WP coach responds to player exodus rumors: ‘Siya to Sharks is just smoke’

Siya Kolisi during a Western Province training session at the High Performance Center in Bellville.

• Western province coach John Dobson says the rumor that Siya Kolisi will join the Sharks “is just smoke” at the moment.
• The Cape’s team’s mentor admits they could have their hands full retaining the services of their star players next year.
• Promising young blocking David Meihuizen is in high demand in Scotland and England, while running back Damian Willemse has been linked to the Bulls.

Western Province coach John dobson has responded to rumors that some of its players are being courted by local and foreign clubs.

Players believed to be in high demand include the captain He is a school, half fly Damian Willemse and promising young lock David meihuizen.

“There is a lot of smoke and rumors at the moment … so much smoke that you think there must be fire … no one has officially told me that they are going [but] Yesterday there was an article about Siya that may be requested in other parts of South Africa, “Dobson told reporters during an online press conference on Wednesday morning.

Dobson was responding to a report on Netwerk24 stating that Kolisi could trade WP for the Sharks.

It followed reports that US consortium MVM Holdings had set its sights on obtaining shares in the Durban franchise.

Previously, the company was willing to invest $ 6 million in WP Rugby, but those negotiations appear to have reached a dead end, with the union refusing to relinquish control of its business arm.

Kolisi and other senior WP players were eager for the deal with MVM Holdings to be finalized, as it would have gone a long way toward safeguarding the financial security of the union.

WP is hard at work ahead of the Currie Cup clash against the Pumas in Newlands, but Dobson admitted he had a brief chat with his employer about the Durban rumors.

“Siya is our leader and it is a distraction. I asked Siya yesterday if we needed to chat and she said ‘we are going to spend Friday’ … which is a responsible and mature thing. But I don’t think there is anything formal and there cannot be nothing formal until the contract window starts, so at this stage I think Siya is just smoke. ”

However, Dobson admitted that the news of Kolisi’s possible departure was not his only headache.

“Nobody has officially told me they are leaving, but I know the Harlequins (in England) are behind a couple of our forwards. There is the perpetual rumor about Damian Willemse. [going] to the Bulls.

“So there is a lot of smoke but the [transfer] The window is not open for those players for a couple of months. “

Meihuizen, a 23-year-old lock from the University of Cape Town, will start in the second row against the Pumas on Friday night and the coach said it was imperative to give him playing time.

“David is a guy who has to make a call about his future and we really want to keep him in this union. I understand that he is eligible for England and Scotland. And he is in high demand from Scotland … there have been approaches through his Agent Scotland is offering him an absolute fortune and he’s a guy I want to keep here to put him through.

“You want to concentrate only on rugby, but our group is tight and I have no doubt that their focus is on competition. That is not the reason we lost the last two games.

“But we have to be realistic, I can’t wait until next year when David Meihuizen comes up to me and says ‘listen, I have 30 minutes in the entire Currie Cup, that’s not enough for my development.’ I have to be aware of that. “Dobson added.

But the WP mentor emphasized that, at the moment, unions and agents could not negotiate deals outside of the transfer window.

“With regard to other approaches and contract issues and people from other unions who want players, that window is closed right now, so it’s not something that worries me too much right now. I read about it in the papers.”

Dobson said he was happy with the depth that was being built into the team.

“As disappointing as our results have been in the last two weeks, I think we have done very well [at bringing guys through] … guys like Leon Lyons, Sazi Sandi, Nama Xaba, David Meihuizen and Marcel Theunissen … we’ve exposed a lot of guys that’s part of our plan.

“We are playing in a new competition next year and we have a lot of players coming out of contract next year, so I have to create more depth in the squad. I have to create an environment where players want to stay in this union. “. . That is an important part of our journey and also, unfortunately, adapting our style of play is also part of the matter because we will be playing in a different competition next year. “

Friday’s clash in Newlands is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.

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