Catrakilis joins Kings
20 Sep 2012
WP flyhalf Demetri Catrakilis has signed a two-year deal with the Southern Kings.
Catrakilis has featured for Province during the Currie Cup over the last two seasons, but failed to make the match-day squad for the Stormers during this period. The lack of opportunities in Super Rugby is believed to be the main reason behind his decision to join the Eastern Cape franchise.
Cartrakilis will compete with George Whitehead and Wesley Dunlop, who have impressed in the Currie Cup First Division, for the No 10 jersey next season.
The 23-year-old follows Cheetahs centre Andries Strauss and Sharks lock Steven Sykes as the Kings’ new recruitments. Director of rugby Alan Solomons is happy with the quality of players his team has signed so far.
‘Demetri is the more experienced player among our flyhalves,’ Solomon told keo.co.za. ‘He’s shown great form during the Currie Cup Premier Division over the last two seasons for WP. His kicking at goal and out of hand has been excellent. I’m surprised he hasn’t played Super Rugby for the Stormers.
‘Steven Sykes and Andries Strauss also add plenty of value,’ he continued. ‘Steven has had a stint with Leinster in Europe and did very well for the Sharks during Super Rugby and the Currie Cup. He’s also a EP local boy, having gone to school at Marlow.
‘Andries will offer us plenty of experience and leadership. He’s shown his quality for the Sharks and Cheetahs in Super Rugby and travelled with the Springboks to Europe in 2010.’
Solomons added that the Kings have a recruitment plan in place to ensure they will be competitive in 2013. They only have a one-year guarantee in Super Rugby, and will have to feature in a promotion-relegation play-off against the Lions should they finish last in the South African conference next year.
‘We have a good recruitment plan in place, which will help strengthen our squad. Things have been going really well since it was confirmed that we will play Super Rugby in August. I’m confident we will have a team that can do the job next season.’
Meanwhile, Solomons confirmed that flank Luke Watson will be the first-choice captain going into Super Rugby. Watson leads the EP Kings in the Currie Cup First Division.
The player missed the opening rounds of the domestic competition due to a shoulder operation and a following quad strain. But he has shown great form in his four appearances, scoring eight tries which include two hat-tricks.
‘Luke is a player that will score plenty of tries for your team,’ said Solomons. ‘But it’s his general play that has been very impressive. He’s been in great form since coming back from injury.’
Watson’s form could be a boon for the Springboks, considering Heyneke Meyer’s team has struggled with injuries in the loose forward department. Meyer confirmed during his first interview as head coach that all South African players, including those playing in the Currie Cup First Division, will be in contention for national selection.
Solomons believes that Watson can add value to the Boks.
‘Luke has proven he is a quality player and he can make an impact at higher levels. But it’s up to Heyneke Meyer to decide on who he wants to use in his team.’
By Gareth Duncan
408 Comments
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20 Sep 2012, 08:49 am
Career ending Dragon
20 Sep 2012, 09:00 am
I think its a smart move for the young number 10.
In He is 3rd in line in Province, this way he should start most of the Super Rugby matces.
20 Sep 2012, 09:05 am
Look solomons…..you do not prove your quality in the cc, let alone the cc 1st division.
20 Sep 2012, 09:07 am
A real gamble. I wouldn’t want to work for Cheeky Watson
20 Sep 2012, 09:09 am
EP kings killing every team in the 1st Division by 30+ … surely they need to play CC … go back to 7 teams again …
20 Sep 2012, 09:10 am
Catrakilis signed with the Kings … he knows AC & Wakefield’s agenda = to have 15 coloured players to play for WP/Stormers …… WP = Lions in 3 years time …
20 Sep 2012, 09:11 am
@BULLET-2: I am still unsure about him, he seems to have talent but how good is he really?
20 Sep 2012, 09:16 am
Skeppie – massive improvement in WP backline when he started playing @ 10 .. it all started vs Griquas … this kid can play.! EP KINGS ON THE RISE!!!!
20 Sep 2012, 09:19 am
hey Solly, no talk of our captain playing for the Boks please, let’s have luke concentrate on the Kings, no sideshows here.
