Hanno Dirksen signs new contract

Announced on the O's website that Hanno has signed for another 2 years. Very good news, though he made a few appearances last season, I think it's fair to say that this was his breakthrough season. He's an extremely strong player given his size. There are question marks around his ability to offload but he is a born finisher, no question about that. I don't think he's going to win many neutral fans though by the way he like to dive over the try line (comparable to the way a dog catches a frisbee in mid-air)

With (apparent) confirmation regarding his eligibility to play for Wales announced (from Jan '2014) I think he'll have plenty of time to mature between now and then and maybe wont suffer the same problems as Prydie and Phillips did in respect of being thrust into the Welsh squad at a young stage in his career. Interestingly he played many games for Swansea before breaking into the O's team and was used at centre. Where does everyone see his future on the pitch? Personally i like him on the wing for the reasons already mentioned.

If I were a betting man i'd go for him as top pro12 try scorer next season (largely due to Visser becoming Scottish!). He's the future for the Ospreys on the wing and could make the losing of Bowe and Williams in particular a bit easier to bare.

What's everyone else's thoughts on the player? Both positive and negative views are welcome as long as they are constructive.

If interested here's his and Tandy's reaction to the new contract. Hanno clearly doesn't mind speaking his mind as can be seen from his first statement!

Dirksen commented:

"I'm very happy. The Ospreys are the best team in Wales and I'm really happy to be a part of the organisation. I feel at home here, everybody has made very welcome and this is my region so I'm happy that I can continue playing for the Ospreys.

"I've been given some chances this season and I think I've taken them the best I can. It's great to be playing and training with top class players, Wales internationals and Lions, it's been an absolutely amazing year for me. It's nice to be in a squad with so many top class players that I can learn off.

"I'm really excited about the way the team is developing, we seem to be growing every day, every week. It's good to be finishing off the season with a final, we have worked hard to get there and now we have to make sure we don't let anybody down."

Head Coach, Steve Tandy, added:

"Hanno has enjoyed a great season and has really shown what a talent he is. It's great that we can call on his services for another two seasons. If he continues to work hard and shows the attitude and desire to improve his all round game that we've seen from him since he joined the group, he could have a very bright future with the Ospreys."

He doesn't seem to be able to put in a clean tackle, from what I have seen I would say the majority of them are either without arms, around the players throat/ears, or borderline tip/spear tackles (against the Blues he looked like he was going to do a WWE style powerbomb on Hewitt after the whistleuntil Ryan Jones eased Hewitt down). He doesn't really seem to have much to his game bar brute force and physicallity. I guess it would have been easier to say the same traits people dislike about Brew.

That said next time he plays he wll only put in lovely clean tackles, and will step around everyone, because thats what happens when I slate someone!


Also in his defence he is a good finisher of the ball, and will most likely be the top try scorer next season, as he will be getting regular game time, and probably on miss out on starting matches if he is injured.

Also he looks too much like Fussel

Good old BBC with quality reporting

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/181007362 wrote:The South African will qualify for Wales at the end of 2012.

Dirksen arrived in Britain to study at Truro College on a scholarship for the 2008-09 academic year before transferring his studies to Neath Port Talbot College in September 2009. ..................He represented the USA at age grade level and became the youngest player to represent the Eagles at senior level when he featured in the non-capped match against Munster in Connecticut in August 2008.

Ironic seen as it was a bbc sports commentator that provided me with the jan 2014 residency fact!

Yeah they say on Friday that its Jan 2014, and then today it is Sept 2012. Very typical of the BBC.

Good news this guy is a class act. Now we need to get another quality winger or fullback.

Great signing for the ospreys, has been a great player all season.

Very happy to keep him. Real threat and a great replacement for Tommy.

maestegmafia wrote:Great signing for the ospreys, has been a great player all season.

Very happy to keep him. Real threat and a great replacement for Tommy.

No he's not! Well as a winger, yes...

Incidentally, Dirksen does NOT look like Fussell! He might be a blonde bombsite, but at least he has hair