Squad - 2014/2015

[hp18]

Three years or two with an option? They announced Niko as a three year deal then surprised us all by extending it to..... A. Three year deal end of last season.

[Davis]

I think there may be another Saffer on the way. I heard a rumour a while back that Anton Bressler, the Sharks 2nd row, was going to be signed. Ulster were interested as well. Hadn't heard anything about it until randomly came across this article - http://www.beeld.com/sport/2014-03-09-b ... etahs-slot. In Afrikaans but put it into google translate and seems to be saying he's joining ( I think)

Would make sense given Cox, VDW and I assume McAlpine and Parker are all off. Just hope it doesn't get too much in the way of Atkins and the Toolis brothers ' development.

[Rico]

I think there may be another Saffer on the way. I heard a rumour a while back that Anton Bressler, the Sharks 2nd row, was going to be signed. Ulster were interested as well. Hadn't heard anything about it until randomly came across this article - http://www.beeld.com/sport/2014-03-09-b ... etahs-slot. In Afrikaans but put it into google translate and seems to be saying he's joining ( I think)

Would make sense given Cox, VDW and I assume McAlpine and Parker are all off. Just hope it doesn't get too much in the way of Atkins and the Toolis brothers ' development.

No idea about Bresler and whether he's any good or not but it's quite amusing that when you put that article through Google translate, Wicus Blaauw's name comes out as "Comedian". I've always though some of his play was a bit of joke right enough ...

[ratty]

Borrowed this from the Glasgow forum, any thoughts? The comments at the bottom are also from the original.

Edinburgh squad for next year nearly complete already, I would say:

Cuthbert, Brown, McLennan;

Fife, Hoyland;
Tait, Dean, Dominguez,
Scott, Strauss,
Visser, Farndale;

Tonks, A N Other, A N Other,
Hart, Kennedy, Hildago Clyne;

Dickinson, Blaauw, Allan,
Ford, Cochrane, Hilterbrand, McInally,
Nel, Berghan, Dell,
Gilchrist, A N Other,
Atkins, A N Other,
Du Preez, Coman, A N Other
Denton, Leonardi
Grant, Watson

Two No 10s and two Lock forwards to come in plus one utility forward.
It may be that Bezuidenhout stays on as one of those 10s, or Toolis gets promoted as one of the locks. But other than that I think there is a long list it looks like will be leaving, and a few already announced coming in.

[biffer]

Thirty four players listed there, some of whom are EDP. Normal numbers are 42 or 43 without counting nine or ten EDPs. So I would guess there are nine or ten additions to be made.

[djphilp]

Borrowed this from the Glasgow forum, any thoughts?

Don't borrow anything from the Weegies! Quick go give it back before they notice

[biffer]

Borrowed this from the Glasgow forum, any thoughts?

Don't borrow anything from the Weegies! Quick go give it back before they notice

Hope he gave it a dip in disinfectant first.

[biffer]

Rumour that Jackson is going to Wasps.

[Crichton Gunner]

Quote from Solly re being in 2nd tier Euro competition next season, from article in today's Hootsmon...

“Our recruitment is pretty close to being done, so that has no impact at all,” he insisted, before refusing to be drawn on how many players we can expect to arrive during the next few months, and what positions they are likely to occupy.

Have they made signings and not told us yet, or are we just going to have a smaller squad next season? Maybe they're waiting for the ST's to go on sale before announcing Carter and McCaw are on their way to Meggetland

[zt1903]

Anton Bresler arriving from Sharks.

One journeyman Saffer lock out and another arrives

[robdinsdale]

Anton Bresler arriving from Sharks.

One journeyman Saffer lock out and another arrives

I thought he was injured? We do need an experienced lock to work with our young guys but... meh.

Is he at least an 'enforcer' or have we got yet another small SH lock?

[Weegie]

The flow of rugby players from South Africa to Scotland is set to continue, with Edinburgh expected to announce in the near future the signing of the Natal Sharks lock Anton Bresler. At 1.98m and 112kg, the Namibian-born 26-year-old second-row has been regarded as an enforcer in the Sharks team, where he plays in the same forward pack as “The Beast” – the prop Tendai Mtawarira.

From the Hootsmon.

Size is not everything, but if this right he's not particularly big for a 2nd row, and is lighter than Cox, van der Westhuizen etc.

Whilst I'm happy to see some NSQs come in to strengthen the squad, I am getting rather fed up of the stream of moderate players coming in. As Tom English suggests, Glasgow have the jump on Edinburgh in recruiting Scottish talent, but it almost looks liek Edinburgh are barely bothering to recruit Scottish players.

[Rico]

I thought he was injured?

Correct. Here's the link I posted on one of the other threads

http://www.sharksworld.co.za/2014/03/27 ... goes-down/

[JonnyEdinburgh]

Will reserve judgement on Bressler for now. We do need a new lock but this whole SA recruitment policy is really starting to test my patience now. Im feeling a bit disconnected from the squad now. If its winning it is different but we aint.

On another note the mail are reporting Ruaridh Jackson is off to Wasps. Was always unlikely but looks like any chance of us getting our mitts on him are gone. We need a decent 10. (reliable kicker is a must)

[bignose]

Anton Bresler arriving from Sharks.

One journeyman Saffer lock out and another arrives

I thought he was injured? We do need an experienced lock to work with our young guys but... meh.

Is he at least an 'enforcer' or have we got yet another small SH lock?

So it looks as if (from briefly trawling the interwebs) that we've signed a lightweight "enforcer" who spent all of 2013 with a shoulder injury, started the 2014 season and has now gone down with an identical injury to his other shoulder.

<cough>Eggshell?</cough>

I can't believe that the Sharks let him go