20 Sep 2012, 09:21 am
@Transformation-9: Morning Transie! I would’nt worry about puke being poached by the boks anytime soon, he’s all yours.
20 Sep 2012, 09:22 am
@grant100-8: Good for you guys, I hope he goes well, we can never have too many flyhalf options.
20 Sep 2012, 09:24 am
“Watson’s form could be a boon for the Springboks, considering Heyneke Meyer’s team has struggled with injuries in the loose forward department. ”
Gareth D you are a whipped dog doing Keo’s bidding. Puke is simply not good enough to play for the Boks. In the same boat as that plonker Potgieter. Pfffft move on.
20 Sep 2012, 09:27 am
Not a HUGE loss, but he’s a good 10 and would have probably been rotated a bit with PG next year… Province will have to hope they can steal Jantjies now, cos after the last few years I feel like PG has stagnated a bit. Winds of change are needed. Still, not a bad career move for Catrakilis.
20 Sep 2012, 09:28 am
RL … why didn’t Catrakilis sign for the Lions? oh ya … Lions won’t have a team in 2013 …
20 Sep 2012, 09:28 am
@Transformation-9:
Why not if he is good enough? Or are you still holding the puke thing against him?
20 Sep 2012, 09:28 am
oh its true!!!!!!!!!!
20 Sep 2012, 09:28 am
Go Kings !!! Good signing for them. I hope he does well.
20 Sep 2012, 09:30 am
@Skeppie-10: i’m not worried either, i’m just addressing Solly, we’ve got enough negativity towards us that we don’t need him to be “upsetting” the masses with suggestions of Luke ‘helping’ the Boks…
20 Sep 2012, 09:30 am
No bok coach in his right mind would give Watson a spot, the man is a canceris worm, that eats up the unity of a team, he is a virus.
20 Sep 2012, 09:31 am
@Mr Black-15:
20 Sep 2012, 09:32 am
@Skeppie-11: look at post #19 typical example.
20 Sep 2012, 09:34 am
@Mr Black-15: Ok course, similar to Kevin Pietersen, you cannot betray the country you are representing and hope to come back and wear the colours again.
20 Sep 2012, 09:34 am
i must agree … the Watson are a deadly virus — they allready killed the Lions …
20 Sep 2012, 09:35 am
@Transformation-21: It’s not far from the truth. It’s not just the puke comment, (which was silly but I also suspect context had something to do with that) he has a very similar personality to KP and in the teams he has played for has always seemed to create division.
20 Sep 2012, 09:36 am
@Transformation-21: Of what, the truth. Look at what Smit said about Watson’s attitude to ‘team’! He is a ANC lap dog, he and his dad are the worst scum to come out of the political garbage that is SARU!!!
20 Sep 2012, 09:39 am
Tic toc tic toc. It’s late in September, and so far the squad’s BIG names are Sykes, Watson, Strauss and Catrikilis. Just wondering when the gold rush starts, because this team will take 50+ from the Rebels, and triple digits from the Crusaders.
20 Sep 2012, 09:41 am
@Skeppie-24:
Does that include Bath, where he was captain?
20 Sep 2012, 09:42 am
I remember a certain Strauss tackling the kak out of the Bulls a few years ago … also about 12 more players who will sign in October … a few players from Argentina — they same Argentina who almost beat the Boks & Aus .. and held NZ for 70 minutes …. no way that the Lions will beat EP kings in 2013 relegation game …
20 Sep 2012, 09:43 am
@goodstuff-25: geez chap, i’m not fighting you…
this is exactly why i was saying solly should quit with the luke helping the boks nonsense…
20 Sep 2012, 09:45 am
@David-27: I can’t speak for his time at bath (which if I must be fair for all accounts he was well received) but I can speak first hand about his time at the sharks and it seems there was clealry problems at province as well.
20 Sep 2012, 09:45 am
Jaco Engels, Norman Nelson, SP Marais, Michael Killian, Scott Mathie/falie Oelshig, Nokwe ….
20 Sep 2012, 09:46 am
@grant100-28: I support neither team but I must say it is a little unfair to expect the lions to lose all their players to other S15 franchises and then expect them to win the relegation match.
