Today we finally saw official confirmation of a story we broke a few weeks ago. Waylon Murray officially put pen to paper with the Lions a few days ago and started training with his new team today.
Murray, who was graciously released a few months early from his Sharks contract, was full of praise for both John Mitchell and Dick Muir, with the latter in particular understood to have played a huge role in his decision to move up to Johannesburg. Our information is that a complete breakdown in communication between Murray and Sharks coach John Plumtree only served to make Murray’s decision that much easier. The departure of Murray now means that, aside from JP Pietersen, the Sharks have essentially lost every single one of the young backline players unearthed by Muir in the 2005 Currie Cup and developed over the next few seasons. There’s a lesson in that, somewhere, if only somebody could be bothered to learn it.
The news in Joburg is not all good, though, with prop Heinke van der Merwe, arguably one of only 2-3 really class players still contracted to the Lions, set to leave immediately to join Leinster in Ireland. It would appear that the return of CJ van der Linde to South Africa has opened up a spot at the Dublin club and it was only a matter of time before van der Merwe, who like Wian du Preez appears to be well behind in the Bok pecking order, decided to cut his losses and chase the money.
Great work Plumtree – just 1 more to go and the golden backline boys are all gone.
I can still remember this guy punishing guys like Ice Toeava as a 21-year old. All the talent and physical attributes, but the coach prefers the likes of Swanepoel, Strauss and Terblanche.
Yes, that Plumtree is a helluva backline coach.
What do Kevin Putt and John Plumtree have in common?
Both New Zealanders.
Both played for the Sharks.
Both oversaw truly crap displays from the Sharks in S14.
And Putt experienced similar players exoduses – Luke Watson and co.
@Big Fish (Comment 1) : leave Swannie out of this. The poor kid is just as much a victim of Plumtreeism as the rest of them.
Hehehehehe.
The Lions must be disappointed, they must have been thinking:
“Those thieving bas$%^ds in Durban we’ll steal one of their players before his contract is up, and then we can have another court battle”
But the Sharks as gracious as ever have released the player without any big fuss.
Good on the Sharks,
Shame on you Lions how COULD you talk to a player while he is still under contract with another union?!?!?!?!?!?
@KSA Shark © (Comment 4) : dude, Dick is talking to ANYONE who has a phone at the moment…
Wonder where Adi’s going to retire, Sharks or Lions, WP seems like a no go
See what I mean with all the young FH’s we signed?
I honestly think that this was a good move on Waylon’s part. He wasn’t getting game time apart from the Vodacom Cup. Now he can play every week and prove his class. I hope he does well there.
As for our remaining centres, Swannie is improving, we just need him to start looking at offloading when he crashes up the ball.
Adi should just leave really, too injury prone, and no real impact anymore. Give Stemmet time to settle in the posotion. Time to get rid of the ballies.
15.Lambie
14.Mapoe
13.UMMMMMM / (Ronnie Cooke)
12.Ummmmmm / vENTER(WALTER vENTER)
11.Pieterson
10.Ummmm
9.Cockett
nO Comment…I need a Word of Hope for the Sharks…Who is in OUR CC squid has it been announced? I wish our official sharks website could update us more often….
Sadly I don’t think Plum rates Waylon at all as a fellow Westville boy I hope he makes a big impact at the Lions !
@Charlie (Comment 6) : Hey Charlie Charlie please don’t go please don’t go
Everyone is going are we going to ever win the S15 CC and hv players in the WC
mmmmm
Money money money in the Rugby’s world