Lions trying to steal Beast!!!

[TRF_Ezequiel]

The biggest issue with the Lions is that they are so close to the Bulls. Pretoria - Joburg is about 80 km which means that most people living in Joburg will rather drive to Pretoria to see the Bulls win at Loftus in stead of seeing the Lions lose at Ellis Park.

The Southern Kings would dip into a whole new batch of supporters on the South coast between Durban and Cape Town.

 

[JJR]

Good for the Sharks he decided to stay altho a move to the lions would be good so they could improve their team as well

Lions have already got some really good new talent since last season superrubgy. Wikus van heerden is back for the whole season, Elton jantjes was brilliant in the currie cup at flyhalf (20 years old), they have signed lionel mapoe, wilton pieterson (both solid wings), patric cilliers (played 4 The Sharks prop), Michael Rhodes...good cover at lock and at blindside,Bandise maku (okay hooker) and Rory Kockett and it seems that Butch james will be joining them, but time will tell. Plus John Mitchell has given them an identity in concern to their playing style...it suits their strengths. Oh...Andre pretorius going back to the lions is more likely than Butch going. At least they will have 2 really good flyhalves. They will be a lot better this season.

 

[Seaton]

yeah cos if the Lions don't step it up we could see Southern Kings replace them unless they just join. But it would be sad to see Jo'burgs team not in the comp, never understood how the Golden Lions stay competitive in the Currie Cup but when they play super rugby there a complete disgrace same goes to you Cheetahs

It's all got to do with playing staff

Lions/Cheetahs start the year off with a few faces missing from the previous years CC side. They need to gel, but find it difficult in such a tough competition and possibly not enough time.
Roll on the Currie Cup of that year, they have more or less gelled and players have improved basic skills, resulting in better performances. Also they are up against fairly weaker opposition which further aids their players development
Come end of Currie Cup, some of the senior/talented players leave, meaning that the cycle starts again, especially as most players only sign 2-3 year contracts.

I hate how people so blatantly disrespect the Lions for thier performance last year, completely ignorant of how they had lost the spine of their team (Alberts, Ludik, Fourie, Mostert and for a chunk of the season Vermaak, along with a host of other squad players)
The Bulls of 2003 or 2004 would have lost just as many games as the Lions last year, so don't buy into this 'Worst team in Super Rugby crap'

rant over

 

[Cthulhu]

It's all got to do with playing staff

Lions/Cheetahs start the year off with a few faces missing from the previous years CC side. They need to gel, but find it difficult in such a tough competition and possibly not enough time.
Roll on the Currie Cup of that year, they have more or less gelled and players have improved basic skills, resulting in better performances. Also they are up against fairly weaker opposition which further aids their players development
Come end of Currie Cup, some of the senior/talented players leave, meaning that the cycle starts again, especially as most players only sign 2-3 year contracts.

I hate how people so blatantly disrespect the Lions for thier performance last year, completely ignorant of how they had lost the spine of their team (Alberts, Ludik, Fourie, Mostert and for a chunk of the season Vermaak, along with a host of other squad players)
The Bulls of 2003 or 2004 would have lost just as many games as the Lions last year, so don't buy into this 'Worst team in Super Rugby crap'

rant over

Mate I'm not disrespecting the Lions on last year when have they ever been competitive in super rugby they are the perennial whipping boys of the comp but I still respect them. They always produce good young players and always give tough games at home so calm down. What else can I say about Free State? nothing they have a
great program and its only a matter of time before Cheetahs share the same success
but if Lions aren't the worst them in super rugby who is? Lions have only had 3 good years 97, 00 and 01 either than that complete rubbish sorry but its the truth

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

I don't think LordHope's problem is with people saying the Lions are the worst team, I think he has a problem with people not understanding the underlying cause of why they perform so badly

 

[Seaton]

Mate I'm not disrespecting the Lions on last year when have they ever been competitive in super rugby they are the perennial whipping boys of the comp but I still respect them. They always produce good young players and always give tough games at home so calm down. What else can I say about Free State? nothing they have a
great program and its only a matter of time before Cheetahs share the same success
but if Lions aren't the worst them in super rugby who is? Lions have only had 3 good years 97, 00 and 01 either than that complete rubbish sorry but its the truth

Hehe, I was supposed to put in my post that my wee rant was not directed at you, rather the people whose only reference towards the Lions is "They are shite, blah, blah, blah..."

