Talk of a post-Super Rugby Sharks exodus continue to gather momentum, with loose forward Jean Deysel this morning confirmed as the latest player to commit his future to a Japanese club.
Deysel has signed a two-year deal with Toyota Verblitz and will leave for Japan on conclusion of the 2014 Super Rugby season; like Keegan Daniel before him, Deysel’s deal is a permanent one and will not allow him to return to the Sharks for Super Rugby duty in 2015.
The 29-year-old bruiser joined the Sharks in 2007 after a frustrating junior career with the Lions, in which he battled to break into the senior team. He was an immediate sensation in Durban, going on to establish himself as a key player at blind side flank and playing a starring role in the side’s 2008 Currie Cup triumph. A smattering of Springbok caps followed, but a propensity towards knee injuries, coupled with the arrival of Willem Alberts in 2009 have made Deysel’s position as a guaranteed starter in the Sharks side a tenuous one.
Speaking of the move, Deysel told the Sharks website “The decision to leave The Sharks, a franchise which means the world to me, has been one of my toughest decisions yet. I have learnt so much from this place and I am eternally grateful to this franchise for their belief, support and guidance over the years. Moving abroad presents a new opportunity for my family and I to experience a new culture and way of life. The memories of this franchise and most importantly the friendships I have made along the way will remain with me forever.”
We join the Sharks in wishing the Deysel family – Jean, Cindi and baby Zanru – all the best for their new adventure.
While the Sharks have done well to hang on to their Springbok regulars, there is all the same a somewhat alarming drain of senior players who are seemingly not on Heyneke Meyer’s radar at this stage, with a good number of squad players – so key to the depth which is the Sharks hallmark – deciding to move on ahead of 2015. Deysel and Daniel will both head for Japan later this year, while Wiehahn Herbst (Ireland), Charl McLeod (France), Edwin Hewitt (France), Tim Whitehead (Kings), Allan Dell (Scotland) and Hansie Graaff (Kings) have all confirmed their departures as well.
Sharksworld is aware of a few other players who have also penned foreign deals, although these have yet to be officially revealed.
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Wishing Jean and his family all the best but really gutted to see him leave too.
This is terrible news!
Baie dankie Jean en voorspoed in Japan.
This is serious. Soon we won’t have a team. Can we replace these guys Rob without going the player purchase route?
More bad news 🙁
Huge blow to us. 😥 between him, Alberts and Bissy they have been devastating as ball carriers. On the bright side, guess Tera will now get a proper run and time to prove himself sufficient to fill Deysel’s huge boots. It is never nice to loose players to overseas clubs, but if you must choose an area where we can afford it, then I suppose it is our loosies where we have enough stock.
You won’t have many experienced players playing out their game at their SA unions. Keegan, Deysel and McLeod are all pushing 30. The other guys weren’t part of the Super Rugby plans this year.
It will always be hard to keep players pushing their 30’s, as well as players nearing their mid 20’s, who has not been getting a decent run with the Super Rugby, or at least Currie Cup squad.
@Letgo (Comment 7) :
Allan Dell is leaving pretty early for a prop, but as far as I know he would be available for international selection in Scotland if he played there, so that’s also understandable (to a certain degree).
@Letgo (Comment 8) : at 105kg, Dell unfortunately will struggle to convince size-obsessed SA coaches to pick him at prop.
All the best Jean and family.
A lot of work will have to be done behind the scenes to make sure there are players coming through the ranks..
The Sharks have always been known for having a lot of depth at loose forward, will be interesting to see who is drafted in. Justin Downey is in the club scene if I am not mistaken, and from the juniors, there seems to be a few that could come through for the Sharks during the Currie Cup later this year..
Tera, Downey and Kleynhans perhaps for the Currie cup? What happened to Bry Stander?
The Sharks loose forward stocks are becoming severely depleted – loosing both Deysel and Daniel.
@HoneyBadger (Comment 6) : @Richard Ferguson (Comment 10) : Granted, depth is less of a concern at loose forward for the Sharks. It’s the loss of experience and by many accounts, leadership skills, that is more worrisome in Deysel’s case.
What kak news 😥
All the best in Japan Jean. You were always one of my favourites and you will be missed.
It’s the experience and leadership, as well as the trademark bruising runs and, more importantly, turnovers on the ground, which will be missed the most.
@HoneyBadger (Comment 11) :
Bry Stander is at the Force..
“Sharksworld is aware of a few other players who have also penned foreign deals, although these have yet to be officially revealed.”
