WP want Catrakilis to stay
27 Oct 2012
Allister Coetzee aims to keep Kings-bound flyhalf Demetri Catrakilis in Cape Town next season.
Catrakilis was one of the stars in WP’s 25-18 Currie Cup final victory over the Sharks in Durban.
It was his offload that put Juan de Jongh through for a telling try during the first half, while he also added 17 points via the boot. This included two drop goals that came at a crucial stage in the second half.
The victory is supposed to be the 23-year-old’s final appearance for Province as he signed a two-year deal with the Southern Kings. He’s set to wear the No 10 jersey for the Eastern Cape franchise during their debut Super Rugby campaign next season.
However, Coetzee plans to convince the player to remain in his camp.
‘I was very impressed with Demetri’s performance,’ Coetzee told keo.co.za. ‘I’m not his agent, but I want to sit down with him very soon and chat about his future here at WP. I want him to stay with us next season.’
This site caught up with Catrakilis as the WP players were boarding the bus outside Kings Park. He sounded interested to hear what Coetzee has to say, but added that his intention is to join the Kings.
‘At this moment in time, my plan is to join the Kings next season,’ said Catrakilis.
By Gareth Duncan, in Durban
28 Comments
27 Oct 2012, 22:01 pm
Unprofessional knee-jerk reaction. He had a good game and a decent season, but he’s signed for another team.
If you wanted him to stay, make sure of that BEFORE he signs. Geez…
27 Oct 2012, 22:01 pm
No, let him go and coetzee can go with him
27 Oct 2012, 22:02 pm
Demetri go to the Kings.
You won’t get game time with us once Elton is around, you’d be a great backup but that’s all you’d ever be.
Two great dropgoals and your kicking for posts is sublime.
But your general play… Sorry. Too pedestrian, too many aimless kicks, not inspiring for a premier S15 side.
You’ll do well at the Kings, all the best.
27 Oct 2012, 22:05 pm
@lepel-1: @saru1983-2: @Bagel-3:
spot on he saved a situation that should never have needed saving.. he almost cost us the game from outset with very poor service and kicking out of hand… and only the work done by others put him in a position to turn it round and come right with couple miracle drop goals at the death.. but he is no long term match winner.. and neither is Jantjies.. afraid to say it
Schreuder should play 10 and hope we get another youngster to step it up soon.
27 Oct 2012, 22:17 pm
As sad as it is that the man who won WP the Currie Cup won’t even play in the Currie Cup next year, I think it’s best for him and for Province that he goes to the Kings. He’s a fantastic goal kicker and played well in a final, which is not something every flyhalf can do, but the fact is that with Elton and Peter Grant at the Stormers next year there’s no chance that he’ll get game time. At the Kings, on the other hand, he’ll start for a Super Rugby team. Although they’ll struggle, every player wants to play Super Rugby. If he wants a real future he has to go.
That being said, I was really impressed with him today. He didn’t have the greatest start and that might rattle some, but he came back and gave us that crucial 7-point cushion with two great drop goals. His decision making and tactical kicking was something that has lacked with Cape flyhalves for a long time. And he’s cool as a cucumber when it comes to goal kicking.
Good luck to him at the Kings. I hope it doesn’t screw up his career.
27 Oct 2012, 22:30 pm
Varsity Cup , Vodacom Cup , Currie Cup , the guy has won everything he’s played in. Don’t understand how Gary Van Aswegen was ahead of him in the pecking order earlier this year. A loan deal to the Kings will be my choice , Grant and Jantjies aren’t gonna be around for Currie Cup 2013 anyway…
27 Oct 2012, 22:52 pm
beware of Greek wearing Kings …
27 Oct 2012, 23:12 pm
@wp_boytjie-6: Grant isn’t returning to Japan once he is back. So Grant will be available for next year’s CC.
Demetri showed enough, once he got his self belief, to say he is now better than Grant.
Let’s see what the coming days bring.
27 Oct 2012, 23:24 pm
Get him to the Greek,thanx for delivering us the cup Demetri & Co,Goodluck in PE…..
27 Oct 2012, 23:55 pm
Yes he helped you win a final but let the greek go to EP
Its not fair to have him sit behind jantjies and grant waiting for a injury
alot of WP supporters told me he was **** leading up2 this game, but thats neither fair nor true
his a good player, if abit limited, with a above average kicking off the tee, but the movement and passing to get the backline going, not greag kicking out of hand, unless its a drop goal maybe
good kick, id discribe him as the poor mans peter grant, best of luck at the kings
lets look at WP’s other flyhalf options
gary van asvegen: seem to hav a big skill set, but always injured
kurt coleman: discribed by the coaching staff as the most attacking fullback wp has ever had, bulked up alot over the last year, but also injured (broken jaw)
add grant nd jantjies to the mix nd wp should be ok in the FH channel
28 Oct 2012, 00:07 am
@numba4lock-10: Swiel should be ahead of Van Aswegen and possibly Coleman
28 Oct 2012, 06:53 am
Elton has been a bit skaam to sign on the dotted line. Shame. i think he has blown it. province don’t need draadsitters.
