Players from the Sharks and Stormers dominate the nominations for the annual Super 14 Player of the Year award.
Rugby 365 reports that nominations were made by members of the media on request from SA Rugby.
Ryan Kankowski and Rory Kockott from the Sharks, as well as Jean de Villiers, Andries Bekker and Conrad Jantjes from the Vodacom Stormers are in the running for the Super 14 award.
The two coastal franchises were South Africa’s strongest representatives in this year’s competition.
The contenders for the Vodacom Cup Player of the Year are similarly split between two teams, with Burton Francis and Rocco Jansen from the Blue Bulls contending with Ashley Johnson and Wilton Pietersen from the Cheetahs.
Isma-eel Dollie from Western Province completes the nominations.
The winners in each category will be announced at the SA Rugby Awards Banquet later this year.
Super 14 Player of the Year nominees:
Andries Bekker (Stormers)
Jean de Villiers (Stormers)
Conrad Jantjes (Stormers)
Ryan Kankowski (Sharks)
Rory Kockott (Sharks)
Vodacom Cup Player of the Year nominees:
Isma-eel Dollie (Western Province)
Burton Francis (Blue Bulls)
Rocco Jansen (Blue Bulls)
Ashley Johnson (Cheetahs
Wilton Pietersen (Cheetahs)
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nominations were made by members of the media on request from SA Rugby
Obviously JJ Harmse’s vote for JP Nel was the only one then 😉
Between Jean De Villiers and Ryan Kankowski IMO
@KSA Shark © (Comment 2) : Kanko by a country mile
WhooHooo I am flying in a few hours time!!!!!!!!!!!!
@KSA Shark © (Comment 4) : have a good trip, dude
@KSA Shark © (Comment 4) : Safe trip KSA… 😀
#3 bit of a sharks bias there….
Heart says it should be Kankowski however given the balance of power in SA rugby it will be hard to see that it will not be between JdeV and Jaantjies.With the coach’s namesake squeaking in by a slender margin.
@Sauce (Comment 7) : thanks 😉
Personally i think it should be Jean, he was epic in the Super 14.
Balance of power in SA rugby??? 🙄
What does that mean???
I think Kanko will get it.
JDV was very consistent but Kanko was in a league of his own.
Kanko should get it. Played really well & his team went further in the comp.
@wpw (Comment 11) : are you being factious or do you really want an explanation… 😉 rhetorically speaking here.
Ragged
We are talking about selecting the best players in SA.
What has that got to do with SARU?
Every player nominated deserve to be there.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 2) :
I think Ryan will take it for S14…
And Burton for the VC…
@wpw (Comment 15) :
Who selects the winner then…media only nominated!??!
@wpw (Comment 15) : Fair comment on the players selected, however, the fact remains that there is an overwhelming and undeniable W.P. influence in all things Rugby at the moment. This is my opinion and I am sure it shared by others as well. 🙄
I stand to be corrected Hmmm but all the rugby writers in SA.
Guys like Keo, Granger, Harmse, Robdylan, Stan, PJLD.
You know, all the TOP rugby scribes in SA. 🙄
Ragged
You are entitled to your opinion of course.
3 Stormers and 2 Sharks.
Which of the Stormers players don’t deserve to be there???
…TOP rugby scribes in SA….ahhh i cannot stop chuckling at that one
@wpw (Comment 20) : It is not whether one or the other does or does not deserve to be nominated, that is not the conjecture.
What is however my point ; is my own perceived increased Cape bias to all things that is Rugby now days.
U19 Coach- Eric Sauls
Emerging Boks- Chester Williams
7’s – paul Treu
Boks- you know who.
All with a strong WP bais.
Furthermore, Gary Gold S14 assistant Stormer coach.
It will come as no surprise to me if Jon Smit is hung out to dry if the Boks perform badly during the 3 Nations and that JdeV takes over the captaincy.
@wpw (Comment 19) : Aaah Stan, i hear he is travelling with Kinglsey Holgate doing his bit for the preservation of the african culture.