Very scary sentence to read that…
@HoneyBadger (Comment 11) : @Richard Ferguson (Comment 15) :
With the HoneyBadger! 😀
@West Indies Cricket Board (Comment 16) : at this stage, only two.
Players leaving opens up options and makes the money that went to their contracts available.
It’s now part of the game. We can look at young talent in the system, or make a good buy in their place. I think we have a few good loosies still in the system, but maybe we need to be looking at an experienced scrummy.
As for the rest, young players in our systems will now definitely get a shot to show what they can do. If Tim had stayed Heimar and Esterhuizen would have gotten frustrated and left.
Hansie Graaf barely got here, so whatever and Herbst clearly wasn’t rated as highly by the current coaches, so we can’t blame him – we now have Adriaanse in his place. It was bound to happen.
Again, Edwin Hewitt was probably not rated by the new coaches anyway, although we always seem to have a problem at lock, you can’t blame the player for going. It would seem, if he was not rated he would have been replaced by another anyway. Ettienne Oosthuizen was brought in, in his place and Peet Marais is still fighting for a spot – he might leave soon too – And then we’ll get someone else in his place.
It happens.
It’s sad to see the loyal guys like Keegan, Deysel and McLeod go though. They have been part of the team for so long. They deserve their turn abroad though. All the best to them.
Player movement doesn’t always have to be such a bad thing!
Good luck Jean enjoy the time there!
@robdylan (Comment 18) : Not gonna push you, but gonna hope its not huge names 🙁 🙁 @Letgo (Comment 19) : you make a good point about money becoming available. I would go after Jaques Du Plessis from the bulls. He was born and raised in KZN and his family still live in Pongola. With proper coaching he could be awesome and soften the Deysel blow
Aaaaag fok! Da bekots, bekak en bepis ek myself!
@Letgo (Comment 17) :
😆
@Letgo (Comment 19) : You make a good point Letgo (and one I agree with by and large) but it does start to get concerning when a lot of them leave at once though. We’re not at the Bulls’ exodus level yet but it still quite a bit of experience to lose in one season.
Wishing Jean all the best in his new move, sad to see him go.
Currie Cup will now test our depth at loosies with Keegan going as well. Will interesting to see who puts their hands up (and which hands the coaches choose to see)
All the best Jean! A great servant for the Sharks and great fun to watch when he builds up a head of steam – surely the most bump – offs per game anywhere?
One of my all-time favourite plays was a try he created for JP against the Lions on the CC when he first got here.
Anyway, all these guys have to build a decent post-retirement package, and if not in Meyer plans, the move abroad makes sense.
We need to call Nizaam Carr (spelling) and Jaco Kriel. We are now exposed at loose forward.
@GreatSharksays (Comment 27) : We have an entire Currie Cup to blood some new players. Doubt that’s necessary.
@vanmartin (Comment 28) : I agree, there are for example the Du preez brothers coming through, one a huge flank the other a smallish Lock lol, So both abrasive players
Who do we know for a fact still has a year or more left with the Sharks?
@GreatSharksays (Comment 27) : yeah, sorry, but we’re not exposed at loose forward.
Not until the guys in our system have had a chance to step up in the Currie Cup and show us what they can do.
Remember, our first-choice trio of Coetzee, Alberts and Kankowski remains intact.
In fact, even with all these departures, the Sharks are fine for Super Rugby next year…. here’s a match 23.
Beast, Bismarck, Jannie, Oosthuizen, du Toit, Coetzee, Alberts, Kankowski, Reinach, Lambie, Pietersen, Steyn, Sithole, Ndungane, Mvovo
Cooper, Chadwick, Adriaanse, Lewies, Mtembu, Ungerer, Williams, Marais
Then still add:
Thomas du Toit, Monde Hadebe, Peet Marais, Francois Kleinahns, Kaya Majola, Johan Meyer, Hanco Venter, Tim Swiel, Fred Zeilinga, Andre Esterhuizen, Jaco van Tonder, Tyler Fisher, Sean Robinson, Sizo Maseko and so on.
I’ve missed some names…. still a very good 40-ish man squad to choose from there.
Also remember that we have a whole Currie Cup campaign to blood additional talent.
@robdylan (Comment 31) : oh oops…. left out Paul Jordaan for starters 🙂
@robdylan (Comment 31) : Bresler! fck!!
@robdylan (Comment 31) : This right here already made me feel much better about our squad for next year. With JW there to develop another couple of gems, I’m sure we will be just fine. 😛
@West Indies Cricket Board (Comment 33) : oh yeah, I didn’t include him, did I?
