Slim Sadie heads for Japan

Slim Sadie heads for Japanby Brenden Nel 26 June 2014, 11:40

The Toyota Cheetahs were hit by another massive blow when they lost their ninth player of the season, with midfielder Johan Sadie heading to Japan to join the NTT Docomo Red Hurricanes at the end of the current Vodacom Super Rugby season.

Sadie will make the move to the Japanese club, which also has South Africans Heinrich Brussow and Riaan Viljoen on their books, after missing out again on the Springbok training squad.

The Cheetahs midfielder has had a good season despite his team’s poor form in this year’s competition and will definitely be able to use his attacking skills in the pacy Japanese League.

But while he will make the move, which is in his financial interest, his departure leaves another big hole in the Cheetahs arsenal, after several other players have also taken up big money offers abroad.

Phillip van der Walt was the latest last month when he decided to join French club Biarritz, while kingpin Johan Goosen also signed a big money deal to play for Racing Metro after Super Rugby, which could bring him as much as R7-million more than he was earning at the Cheetahs during the length of his contract.

Other "crappy" players who have confirmed their moves include fullback Hennie Daniller to Zebre in Italy, Riaan “True Blue” Smit to Oyonnax in France, Ligtoring Landman (Newport and Gwent Dragons), Nick Schonert (Worcester Warriors), Kevin Luiters (EP Kings) and Andries Ferreira (Zebre).

Sadie’s agent Hilton Houghton hasn’t confirmed the move yet, but it is expected to be officially announced in the next day or so.

The Cheetahs have signed Willie du Plessis, former Bulls and Lions flyhalf for the coming season in order to bolster their flyhalf reserves after Western Force flyhalf Sias Ebersohn turned them down on a return to Bloemfontein.

The Cheetas are buggered next year in the SuperXV. It does not appear as though Sadie will return to SA for the SuperXV. 

The Unions should get these players into longer contracts- with a sell clause. That means the buying Club must pay both the union and the player to buy them out of their contract. This could be used to pay the current squad a higher salary and keep them in SA. Anyone that leaves is contributing to his loyal team mates salaries that stay behind.

At the end of the day the SuperXV has a big viewership, so representing any of the teams is good for building CV's and exposure. The unions need to monetize this oppertunity not only for branding the club, but also the players. They can make a business out of selling players, and then re-invest in the ones that want to stay in South Africa but also with a higher salary than the current agreements.
Then build bigger squads like the Bulls, and those that are not getting enough playing time can at their consent be sold to another club at a profit.

Very good point Shark. The Cheetahs took this guy, Sadie, when he was road kill. He wasn't much use fora while after his Bools catastrophe, but they finally sorted him. No sooner do they do that..he slimly rings the cash register. Longer contracts could add more balance to a situation which is clearly out of balance with the big bucks from overseas.  

It's Heyneke Meyer's fault.

The exodus of players is getting out of hand now - its bad enough we have a wanker of a coach who is failing to invest in our youth - our pathetic coaches take is making the decision for our young players leaving, that much easier