28 Oct 2012, 07:23 am
How on earth could the WP management allow Catrakillis to sign for another province? Now Alistair Coetzee wants him to stay after he signed another contract! Brain dead stuff!!
28 Oct 2012, 07:38 am
How can AC get him to stay, even if he wanted to? He has signed a deal hasn’t he?
28 Oct 2012, 07:42 am
Die ou is baie beter as kak webster jantjies…. Kings 1 : wp 0
28 Oct 2012, 07:46 am
Allister and wakefield’s dream is to have a all coloured backline… They made no secret of it…. Thats why they let pollard and dimitri go… This is the last cup for wp for another 10 years
28 Oct 2012, 08:35 am
@suffer_guy-16: That is one of the more bigoted and idiotic statements I’ve heard in a long time. You, naturally, can prove this?
Wasn’t Brache (a coloured player) dropped for a white guy in the final? Or is De Allende tanned enough?
28 Oct 2012, 08:50 am
@17 Lepel, one doesn’t need to qualify bigoted statements…this is Keo dammit
28 Oct 2012, 08:54 am
I heard Joel say something stupid like will the Greek be a surprise selection for end of year tour.
Sometimes a player has a superb game, that shouldn’t cause us to go into hysteria and lose all sensibility.
The Greek is limited in general play but played the game of his life yesterday. All credit too him and good luck@the Kings
28 Oct 2012, 09:40 am
Point remains, The Greek is a match winner with match winning abilities! Bambie had a good game, but has not got the same match winning abilities… How many match winning drop goals have Bambie made in his career?
28 Oct 2012, 10:06 am
@phil72-20: FFS Phil, are you seriously promoting the Greek over Lambie?
Lambie had a solid game without his forwards dominating, its what Elton does ALL year round with the Lions!
How many drop goals does Dan Carter pull off ? 1 swallow does not a summer make, congrats to the Greek but can the hysteria end there please!
28 Oct 2012, 10:31 am
He should spend a season at the Kings.. He will not get picked ahead of Grant and there is also Van Aswegen and Coleman coming up the ranks.
Also if Jantjes comes then he would have no place. However, the fact that Coetzee is saying he wants to keep Catrakilis makes me think that perhaps Jantjes is not coming to Stormers.
28 Oct 2012, 10:37 am
@papaown-21:
I agree. He played the second half of his life, Demetri, but for now he is just a very solid Currie Cup player.
A move to the Kings will do him well, where he is guaranteed a starting spot.
That won’t be the case at Province.
Lambie has really changed my mind on him – he is a fantastic player, and between him, Goosen and Jantjies, we have our Springbok flyhalves for the next ten years.
28 Oct 2012, 10:45 am
@papaown-21:
No!!!! just saying Lambie is overrated and completely out of his depth when it comes to pressure rugby. And… are you trying to compare Bambie to Dan Carter now? Carter can drop! He has speed and strength! He has the best past and boot in world rugby! The best stats of a 10 in world rugby! A world cup, a few tri nations, plenty super rugby trophies!!!!!! What does Lambie have????? 0 tries 0 drops and 0 penalties in 17 tests……..
28 Oct 2012, 10:48 am
Unbelievably ignorant lot, calling Demetri a Greek!
So much for the rainbow philosophy, its all bs.
28 Oct 2012, 11:08 am
@Rhys7-22:
I think you’re on the money there, Rhys7. This belated faith in Catrakilis, who AC seemed more than happy to farewell a few months back, suggests Elton’s waivering. Truth is, Demetri is well down the SA flyhalves pecking order and probably belongs at an outfit like the Kings.
28 Oct 2012, 11:22 am
Compare the 2 flyhalves on the field on the day… Sharks had forward dominance for about 60 min with Lambie having a good solid Game! Stompies forwards struggled for 60 min (except lineout time) with Catrakilis also struggling a bit behind the pack. Stompies pack dominated for about 20 min with Catrakilis having a few moments of brilliance in that time which included 2 drops and putting De jong away with a brilliant little pass. Which flyhalf had the biggest impact on the Game?
29 Oct 2012, 07:59 am
He knows that he’s not going to be a Springbok bar maybe one or two token caps to prevent him from playing for another country.
He should head overseas now while there’s still time.
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