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* By James Phelps
THE man responsible for evoking the fury of Springboks captain John Smit has warned that rugby league raids on the South African rugby union won't stop.
Smit yesterday said he was concerned after Peter O'Sullivan poached four of the country's most promising young players - and the Roosters recruitment man told Sport Confidential the Springbok's fears were well founded.
"He should be concerned. Because I am not going to stop," O'Sullivan said.
"I'm just going to throw them all on a bus and bring them back to Bondi. This is just the start. There will be an avalanche of them coming to the NRL because they are big, strong, fast, mean and highly educated." And as a bonus for the scandal-hit NRL, he added, "they are also the type of kids you will never have an off-field drama with."
O'Sullivan, the man who recruited Greg Inglis to the Storm, said other NRL clubs would also begin recruitment trips to South Africa.
"There are just so many of them and there isn't anywhere for them to play over there," he said.
"The weather is similar here and our country is a lot safer, so expect to see plenty more taking the trip."
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/spo...-1225769311736
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Springboks fear raids from NRL, Aussie rugby union poachers
Article from: The Courier-Mail
By Jim Tucker
September 03, 2009 12:00am
FORTHRIGHT World Cup winner John Smit has bluntly warned talent-hungry Australian scouts in the NRL and rugby union to keep their hands off South Africa's budding 'Boks.
The decorated Springboks captain yesterday admitted for the first time he regarded rugby league as a genuine threat through the poaching of South Africa's top schoolboy talent.
"South Africa produces a huge amount of talent at the schools level and the boys are being seen as good assets for rugby league and now even Australian rugby," Smit, 31, said.
"There's been a lot of interest of late. Rugby league is becoming a real threat so we have to be wary of that to keep our very best."
The Sydney Roosters have been the most brazen. They signed muscular centre JP du Plessis, 18, to a three-year deal in June and it is believed the bottom-placed NRL club has swooped on three more South African teenagers to develop through the under-20 Toyota Cup.
Roosters recruitment chief Peter O'Sullivan made a scouting trip to South Africa this season.
A Melbourne Storm scout and player agent Greg Keenan ogled the eye-popping talent at the elite Craven Week schools tournament in East London last month.
"There was some amazing talent on display. I can tell you JP du Plessis won't be the last South African joining the NRL ranks next year," du Plessis' manager Keenan said.
Smit said the talent-stripping alert was on two fronts as his world champion Springboks took aim at a win over the Wallabies at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday to clinch the Tri-Nations.
...
http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/s...-10389,00.html
THE man responsible for evoking the fury of Springboks captain John Smit has warned that rugby league raids on the South African rugby union won't stop.
Smit yesterday said he was concerned after Peter O'Sullivan poached four of the country's most promising young players - and the Roosters recruitment man told Sport Confidential the Springbok's fears were well founded.
"He should be concerned. Because I am not going to stop," O'Sullivan said.
"I'm just going to throw them all on a bus and bring them back to Bondi. This is just the start. There will be an avalanche of them coming to the NRL because they are big, strong, fast, mean and highly educated." And as a bonus for the scandal-hit NRL, he added, "they are also the type of kids you will never have an off-field drama with."
O'Sullivan, the man who recruited Greg Inglis to the Storm, said other NRL clubs would also begin recruitment trips to South Africa.
"There are just so many of them and there isn't anywhere for them to play over there," he said.
"The weather is similar here and our country is a lot safer, so expect to see plenty more taking the trip."
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/spo...-1225769311736
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Springboks fear raids from NRL, Aussie rugby union poachers
Article from: The Courier-Mail
By Jim Tucker
September 03, 2009 12:00am
FORTHRIGHT World Cup winner John Smit has bluntly warned talent-hungry Australian scouts in the NRL and rugby union to keep their hands off South Africa's budding 'Boks.
The decorated Springboks captain yesterday admitted for the first time he regarded rugby league as a genuine threat through the poaching of South Africa's top schoolboy talent.
"South Africa produces a huge amount of talent at the schools level and the boys are being seen as good assets for rugby league and now even Australian rugby," Smit, 31, said.
"There's been a lot of interest of late. Rugby league is becoming a real threat so we have to be wary of that to keep our very best."
The Sydney Roosters have been the most brazen. They signed muscular centre JP du Plessis, 18, to a three-year deal in June and it is believed the bottom-placed NRL club has swooped on three more South African teenagers to develop through the under-20 Toyota Cup.
Roosters recruitment chief Peter O'Sullivan made a scouting trip to South Africa this season.
A Melbourne Storm scout and player agent Greg Keenan ogled the eye-popping talent at the elite Craven Week schools tournament in East London last month.
"There was some amazing talent on display. I can tell you JP du Plessis won't be the last South African joining the NRL ranks next year," du Plessis' manager Keenan said.
Smit said the talent-stripping alert was on two fronts as his world champion Springboks took aim at a win over the Wallabies at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday to clinch the Tri-Nations.
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http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/s...-10389,00.html
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