Sharks cut Solly for good
Vodacom Tri-Nations flanker Solly Tyibilika has been released from his contract with the Sharks and could be heading north to play for the Lions.
Tyibilika played for the Springboks this year despite having minimal game time for the Sharks in the Vodacom Super 14, being benched at times for the Wildebeest and not playing at all in the Absa Currie Cup.
With young loose-forwards such as Keegan Daniel, Ryan Kankowski, and Jacques Botes beginning to shine and a few old hands in AJ Venter and Warren Britz set to stay on for at least another year, Tyibilika’s chances of playing in 2007 were slim, and he wisely decided to move on.
“I really need some game time,” he told keo.co.za. “I really want to play, and I haven’t been able to do much of that this season. It’s time for a change, and although nothing has been confirmed yet, I think I would get more of an opportuinty at the Lions.”
The Sharks have also released Jaco Gouws, a loose forward who captained the Sharks earlier in the season, but has since struggled to move up the pecking order, and prop Danie Saayman who has left to further his career overseas.
Tyibilika was not worried about walking into a similar situation at the Lions. Springbok team-mate and loose forward Jacques Cronje has been signed for the team, who already boast a few impressive youngsters in the back row department, such as Cobus Grobbelaar and Ernst Joubert.
“I want to get my career back on track,” he said. “Eugene Eloff is a very good coach and I think my experience as a Springbok player will benefit their side, which is quite young.
“They have played some exciting rugby this season, and I’m keen to be a part of that.”
Meanwhile the Sharks have signed Lions U21 scrumhalf Rory Kockott to add to their depth at halfback. At present they have Ruan Pienaar, Scott Mathie and Sandile Nxumalo, but are lacking a back up since it is unlikely former Springbok Craig Davidson will play again after a number of head injuries.
There is also talk of Brent Russell leaving for Cape Town to play flyhalf for Western Province, but for the moment he remains contracted to the Durban-based union.
By Jon Cardinelli
October 10th, 2006 at 6:49 am
You know what, maybe Solly is just not good enough…!
October 10th, 2006 at 6:50 am
im a huge fan of brent russell, but he needs to play but he doesnt seem to be in the sharks plans, so it would be better for his career if he leaves for province. As for solly, good luck to him
October 10th, 2006 at 6:59 am
Catfish
Hier kom Solly, veels geluk!
Ek glo hy sal sommer maklik in Wickus se toks inpas.
October 10th, 2006 at 7:10 am
I hope the Lions are counting on a lot more than Sollys experience as a Springbok (all 3 hours of it!!) to help them cut it in the big time.
In most careers something you have done for 3 hours is not what you would put on your resume under the ‘Experience’ heading.
October 10th, 2006 at 7:14 am
Ricane
Brilliantly put!! Not to be mentioned in his resume, for sure, he’d better start from scratch.
I feel sorry for him though, not his fault being dumped into the deep like that due to politics in sports.
October 10th, 2006 at 7:20 am
Thanks Pieterman,
I feel for him as well, and this could be a good opportunity for him.
He has the speed to be a genuine opensider, and seems to have the intuition to know where the play is going,
but from my limited observation, he seems ineffective when he gets there, giving away too many turnovers and not being able to wrestle the ball away himself.
Maybe an offseason in the gym would help?
October 10th, 2006 at 7:24 am
Province should have bought Saayman to beef up their pack. Russell should also cut his ties to the Sharks and go to Province as a flyhalf.
October 10th, 2006 at 7:33 am
Russell would be best as a back up for AP at Lions.
October 10th, 2006 at 7:41 am
The Sharks seem to really not rate Solly. Unfortunately since his best ever performance vs. Aus at Ellis Park last year, things have gone downhill at an alarming rate. And as usual Jake White, the idiot that he is, did him no favours by throwing him at the wrong time for this year’s 3N.
The Sharks management probably shook their heads seeing him start for the Boks because Solly couldn’t make the starting line-up at Vodacom Cup level. All in all a sad case but at least he has one of the Big 5 interested in his services. Jake White is an idiot.