Top chap
@Ragged (Comment 22) : bit of a conspiracy theorist ragged
@Ragged (Comment 22) :
They always say Seffricans are king of the conspiracy theory.
@PJLD (Comment 24) :
lol. snap PJLD!
is it just me, or is there fokol actual news today?
Stan 😯 jislaaik ou, serrrriaass.
@VinChainSaw (Comment 26) : Mere seconds boykie
Tiaan Marx has gone back to the Leopards… there, now that’s big news 😉
@PJLD (Comment 24) : I will remind you of this when it comes to pass.
I am willing to give you odds that JdeV will be the next Bok skipper. There was quite a debate when Smit was “asked” who should stand in for him. I believe that a lot of the blame for the Boks “poor showing” against Italy was laid on Matfield’s head, therefore the path being cleared to appoint JdeV!
Again my opinion.
@Ragged (Comment 31) :
Dude, in fairness it’s not exactly rocket science as to who will be the next bok captain.
JdV is young, he has done the job well for WP and there are simply no other contenders in his age-group at the moment. Smit and Matfield have only another season or two…
Obviously it’ll be jdv, injury and form permitting. It would be foolish to not use him considering the other options.
But that doesn’t mean it’s Cape Town bias though buddy.
@VinChainSaw (Comment 32) : WE will agree to disagree!
We are all entitled to our views, yours is clearly of a stunning mountain bedecked invariably bedecked by cloud .Which I am sure also distorts WP supporter’s vision. 😉
@VinChainSaw (Comment 32) : Johann Muller?
@Ragged (Comment 33) :
Granted mate and fair play to you.
@robdylan (Comment 34) :
It’s sort of a requirement for captaining the boks that you actually make the team.
@robdylan (Comment 34) :
Is Johan Muller a captain? 😯
@robdylan (Comment 34) :
And I quote…
“Johann Muller may be a grafter and well respected by his peers, but why doesn’t he pull the team through when it counts? As a captain, he has actually achieved nothing of note and he needs to make a personal commitment to change that.” 22.06.08 18:43:16 by robdylan
WordPress eating your smileys again? 😆
@Bok-El (Comment 38) : hey – I reserve the right to change my mind daily 😉
@wpw (Comment 19) :
Ha-Ha…top rugby scribes…LoL
Oh ok…so they nominate and the once they have a nomitated list they have to vote for the top honours…kool…
Ragged
Then PLEASE explain to us all why there were only 2 WP players in the RWC squad in 2007???
kool?
As in koolkos? Cabbage breedie??? 😆
So who of Bakkies or Matfield will be dropped to make Johan Muller captain??? 😯
@wpw (Comment 41) :
Cozz the LIONS players were too good last year…
@wpw (Comment 41) :
So we could win it….. 😉
DP
Is your name Ragged???
@wpw (Comment 46) :
No but I couldn’t resist…. 🙂
@Dive Pass (Comment 47) : 😆
Bok squad raises a few eyebrows
Mark Keohane
June 25 2008 at 12:18PM
The absence of a third Springbok hooker for three Tests in New Zealand and Australia is a bigger surprise than BJ Botha’s exclusion from the props.
Springbok coach Peter de Villiers and his selectors are covered in most areas except hooker in a squad that is top-heavy among loose forwards and light in other areas.
To include Ryan Kankowski, Pierre Spies, Luke Watson and Joe Van Niekerk, who between the four of them will be playing for two places in the match 22, is an indulgence.
I don’t know how Kankowski could have been cleared to tour after again watching the tape of the tackle that knocked him cold against Italy.
The bloke’s lights went out before his head hit the ground, yet he is a consideration for the opening Test against the All Blacks in less than a fortnight.
If ever a conservative view was needed on a player it is Kankowski, who is young, a rare talent and will be influential to the Springboks in the next four years. To rush him back after such a sickening blow is confusing.
It would have been logical to let him rest in South Africa for the next three weeks and then join the squad in Perth for the Australian one-off Test.
