Stephen Nell

Cape Town - Sport24 understands that the Blue Bulls are looking to poach emerging star centre Johann Sadie from the Cape.

It is being rumoured than a massive offer in excess of R1-million a season will be dangled at Sadie.

Sadie played outstandingly on the wing and at centre for the Stormers against the Crusaders and Blues respectively.

Blue Bulls director of rugby Heyneke Meyer was reported as saying last week on a website that Sadie could add value in South Africa's World Cup squad.
The tournament starts in New Zealand on 9 September.

Meyer was probably sincere in his remark, but it does appear to be an effort at heaping praise on the youngster before the window period for official negotiations with players opens on 1 July.

WP boast so many outstanding centres on their books that it's difficult to see all of them getting sufficient game time at the Stormers next year if Jean de Villiers and Jaque Fourie stay in the Cape.

However, Sadie has also proved his ability on the wing and it may well be a logical place for him to play before he and Juan de Jongh eventually succeed De Villiers and Fourie in the Stormers' midfield.

If that is the career path WP have in mind for Sadie, they will have to seriously consider whether it's worth contracting Bryan Habana again.

The Springbok wing is not having the best of seasons when measured against the standards he set earlier in his career and Stormers coach Allister Coetzee again defended him at a media conference on Saturday night.

Habana struggled to field many high balls from the Bulls on Saturday, but of greater concern was that he couldn't finish when put in possession deep in the visitors' territory in the dying moments of the match. Bjorn Basson caught and tackled him.

WP will have to consider whether it's worth spending a sizeable chunk of their budget on the Bok wing.

They may also have an expensive battle on their hands to keep Sadie from joining the Bulls.