October 10th, 2006 at 8:03 am
Much like Luke is a decent player whose form has been blown out of proportion by media hype, I believe Solly is also a decent player whose loss of form has been blown out of proportion. Keo muppets just love to sweep each other up in praising or dissing players untill everyone just accepts this as fact.
I believe Solly is still the same talented flank everyone was talking about a couple of years ago and just needs two things: confidence and game time. And these two things are totally connected.
So welcome to Gauteng, Solly. Not sure where you’ll slot in, considering we have Baywatch and Roland Bernard playing as fetchers. But I believe you still have plenty of good rugby to play.
October 10th, 2006 at 8:08 am
Mooi gebaar katman!
October 10th, 2006 at 8:17 am
10
well said Kat
October 10th, 2006 at 8:27 am
katman
well said.
keo is a mercenary .
October 10th, 2006 at 8:36 am
Spot on Katman.
If Jacques Cronje comes through for you I reckon the Lions loose trio could be one to watch next season.
October 10th, 2006 at 8:39 am
True, BullRun. Although I’d still prefer Ernst Joubert at no.8 – until his injury towards the end of the CC I though he was the form eighthman in SA. But we seem to have great options in our loosies now.
October 10th, 2006 at 8:47 am
SA are rally are blesses with game breaking loosies.WP have Diack, Watson, Burger and big Joe; FS have Smit and Floors, Bulls have Spies, P3 and Lobberts while the Sharks have Daniel and Kankowski. The Lions have some qaulity grafters but strangely few who can have a impact on a match and who can complement their talented backline.
October 10th, 2006 at 8:50 am
#14 – Seems like the Lions are signing alot of players in the loose trio and the only one they really needed was wickus.
October 10th, 2006 at 8:51 am
having wallowed in the shallow water of the sharks second stringers…..and i might add he needed water wings to stay afloat, Solly find it even more difficult to make an impression in Jozzie…!! The club rugby is stronger in Jozzie than in Durbs, and i dont think they have many water wings being handed out up there, as they dont have the BIG DAM that Durbs has!! Solly will disapear into thin air in a few seasons and then resurface to replace Joel Stransky as Super Sports No1 commentator….MOOI MAN!
October 10th, 2006 at 9:09 am
i think Solly should go back to club rugby – sorry mate you are not good enough for the big league. Go to UCT Solly! Russel Nelson is getting old…
October 10th, 2006 at 9:09 am
Solly you are kuk I hope you don’t even make the Lions team.
October 10th, 2006 at 9:17 am
thanks for that contribution JW,
quite profound.
October 10th, 2006 at 9:21 am
bigg
i think he is good enough for CC and maybe if he gets to play more often he will be good enough for S14 and later the boks. as katman said earlier, he needs game time and he will be back to his best…
October 10th, 2006 at 9:22 am
gothemullet
cant agree more. a few gems posted here…
October 10th, 2006 at 9:32 am
Solly has the 3 S’s that a quality flanker requires. He has size, speed, and strength. What he hasn’t had enough of, is game time. He shouldn’t have been picked for the Boks, but the Sharks really didn’t give him enough game time either. I don’t think the Sharks would have lost anything at all if Solly had been selected ahead of Brits this season. We all know how good Brits can be, we’ve seen it. He has no room for improvement. He is a decemt, but limited player, whereas if Solly could be given an opportunity to grow as a player, I believe he could quickly surpass Brits.
October 10th, 2006 at 9:33 am
Yet another question mark behind the SA national selectors logic. Luke Watson’s absence from the national squad still beggers belief. Anywhere else in the rugby world he would be IN! Solly has had so little game time, how can he be expected to join the national squad and perform? We have the ability to field probably the most dynamic back row in world rugby, but only if the powers that be put aside some of their hang ups and focus on what will best serve SA rugby.
