at all for any South African player who signs for the Kings.
In fact, none whatsoever.
13 Sep 2012, 19:13 pm
@Dusky-39: ancestral heritage? gee dusky have you taken up anthropology in Norway or are you stil being your normal sourpoes self?
13 Sep 2012, 19:15 pm
@Transformation-48: Eishi….marra tjy is so slim ne ? Hauw !?
13 Sep 2012, 19:16 pm
Easy Dusky, we will give ourselves hernias.
The system is flawed. Its a similar situation to politics in RSA.
Watson played the race card to emotionally charge the powers that be to fasttrack the kings to super rugby. He got something that he did not need to qualify for because he claimed previously disadvantaged.
Then when he is there, he has white coaches, his white son as captain, and spends the transformation money attracting white provincial players to ensure his survival because of the ludicrous relegations system after 1 year. (Yes I think this is a situation where his survival ensures he cannot afford to take risks with slow transformation)
So – who wins? Nobody really, but the watsons line their pockets.
Does this not sound like a Limpopo tender in the new RSA?
Political promises of change get the politicians in power, and once there, the change policy is abandoned in order for the people in power to protect their earning potential.
I Love RSA
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