The Bulls have landed what must be the signing of the year so far in Jano Vermaak, the influential Lions scrumhalf that has served the union so well over the last few years, being their stand out player season after season.
Vermaak will be joining the Blue Bulls after the completion of the Currie Cup competition and will represent his new team for the first time in Super Rugby next season.
Vermaak, who has been with the Lions since 2004, has signed a two year contract with the Loftus based side.
What a shame for Vermaak. He’s a running scrumhalf and now they’re going to brainwash him into the infamous hoof & hope gameplan.
Jano stuck it out for a long time with the Lions. Maybe too long. I don’t think he’s ever played for the Boks. If so he must be one of the best SA players of the modern era never to have done so.
@beet (Comment 2) : True, he’s a great little scrumhalf but joining the Bulls won’t do his natural running game any good. They just seem to brainwash the creativity out of their players. I would much rather recommend WP, Sharks or FS for a player like him.
As far as I know Jano has lived in Pretoria the whole time that he has played for the Lions and commuted everyday. In light of that this is not very surprising. The Bulls really need scrumhalf depth and this should be a good signing for the Bulls.
Come on Lions! How did they let this guy go? Too busy chasing other big names at other unions perhaps?
@war1 (Comment 4) : Great. So just when Gautrain offers to slash 2 and a half hours out of his daily travel time, he decides that he no longer wants to cross the Jukskei twice a day
@beet (Comment 6) : Ha ha, too true. Talking about awkward timing, Jano will be playing against his future employers this weekend. Should be interesting.
Oops, it seems like the Lions will drop Vermaak from their 22 this weekend. Apparently they are shocked that he has decided to sign for the Bulls because he promised not to negotiate with other unions until the end of the Currie cup.
And what do we have here? Lions back at the bottom of the Food Chain!
Has Francois Hougaard signed a new contract with the Bulls yet or might he still go back to WP?
Stopped next to Jano at a robot this past Sunday, he was in Nelspruit for some reason
@Ben (Comment 10) : I was also wondering that
@beet (Comment 2) :
sarel pretorius ?
Here we go again
Sad sad indeed for the Lions but now at least he will play for the boks
@Mutley (Comment 15) : he’s not good enough to play for the Boks… changing jerseys isn’t going to change that fact
Have you ever met a Bulls player not playing for the Boks
The Bulls’2012 backline in scary.
@Mutley (Comment 17) : also true
Maybe when Alister Coetzee is appointed Bok coach, all that will change?
@GreatSharksays (Comment 18) : with Morne Steyn at flyhalf, it’s scarily BAD
Vermaak, Sadie…are the Bulls worried about life after their established Boks? Judging by Saturday’s thumping by WP they need some forwards too…
now, the bulls need dynamic five eigths and their backline will be cooking.
Maybe the Bulls are after Jannie and Bismark. They are sneaky that way
Why would Vermaak want to go to the Bulls to warm the bench for Hougard?
@lostfish (Comment 24) : suoer rugby 2011 season has shown that one cannot survive just playing one guy in one position. this is why we have fatigue and injury issues – dries bekker. the quicker some here realise what SANZAR has done the better.
@Megatron (Comment 25) : That is true but my point is that he is going from first choice at the Lions to second choice at the Bulls.
@lostfish (Comment 26) : so? that is no big deal. look at a guy like khan fotuali’i, he played around the same amount of minutes as andy ellis, albeit from the bench, but his contribution to the team was immense. remember @ twickenhanm? ellis got injured and kahn had to bring the ship home under immense pressure from the sharks.
now imagine if the bulls lose hougaard in a “tight” match like that, you think dustin jinka or ruan snyman will cut it?
part of the negotiations surely should include discussions on possible playing minutes before ink is applied to paper, that is the professional way.
Guy…sad to see you go but no one can hold it against you…
You were loyal and move is not always bad…
However…you needed to be more transparent with Mitch when he asked you…you might have still been playing till the end of the season then…