When will the Lions exodus begin?

http://www.ruggaworld.com/2012/08/22/kdk-upset-with-allister/

Golden Lions president Kevin de Klerk is upset after Western Province and Stormers coach Allister Coetzee hinted he might look at luring a few Lions players for next year’s Super Rugby competition.

Sport24

WP take on the Golden Lions in a Currie Cup clash in Johannesburg on Saturday and with the Lions out of the reckoning for next year’s Super Rugby, some of their players could be the target of other unions. Players like Elton Jantjies, Pat Cilliers, Franco van der Merwe, Josh Strauss, JC Janse van Rensburg and Jaco Taute could well be targeted.

Coetzee admitted earlier this week they might be interested in luring a player or two from the Johannesburg-team.

“Some of the other franchise-teams will look to see if players will be available due to the Lions not playing Super Rugby,” Coetzee was reported as saying.

“Elton Jantjies is a player who has an exit-clause in his contract if the Lions do not play in the Super-series.”

De Klerk admitted to Beeld that there are “one or two players with such (exit) clauses” in their contracts. However, he wasn’t all that happy about Coetzee’s statement.

“I really like Allister a lot, but I’m absolutely stunned that he made such an opportunistic statement. Where is the spirit of sport and the respect between us? What’s going on here is not sport.

“What happened to us was not our decision.

“I’m asking politely that they (the other unions) just portray a little bit of etiquette,” said De Klerk.

The Lions-WP clash at Coca-Cola Park kicks off at 17:05 on Saturday.

Kevin, if guys like Taute, Jantjes and van Rensburg are battering our doors down wanting to play for the top province in South Africa what can we do!!!  

Of them all Taute is the man we desparately need. We have lost too many backline players. Josh is also a good un.

Is that really what happened Beeno?

Hahahahha ou windpomp takes me literally! 

Well the thing is windpomp if these guys are determined to leave the Lions I would like some of them coming here rather than to the rapacious overbudgeted bloated bulle!

Its the Lions sale. 2 for the price of 1! Let the bidding begin. 

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Even those without a clause in their contract will be trying to get out.

The Sponsers will be dropping the Lions like a hot potatoe- will they even have a team come the relegation match?

 De Klerk: "Where is the spirit of sport and the respect between us? What’s going on here is not sport. “What happened to us was not our decision.- "   No Kevin but you are accountable after years of poor performance. This years Shambles with the head coach is another example of the Lions not making it out of the amateur era. As for trying to steal and deny a contract exists between the other Golden Lion feeder unions is despicable- and correctly the Lions have just been found guilty in court of this.Strauss has resigned as captain. 

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The Kings will probably try get the best of the Lions. Although the bulls must also have the check book out.

The Sharks could use Taute. We have been without a good fullback for sometime- especially now that Lambie will be playing at 10 next year.

De Klerk can cry us all a river. These players have every right to go where the money is and where they have a chance of moving forward in their careers. This is the professional era after all. He is being an idiot by wanting the players to stay, because they will only be doing so to the detriment of their own futures. De Klerk has had how long to turn things around at the Lions??? Perhaps if they got rid of him it would be a good start. Shame, Coetzee has hurt his feelings....grow a pair and get over it you fool. 

Thee is one player Nienabker would not want in any team he is assistant coach of  - it is Jantjies with his zero defnsive abilities;   Strauss would want to go back to the Stormer where he originated from and Taute would be a great buy for them - even Doppies La Grahe will go that way.

.The exodux will likely start after the CC and - if not - in January 2013 - with due regard to the start of the Super 15 series.    My own guess is that the better players in the Lions team will go to the Cheetahs, Sharks, Stormers and Bulls - the rest will go to the Queens.   The latter category will only be able to find accommodation in the Queens - nobody else (whether here or overseas) will even remotely consider to offer them contracts.

 At the moment I think that SA probably can provide 4 really strong and competative teams. The Bulls, Sharks and Stormers are teams that have been doing really well. It would also be worth to note that the Cheetahs would probably benifit the most. Especially now that WP Nel has moved, I always felt that the cheetahs have been short on locks, loose forwards and centers. 

For Super Rugby you need a big squad. I think that the unions need to strike a deal with the lions that they would loan the players, but as player who's career are very short, why would you want t stay at the lions if you have a better oppertunity elsewhere. I'm not sure if the players that has been mentioned would command a starting position though the other unions. 

Jantjies - Bulls have Steyn, Cheetahs = Goosen, Sharks = Lambie, Stormers = Grant

Taute - Bulls = Kirchner, Stormers = Pietersen / Aplon, Cheetahs = Willie Le Roux, Sharks = Ludik / Viljoen

Struass will have to compete with the likes of burger, vermeulen, Kolisi, Koster, Potgieters, Deysel, Spies, kankowski, Alberts, Daniels, Botes etc.

So I don't many of the lions players will walk into a super 14 team other than the kings and be able to command a starting spot. They will probably just be back up players.

What they shouldn't do is to go and play for  the queens. 

from what i heard in terms of the contracts (i know a certain media liason) he tells me that 80% odd of the players are still in contract of which there is a few that have parts of the contract that allow them to move if the lions get dropped.

those are in the minority. if these players has any IQ left going to a province where no cups is in charge (the next lions/cirus charlie of sa rugby) is not a great career move.

i hope the like of the sharks and cheetahs can boost there ranks. taute will realy boost the sharks. i do feel the sharks need just a few more quality players to help with the depth. jantjies will move to the WP from that i heard in the rumour mill but i dont know of any other players to be fair...

its not going to be a mass exodus but there will be players leaving i think

Bulls have enough players at the moment and we have plenty of young WP talent fort he future ;)

These players should go to Cheetahs, Stormers and Sharks.

Then make S15 the S12 again = profit for SA. 

president of the lions and THIS is upsetting??? if he didnt see this coming, then u can start to narrow down of where the many problems that the lions have had and where they came from,,,,,o_O

kings seem to be the logical club for most of these players and if the lions had any brains, they would work out a deal to loan them players for the spXV only, that way those boys can still play the high profile level, but the lions not lose out on important players.

but the players arent stupid, most of them will be seeing this as a chance to begin anew elsewhere, i know my brow clevermike dosnet rate janties, but i doi and i think he would be perfect for the stormers where they can teach him the fine art of defence which they do better then anyone else, but then stormers might bennifit from his attacking prowess which has taken a backseat after a dog eat dog year in the lions.

OZ clubs is also an option for some of those players, but this might hurt their Boks chances so unlikely.
even less then likely are NZ teams. while all NZ clubs have depth in every position, theres some clubs who could benefit big time by having a few lion players, cilliers for the hurricanes where they are short on good experinced props, maku and visage for the blues, where hookers are an issue, strauss for the highlanders, another seasone dveteran to bolster their loose forward stocks, especially with haskell gone, but he wont want to play second fiddle which is what will happen in the begingign until he cements his place.