In addition, we have some outstanding young players coming through in back line positions. These guys need to be fed into the system. It appears that some of our present players have become too comfortable? What ever the reason, we are certainly not getting the best out of the players we have in the squad, take the Tri-Nations, two wins out of six? Not acceptable! If we take that sort of form to Europe we are going to have the English blowing about how good they are for another year.
Grizz
October 10th, 2006 at 9:38 am
Jon, Brent is not going.The Shark’s will not release him.
October 10th, 2006 at 9:47 am
Brent isnt a natural flyhalf. In fact, I haven’t seen Brent Russel do anything exciting since 2004.
October 10th, 2006 at 9:48 am
I’m sure Solly owns more Sprinbok jerseys than provincial jerseys.
October 10th, 2006 at 9:49 am
#17 Never was a truer word spoken.
October 10th, 2006 at 9:57 am
it is not even a done deal that he is coming to the lions…..
October 10th, 2006 at 9:59 am
remeber when brent played inside center for the pumas…now their he was good, he is like the inside center for the AUSSIES, matt gitau i think he should just get more game time
October 10th, 2006 at 10:22 am
Frazer 24…..he unfortunately only has one S….Speed…..but really lacks the other two…..
Ricane summed it up quite well……he seems to get to where he is needed..but when there he was ineffective……
He is just not confrontational….a ball will rather be taken from him than he would take a ball…..
Come ruck time he bashes into players 3/4 times at one ruck and no one budges…..
I think an off season at the gym, working on real strength will do him well……he has lots of speed so he can afford to get bigger at the expense of some…..
He only looked good in one game, vs. Aus at Ellis park. Against NZ, in the N/hemi, even against Arg he was out of his depth (2/3 months after his Aus test).
Jake communicated on to the public that Solly has been advised that he needs to graft on his physicality in the game, seems just as week as ever.
That leaves me to wonder really how serious he is in DOING what is actually needed for him to make the team or an impact. Making statements in the media that he really wants to get his career on track means absolutely squat on the rugby field. What he needs, is to do the talking in the gym and then on the field, even if it starts at club level for RAU again, then I will agree that he is serious about getting is career on track.
October 10th, 2006 at 10:27 am
I mean in the cc game he came on against the Lions in the first round…….even our young school leaving backline players tackled him back and crossed the advantage line through his tackles a few times…….
It was shown over the last weekend that a good big guy will always beat a good little guy, so why doesn’t he gym himself into that category.
October 10th, 2006 at 10:28 am
As much as I like his passion of the field, until he shows that he is serious in doing what is actually necessary, I will not support him.
Besides, the Lions have two of the best grinders on the floor in the comp (Baywatch and Bernard).
Together they turned over more ball over than any other team game after game.
October 10th, 2006 at 10:42 am
And on that, Baywatch and Bernard cannot be much bigger than him is size.
And they managed to turn over ball against all the big team:
WP 1st game Lions won the battle on the ground, but lost it in the carry. Luke then changed his attention to general play where he actually did very well that game in thet respect I must say.
Cheetahs 2nd game, in spite of Kabamba starting they turned over almost every tackled ball way into the 2nd half.
Bulls, against Lobberts, Kuun and P3 the Bulls had very little ball to play with and AP put every ball t/o away
Sharks, Kankowski, Botes and AJ they t/o 3 times as much ball and handling let them down again. But even in the last 5 min when the Sharks needed one score to win the and Bernard came on for Baywatch they t/o 5 balls in the last 5 min. Now imagine, the Lions t/o the ball, kick it out or just clear it, get to the play of the ball and then t/o again.
Now come-on now…..
October 10th, 2006 at 10:45 am
Solly 190 cm at 101kg
Baywatch 186 cm at 108kg
Bernard 183 cm 103kg
Ok so Baywatch is quite heavier than the other two, but Solly has the height over all them and surely can make that up.
Just the fact that his is clearly the tallest but quite the lighter alone spells out that he seems expect the game to suit him and not the other way around
And it is not confidence, cozz to this very site he said that he is def the best opensider in the country. That does not sound like a person who lacks confidence.
