[honeybee]

Ok we won we won whooop whoop

[patch01]

It's here, it's here, the final game to decide tri-nations placings, Aussies are hoping to make back to back wins, All Blacks are determined to maintain Australia's losing streak at Wellington, (no wins since 2001)...

Rugby, I LOVE IT

Go the Blacks

[patch01]

SOUTH Africa could be the next breeding ground for rugby league stars and Melbourne Storm has two youngsters from the rainbow nation in its sights.

Ponissi says South Africa is a potential recruitment area
Ponissi says South Africa is a potential recruitment area

A mid-year reconnaissance mission by Storm football manager Frank Ponissi uncovered a wealth of rugby union talent that he hopes could begin crossing codes and countries.

Earlier this year Sydney Roosters recruitment manager Peter O'Sullivan, who used to work at Storm, signed 18-year-old South African J. P. du Plessis to a three-year deal and signalled he could be the first of many.

Ponissi travelled to South Africa in July to watch the country's largest schoolboy rugby carnival and was blown away by the talent.

He returned confident one or two teenagers would join the club's under-20 squad for the 2011 season.

"There are a couple of young kids that are in Year 11 and we are going to follow their progress pretty closely with a view to bringing them out," Ponissi said yesterday.

"They have got player managers and we have been in contact with them and will keep an eye on them and other players as well. Darren Bell, our recruitment manager, is setting up a process that would include going back twice next year.

"We don't want to rush in and bring players back for the sake of it. We want to do it properly.

"A pretty extensive report was written with some recommendations and a strategic plan is being put together by our recruitment manager Darren Bell.

"We don't want to make any mistakes and there are a few factors we need to take in to account. But we have all the contacts and a pool of players to look at and we are confident by 2011 we will have a couple of players to join us."

Ponissi said the idea of looking to South Africa, where rugby league is not played, came from Matthew Johns in 2007 when the former Australian hooker was a coaching consultant to Storm.

Having worked with the Springboks, Ponissi was also aware of the talent available and finally made his scouting trip this year.

As well as watching the schoolboy carnival he also visited the western province rugby institute, which feeds the Stormers Super 14 team.

It hit home to him why rugby league could be an option for the large numbers of talented players who miss out on professional union contracts.

South Africa boasts more than 400,000 registered players, but with only five professional teams in the Super 14, career paths are limited.

That's one of the reasons the South African Rugby Union is pushing so hard for the 15th super rugby franchise.

"I was looking at basically what is left from their set-up and potentially bringing some of them out," Ponissi said.

"They have just got so many players."

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THE Roosters' out-of-left-field recruit is the home-schooled son of a rugby union skills coach, who at only 18 weighs 87 kilograms of pure muscle, yet has never worked out in a gym.

And when news filters to South Africa's rugby union powerbrokers that JP du Plessis is passing up likely Springboks honours to play a sport he's never seen in a country he's never been to, some serious questions are likely to be asked.

"I don't think anybody knows he's going to Sydney. But once the news breaks, I think there will be an inquiry into what happened," said Frans van Niekerk, du Plessis's rugby coach, from Stellenbosch. "But I've got no problem with any young man who wants to pursue a career in what he's good at."

Very good, apparently. Van Niekerk claims that in 21 years coaching at renowned rugby nursery, Paul Roos Gymnasium school, he's never seen a more skilful player.

"I really think you've picked one of the best young rugby players in South Africa," he said. "It's early days but many people were seeing him as a future Springbok.

"He is phenomenal, especially his running skills, power stepping and his strength off the shoulder.

"He can still work on his left-hand passing, but he has great vision, his defence is solid, he's a very good Sevens player, a very attacking player.

"He's got a work ethic you won't believe for someone so young. He works on his own, he's very loyal and committed."

Those attributes may stem from du Plessis's childhood; the young centre was trained and schooled at home by his father, Charl.

"His father used him as a practical for the skills he developed," van Niekerk said. "He became very strong but his father wouldn't let him train in a gym. He just uses his own body weight to train. He came to us at age 15, was taken up in the system and will matriculate with good marks at the end of this year."

Asked why du Plessis would give up a career in rugby to become the first South African to try his luck in the NRL since former Cronulla player Tiaan Strauss in the mid-1990s, Van Niekerk said: "To be honest, I don't know. I was very surprised. We were at a tournament in Johannesburg early this year and there must have been scouts there. Right afterwards someone said they wanted to talk to him about league in Australia. I didn't hear anything more about it.

"We were certain he would go to the Lions [Super 14] franchise because his father is the skills coach there and was a very good fullback for the old Transvaal. Western Province wanted also to contact JP but he refused to sign anything. It's only just now that I've found out he's signed to go to Australia."

[patch01]

IT IS news rugby league fans have long wanted to hear - dual international Lote Tuqiri will return to the NRL with Wests Tigers in 2010.

With third-party agreements, the former Brisbane Broncos winger will earn up to $400,000 a season after signing with the Tigers for the next three seasons.

The only issue is when the club can officially announce his signing. Tuqiri will shortly sign a short-term deal with either London Irish or Leicester in the English rugby union competition.

It is understood he will return to Australia in March for the start of the NRL season.

NRL chief executive David Gallop has ruled no player can have guest stints with a rival code, particularly rugby union, and then return to league.

It means Tuqiri can privately agree to terms with Wests Tigers now but he cannot formally sign until he returns.
However, the rule robs the Tigers of the chance to promote Tuqiri as an exciting addition to their line-up until the season is about to kick off.

Club insiders say the NRL rule is ridiculous because it prevents Tuqiri from being used to promote ticket sales, membership, merchandising and marketing.

Tuqiri will become the fourth player to return to rugby league after lucrative stints in rugby union, following fellow Wallaby recruits Mat Rogers, Wendell Sailor and Timana Tahu.

Wests Tigers chief executive Stephen Humphreys was revealing little last night, fearing any premature announcement regarding Tuqiri could jeopardise the deal.

The English rugby union season does not finish until May, but the Tigers want Tuqiri back at the club's Concord base by March.

Tuqiri was sacked by the ARU for disciplinary reasons mid-season and will still need to explain the reasons for his dismissal to Gallop.

But there are no indications the NRL boss will prevent Tuqiri from returning to rugby league.

Gallop and Humphreys spoke several times last week about Tuqiri, who wants to settle in Sydney permanently and lives in the Balmain area.

"Lote is getting close to making a decision about his playing future and hopefully that will include us,'' Humphreys said yesterday.

Tuqiri will start 2010 on the wing with Wests Tigers, forming a formidable combination with big Taniela Tuiaki.

If he settles back into rugby league quickly, Tigers coach Tim Sheens has plans to use the former Kangaroos star at fullback and Tuqiri has a strong desire to play in the No.1 jumper

(he might want to play at number 1, but how does he think he'd do a better job than Billy Slater)