Assuming he does not figure in selection against the All Blacks, then it is one of Spies, Van Niekerk or Watson to start, one to make the bench and one to watch from the stands.
When you consider the versatility of all three, you’d back Van Niekerk’s experience of 47 Tests for the starting position at No 8. It is his best position and Spies, for all his potential, is more devastating when introduced against tired legs than when asked to make the opposition’s legs tired.
Schalk Burger, with no Richie McCaw to combat, should give the Boks a huge advantage at the breakdown and if Van Niekerk and Spies are preferred over Watson, the Boks will also maintain their strength of having the option of five lineout jumpers.
Danie Rossouw’s absence will also be felt because he covers lock and loose-forward, and New Zealand have always been suspect against a big No 8.
I’d have gone for Rossouw at No 8 in New Zealand conditions and left Watson and Kankowski at home, the former an option against Australia and the latter a consideration for the home Tests against New Zealand and Australia.
Rossouw is available, but, like another of the 2007 World Cup squad in BJ Botha, he is momentarily out of favour.
The non-selection of a third hooker specialist is the talking point in this squad. What happens if captain John Smit or back-up hooker Bismarck du Plessis get crocked in the last run of the week or wake up on the Saturday morning with an ailment that rules them out of the match? It should be a rule in a 28-man squad to New Zealand and Australia that there have to be three scrumhalves and three hookers.
JP Pietersen’s recall is not surprising as he is the best of the right-wingers in the country. Clearly the Bok coaches wanted to get his hunger back during the incoming June Tests by making him sweat among the non-playing reserves.
But with the versatility of Conrad Janjtes, Percy Montgomery, Jean de Villiers, Adi Jacobs, Frans Steyn and Ruan Pienaar, why then select Odwa Ndungane or any additional wing for that matter?
The run-on XV will be strong, but the squad lacks balance and let’s hope Smit and Du Plessis stay off the onion soup in New Zealand because it is known to have given a few guys the runs on the morning of the match.
It would be catastrophic if the Boks mess up their best chance of a win against the All Blacks in New Zealand for a decade because they’re short a back-up hooker and outside centre.
@wpw (Comment 49) : Can you believe Keo still thinks there is space for Pakslae in the squad?
@Pokkel (Comment 50) : Who… “Papsak” 😆
@wpw (Comment 49) : Let Luke play hooker
@wpw (Comment 41) : Simple! The coach had no provincial agenda, players were selected on merit and not because of belonging to any clique.
Alas the good old days! 😆
Ragged
And when Jake had mainly WP players in his side in his first year as coach??
You talking bull.
De Wet Barry
Marius Joubert
Eddie Andrews
Bolla Conradie
Schalk Burger
Jean De Villiers
Joe Van Niekerk
All these guys played for Jake in 2004/5. Did he also show WP bias?
The same can be said of Nick Mallet…
Percy
Fleckie
Skinstad
Paulse
Stewart
Slaptjips
Aitken
Boome
Visagie
WP bias again???
@PJLD (Comment 52) :
He is too short….
@wpw (Comment 54) :
Jake no cozz he had a lot of Bulls players and Sharks players and Double U P players…depending on which team was doing well…
Nick yes…even though we lost and the players were not improving he kept on selecting them….game after game…
@wpw (Comment 54) :
WPW Jake first bought into all the Cape media hype about the Cape players but by the time the RWC came he realised it was…..well hype 😉
Its such a shame hey Dive Pass?
He dropped all those WP players who brought him Tri Nations glory in 2004.
My money is on Kankowski for S14 player of the Year. Not only was he one of only 6 sharks who played in all 14 games (being in the starting lineup for all games), but also ended up with the most man of the match awards during S14 (3) for the Sharks, which in my books is not 2 shabby.
Scoring 5 tries, second only to Odwa and Botes’ 6 tries each, who would forget that awesome Richie McCaw hand-off in the Crusaders game on his way to score.