October 10th, 2006 at 10:59 am
I seriously doubt he ever said that, Hmmm.
October 10th, 2006 at 11:03 am
#10
well said, couldnt have put it better myself, i’ve watched solly since he played school rugby, he showed great potential then, if he can just concetrate on his game and show the hunger that he had when he still played school rugby and another thing rugby players should cut down on booze, parties & women because rugby is a very physical game and we(spectators) can see when u’re overdoing (parties),advice to solly.by the way saw lawrence “scared to crash” sephaka the weak prop @ newscafe’ rosebank.
October 10th, 2006 at 11:03 am
Solly to captain the LIONS now that Wikus is gone…
October 10th, 2006 at 11:17 am
37 katman….
It was on here, I know I still posted stats to prove his view point wrong. Revealing that he was the worst loosie in the 3N, etc.
So was the journo miss quoting Solly when he said then that he was the best opensider in SA and the man for the job.
I have not got the best memory around, but a remember a fair deal, but could be wrong.
Anybody to back me on this?
October 10th, 2006 at 11:20 am
The difference between Russell and Matt is that Matt is an excellent tackler…….
As awesome as Russell is on attack, I doubt that he will stand his ground in the midfield…..
October 10th, 2006 at 11:30 am
farmer, #26
Do you have inside info, or are you just speculating? My view is that Brent must get out of there as quickly as possible, for his own good. He is neither wanted, apparently needed, or appreciated.
Time to move on.
October 10th, 2006 at 11:50 am
Hmmm, I’m willing to bet that Solly never said: “I’m the best openside flank in the country.”
I’m pretty sure it was merely a response to a reporter’s question around the time when Jake claimed that Solly was the best. And Solly most likely said something to the effect of vindicating Jake’s faith in him.
Don’t fall for this whole player-bashing fad that I mentioned in post no. 10. Journalists will do anything for a contraversial soundbyte. And muppets here on keo have even less scruples (and responsibilities) when it comes to presenting the truth.
October 10th, 2006 at 12:12 pm
BYE miss you already mate
October 10th, 2006 at 12:13 pm
He is overated..
October 10th, 2006 at 12:35 pm
At the end of the day, i prefer Solly to Luke..
I wish Solly all the best in the Future.. i hope he comes back better than ever with this fresh start..
Good Luck Solly
October 10th, 2006 at 12:48 pm
katman 43, cannot make out if alI posted was directed to me, no matter though your opinion. Agree though that journo’s do ask questions in ways to get certain answers, but I believe I posted valid points in all my posts. And from what I have heard seen, etc of him it does not seem he lacks confidence (game time, yeh def).
He also said ahead of the tests he was in his best physical condition ever, etc, etc. Jake gave him the game time needed (almost 3 full games) and was nowhere, ranked (by a long shot) the worst loosie in the 3n….
If it is game time that he needs, what is wrong with club rugby?
October 10th, 2006 at 12:48 pm
I also like Solly and was always vouching for him hoping he will live up to the hype.
But he hasn’t, and the thing that got me to change was the fact that he was physically dominated by everybody (even backline players at times)….
Gosh he really shows a passion on the field and you always get the impression that he is giving 150% every min of the game and I love to see him running around on the field….
I even said after the 2nd 3n game that if the other bigger more physical players had half of Solly’s heart they would have been awesome….
Even said I will pick Solly just for his presence, but unfortunately it can’t work that way….
Unfortunately Solly’s efforts seem so ineffective on the pitch…..
He has never t/o a standout amount of ball at any level, he is not a hard man, great tackler, strong runner, great carrier of the ball, etc…..but he has speed and passion….
So if he can work on his physicality then I am sure he will win back the trust of all and sundry….
October 10th, 2006 at 1:32 pm
Tim Dlulane was doing well before his injury. Excellent work rate, team man, never stops trying and never accepts any credit. Should have played in the 3N instead of Solly if (and i think it is the case) JW wanted a black loosie.