Losing quality players like Deysel will always be hard, but it’s a part of life. Sharks must just ensure that the promising youngsters is kept and not pushed to replace those players before they’re ready and able to do so.
@robdylan (Comment 35) : and then there’s still the small matter of Koegies.
@JD (Comment 36) : I would be more worried if we were losing guaranteed Boks and Super Rugby starters.
A few are moving on, but no more than in previous seasons.
@JD (Comment 37) : Koegies isn’t going anywhere, to my knowledge. Like I said, I knew there were some players I had left out.
Koegies has battled a bit with injury and hasn’t been paying Vodacom Cup, so not really sure where he stands.
He’ll be a big player for us at u21 level this year, I think.
@robdylan (Comment 39) : they must ensure that his rehab is done correctly so that he’s ready when he’s all grownup. After losing all those quality players Sharks are still in good shape for next year.
If they are not going to play Springbok and in late twenties, huge money on offer it is inevitable that we will loose players.
My concern for the Sharks is playing WIllem at 4 for most of every game and starting Jean with him is like playing Russian roulette. They are both injury prone due to the way they play – balls to the wall ! We need both or least one of them.
Why does he play his boy Ettienne only for 3 minutes. Give Peet or Hewitt a chance !
comment edited: Administrator
Botes is still around, could be the experienced player we need for currie cup to help out a bit
@RuckingFun (Comment 42) : yes exactly.
He’s moving to an off-field role, but I reckon he’s definitely still got a Currie Cup campaing in him
With Deysel and Daniel gone, he could captain, unless they give that honour to Odwa, which would also be nice.
@robdylan (Comment 43) : yes Sharks will want to win the Currie Cup again but I Really feel that where possible some young players should be groomed to take over from the old guard. Some youngsters together with experienced guys like Odwa and Botes would do nicely.
Look with Jake White in charge I think there isn’t too much danger that Wolla replacement being groomed or lined up, hell I would even day if we lost Alberts, Jake would find someone just as good
Why would any senior player stick around for CC rugby? It has been turned into a glorified club competition.
Deysel has made the prudent choice, 29 and no chance of a future with the Boks….take the money and give your body the rest it requires.
@Bokhoring (Comment 12) : @robdylan (Comment 39) : Rob Jaco Kriel gets my vote for a long and happy sharks career. I know we are in talks with a Province player that I don’t rate!!! At all!!
And I hope he doesn’t find his way to the sharks…I think kriel with his skill will gain a lot in our pack. He is not excellent on the ground but a season or 2 with Botes and White will make a huge difference. Regarding Botes. I hope we treasure the value he added over the years. I have spoken to a lot of players who have said he is one of the most difficult players to play against. R E S P E C T
@BoerSeun (Comment 47) : who’s the Province player?
His agent wil klap me, I can give a huge hint he has been a fringe player for a few seasons. I can’t even Facebook u now in china….will send when I land in RSA
@BoerSeun (Comment 49) : Elstadt, Carr? Wouldnt mind either
Dont forget the two Du Preez brothers in the works.
Maybe Jake should give Nizaam Carr a buzz.
@HoneyBadger (Comment 6) : I’m the original Honey Badger 😈
Very sad to see Jean go. He’s been one of my favourite players since he arrived at the Sharks. He deserves to play somewhere where he can give his body a bit of a rest. But will he?!He always gives 100%.
Good luck, Jean and family!
@Honey Badger (Comment 52) : so now we’ve got two Honey Badgers, if one of you two’s a female we have a breading pair. ;-D
Swiel, chavanga and keegan in, going 2 be very interesting to see how they go. Sharks need 2 pick up some bonus points, looks like that’s what we’re aiming for in this game with these selections.
@JD (Comment 54) : ill be the alpha because of my 3 stars 😆
Sad to see Jean leave but hey he was a great servant to the Sharks. Wishing him well in Japan.
Totsiens Yster 😉
@Honey Badger (Comment 56) : hahaha nice one. Wonder what your name sake will have to say about that?
Bummer, 🙁
These players understand that EVERYONE can t be selected for the Bok team right?
Sharks are bleeding players and experience these days, really ironical as everyone was predicting the opposite with all the recent changes at the union.
@Salmonoid the Subtle (Comment 61) : all of the players that’s leaving knows they have no chance of playing for the Bokke so come time to renew their contract they go where the money is. Most of the players leaving are close to 30 and so they try to max their money while they still can.