20 Sep 2012, 09:46 am
@David-27: No racial politics at Bath I assume? Then what did he rant about? The thing with Watson, ether he is captain or he must leave the team, does not play well with others, only does an ok job when he can lord over them, even then he doesn’t get the best out of his team mates.
Stormers started playing winning rugby the second Watson was out of the squad.
20 Sep 2012, 09:47 am
@grant100-31: Not exactly premier players those.
20 Sep 2012, 09:57 am
Is it just me or have I been following this whole saga incorrectly? I thought the Kings were supposed to be a rugby team that is represented by the ‘majority’ and perhaps even ‘previously disadvantaged’ local players. Now that Super Rugby is nigh it seems they are trying to recruit players. It also appears that Sykes, Strauss and Catrakilis are *gasp* white.
It’s fine if they want to force another team into the Super Rugby comp to prove a point but when they get what they have pushed for they suddenly throw all their principles out the window are are trying to recruit a team that may win 1 or 2 games. Nothing but hypocrites.
20 Sep 2012, 09:58 am
@Skeppie-30: @goodstuff-33: “and it seems there was clealry problems at province as well”
is this why the Stormers players voted him Players’ Player of the Year in his last year at WP?
20 Sep 2012, 10:01 am
soulfusion .. LOL!!! you also fell for that one?? sheesh you okes are gullible! !!!how do you survive in the “real world”???
20 Sep 2012, 10:02 am
anyway, can we talk about the things that unite us and not our divisions…
20 Sep 2012, 10:03 am
@grant100-23:
LOL – what a laugh , my sec has just asked what am I laughing at. Great comment.
20 Sep 2012, 10:04 am
@soulfusion-35: All the Kings’ (spokes)men will tell you that Sykes and Strauss and the Greek are going to make thousands of little boys in Lusikisiki and Butterworth want to play the game.
My industry is full of post-rationalisation waffle. I can spot it a mile away when the dart is thrown first and then the dartboard is drawn in around it.
20 Sep 2012, 10:08 am
Dead average flyhalf. Even worse than Grant.
20 Sep 2012, 10:10 am
@Transformation-36:
Transie, you cannot help when one is prejudiced! Will unwittingly manifest itself at some stage.
20 Sep 2012, 10:10 am
@Transformation-36: Hmm good point but I also heard of divisions regarding him. Anyway at the sharks he certainly was a problem
20 Sep 2012, 10:14 am
i feel for the lions supporters, truly.
but their fight is with saru, not cheeky and the queens.
the queens are only doing what any reputable region would do and thats pushing for a place at the table.
sure, the transformation angle was sold to the politicians and it is proving to be bs in the initial stages of the queens participation but they have to stay in to create the opportunities for the black player base to participate on an even keel.
what is sad is the demise of the lions but the lions fans must blame their admin for that too.
does anyone know how a R40 mill salary budget stacks up against the other franchises?
20 Sep 2012, 10:14 am
“Watson’s form could be a boon for the Springboks, considering Heyneke Meyer’s team has struggled with injuries in the loose forward department.”
Chrissakes…
The HSM Player Management Crew getting a nice little punt from the HSM Media Crew.
How’s that for a conflict of interests…?
20 Sep 2012, 10:16 am
p.s. the queens thing is just a dig like the guppies.
the lions must now be called the cadavers.
20 Sep 2012, 10:17 am
@Transformation-38: transie…forget it. Whenever the Kings are mentioned the racists come out to play. The poor idiots were probably brainwashed in the army in the apartheid days and now have their heads up their own a.r s.e.s. Cry the beloved country.
20 Sep 2012, 10:18 am
@Heavens Game-45:
luke will probably never play boks again.
i am not sure which loose forward injuries solomons means? schalk, juan and spies?
we have loosies coming out our ears as usual imo.
20 Sep 2012, 10:20 am
@XV-47: cmon now.
you seriously trying to equate debate around the queens as racism?
why dont you be constructive ratehr than afraid of your skin colours place in the world?
20 Sep 2012, 10:22 am
@XV-47: Yesterday was too taxing to deal with this topic. XV come on over to the new world china, ELE…Everybody Love Everybody…Will Ferrel said it, it must be true
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