 

[Amobokoboko]

Really curious on how they will preform

 

[Cthulhu]

Hehe, I was supposed to put in my post that my wee rant was not directed at you, rather the people whose only reference towards the Lions is "They are shite, blah, blah, blah..."

It's all good mate I know what your saying it get frustrating dealing with the ignorant

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

The problem with that is that most people don't know what the Lions are capable of because they don't see them play in the winter (Currie Cup). I just hope this time around they can perform a bit better and get that vibe back they had at the end of the nineties

 

[nickdnz]

On a side note about the Lions, does anyone else think they should have worked harder to resign Todd Clever? He was actually looking really good mid way through last S14 season, and it makes more Americans watch the S14.

 

[Seaton]

On a side note about the Lions, does anyone else think they should have worked harder to resign Todd Clever? He was actually looking really good mid way through last S14 season, and it makes more Americans watch the S14.

Yeah, he was a good player for them, couple of injuries but when he did play he stood out
Don't know if the Lions could have done any more to try and make him stay, it seemed from the beginning that he just wanted a little 2 year sojourn, and then he would head back, fully commited though

 

[nickdnz]

Yeah, he was a good player for them, couple of injuries but when he did play he stood out
Don't know if the Lions could have done any more to try and make him stay, it seemed from the beginning that he just wanted a little 2 year sojourn, and then he would head back, fully commited though

Well, he moved from playing for North Harbour in NZ in 2006, and then went back to USA, then to South Africa, and now to Japan. What is a little disapointing though, is heading to a country with easy money, but pretty average rugby, when you could build a legacy in arguably the hardest tornement in the world, for a team which seems to be offering big bucks. He seemed to give it his all when he played, and he started to break the team, I guess it's just a money thing, and with all due respect to Capetown, Tokyo I'm sure has plenty of attractions.

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

Nick, you do know that the Lions are from Johannesburg, not from Cape Town

 

[Amobokoboko]

Maybe a stupid question but how does an American ends up in the ITM Cup?

 

[Dougydeluxe]

Todd Clever is a good player and should be a huge part of the American team for the RWC.

 

[Shaggy]

Maybe a stupid question but how does an American ends up in the ITM Cup?

It's nothing new to have overseas players in the ITM cup - Tasman had Ben Gollings (ENG) a couple of years ago, Hawkes Bay had Peter Winterbottom, England Openside flanker back in the early eighties, King Country had Martin Johnstone (who was a Junior All Black before he became the England Captain), Auckland has had a number of internationals over the years, including Gavin Hastings, and a French international prop who's name escapes me for the moment.

On another note, do the Currie cup sides have a salary cap ... I know some of the ITM cup sides are struggling financially, and some want to cut the salary cap.

 

[Seaton]

As far as I am aware, there is no salary cap in the Currie Cup, hence the Stormers/Lions spending bundles more than anyone else

 

[nickdnz]

Nick, you do know that the Lions are from Johannesburg, not from Cape Town

Duh! Just a moment of madness.

 

[TRF_Cymro]

Lions still in hunt for Beast

 

[Seaton]

I think their clutching at straws, it's possible it's just a PR move to convince those 50/50 supporters to buy a season ticket

If Beast was as interested in this move as newspapers say, and the Lions/his agent feel Beast has not signed a contract, then why doesn't Beast just go and train with the Lions, ala Louis Ludik and Willem Alberts