Who was the most important signing your club has made in Pro-era?

by **LondonTiger** Mon Dec 26, 2011 11:30 am

What signing has your club made that has had the most ramifications across the pro era for your club?

Did you sign a superstar that turned your clubs fortunes around?
Was it a coach?
Did you sign someone who was a ruination to your club?
Perhaps you released players to secure a star name in a move that backfired, or paid too much to a single player to the detriment of the team development.

For me at tigers teh signings of Geordan Murphy, Pat Howard and Castro have all made huge differences to the club. However the absolute most important signing was Freddie Tuilagi. Without him we would not have had any of his brothers - and now his sons are in the club's junior ranks.

by BigTrevsbigmac Mon Dec 26, 2011 12:08 pm

For Wasps,

First year of professionalism Tuigamala led to the title.

Since then Wasps up until recently had limited signings to a few mostly through lack of funds but also through a very successful academy.
However, most of the signings have been very successful - Vickery,Howley,Ibanez etc.

But for me the best signings Wasps have made in the pro era have been in the coaching & management department

Geech, Gats & Mr Edwards were all magnificent.

by bedfordwelsh Mon Dec 26, 2011 12:11 pm

Trev,

Can't argue with that at all maybe add Howley to that list as they seem bit of package and he did get that try in the HC final .

by Poorfour Mon Dec 26, 2011 1:25 pm

The most important? Mark Evans. Without him, Quins would be nowhere in terms of financials or support, and he brought in the coaching team and many if today's players, too.

Silver medal goes to Conor O'Shea, with a slighlty verdigrised bronze to Deano

Most influential player signing? Nick Evans. No question.

by Peter Seabiscuit Wheeler Mon Dec 26, 2011 1:31 pm

Chances of Gavin Henson getting a mention in this thread?

by Peter Seabiscuit Wheeler Mon Dec 26, 2011 1:34 pm

LondonTiger wrote:
For me at tigers teh signings of Geordan Murphy, Pat Howard and Castro have all made huge differences to the club. However the absolute most important signing was Freddie Tuilagi. Without him we would not have had any of his brothers - and now his sons are in the club's junior ranks.

Yes have to agree to this. Its one thing making an influential signing who brings temporary success but to bring in a whole family who now have roots in the community and a deep attachment to the club is something quite special. It would be a suprise if at least one of the second generation Tuilagis didnt make it to the Tigers first team.

by Cari Mon Dec 26, 2011 2:01 pm

I think we've had a couple in the O's but it would have to go to Shane Williams really.

by sirtidychris Mon Dec 26, 2011 3:46 pm

As a Bath Fan I would say Danny Grewcock......he came to bath in 2001 and retired this year after 154 apperances...He was an immense second row forward... one of the best in the northern hemisphere with 69 england caps and 5 lions caps. His physicality was rarely matched, you could build a pack around him and was still outstanding in the GP/AP right up until he retired. Bath have recruited heavily in the pack but i feel we are still missing his grunt in the tight spaces with Attwood having big angry boots to fill.

by Gibson Mon Dec 26, 2011 4:55 pm

For Leinster, Felipe Contepomi. The man was and still is - a magician. So special. A multilingual genius who got his Doctorate while he played at the highest level. Just a complete player and man. His partnership with BOD was one to behold. He lit Leinster up and showed us the way it could be done.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVpt3sOJdxQ

He mentored Sexton and you can see the results now.

by AsLongAsBut100ofUs Mon Dec 26, 2011 8:21 pm

For Exe, it has to be Rob Baxter. Had finished playing and become an assistant coach, but when Pete Drewett couldn't get the Chiefs to find that inner spirit, Rob was asked to replace him mid-season. Two narrow losses to Leeds away from being promoted that year, he then guided a fairly unsung group to the Championship playoff final against a much-fancied Brizzle outfit the next season. Bristol went in favourites having a better regular season record - but there was a reason for that and a plan. Mid-season he sacrificed a couple of games to have the players re-undergo pre-season strength and conditioning training, which he suspected would have them in better physical shape than their opponents come final time. A close fought first leg at Sandy Park didn't seem to be enough, but that was plenty for Mr Baxter to craft a plan to heap hell on Bristol in the second, away leg. Sure enough, a serious bombardment ensued and the Chiefs comfortably rolled Bristol. So time or the AP, massive recruitment and player turnover surely? Not a chance, keep the core of a team that could deliver as a group and add a handful of additional players all with a point to prove and the same team ethic - result? Premiership survival and a great first AP season. This year, more of the same - a simple game plan with a single objective - just keep on improving relative to the same fixture last year - a local, home bred Exeter hero Chief

by Cardiff Dave Mon Dec 26, 2011 8:44 pm

For Cardiff.
For me it has to be the superb Martyn Williams with Crazyhorse Dan Baugh a close second.

by Smirnoffpriest Mon Dec 26, 2011 9:08 pm

For scarlets mayb regan king as he gave us a lot of class and attacking threat during our dark days

by Cardiff Dave Mon Dec 26, 2011 10:29 pm

Smirnoffpriest wrote:For scarlets mayb regan king as he gave us a lot of class and attacking threat during our dark days

Botica?

by Gibson Tue Dec 27, 2011 2:49 am

AsLongAsBut100ofUs wrote:For Exe, it has to be Rob Baxter.

Had finished playing and become an assistant coach, but when Pete Drewett couldn't get the Chiefs to find that inner-spirit, Rob was asked to replace him mid-season.

Two narrow losses to Leeds away from being promoted that year, he then guided a fairly unsung group to the Championship playoff final against a much-fancied Brizzle outfit the next season. Bristol went in favourites having a better regular season record - but there was a reason for that and a plan.

Mid-season, he sacrificed a couple of games, to have the players re-undergo pre-season strength and conditioning training, which he suspected would have them in better physical shape than their opponents come final time. A close fought first leg at Sandy Park didn't seem to be enough, but that was plenty for Mr Baxter to craft a plan to heap hell on Bristol in the second, away leg.

Sure enough, a serious bombardment ensued and the Chiefs comfortably rolled Bristol. So, time for the AP, massive recruitment and player turnover surely? Not a chance, keep the core of a team that could deliver as a group and add a handful of additional players all with a point to prove and the same team ethic - result? Premiership survival and a great first AP season.

This year, more of the same - a simple game plan with a single objective - just keep on improving relative to the same fixture last year - a local, home bred Exeter hero

Liking that hugely. The rise of the Chiefs - really show's what's still possible in the pro-game. Given the will. The Belief. A solid setup... And a few shekels.

See ye lot in de Heino next year.

by **George Carlin** Tue Dec 27, 2011 8:55 am

For Leinster, you're pretty spoiled for choice in terms of important foreign signings. And by that, I don't mean 'high profile', I mean 'filled a team need with an international quality talent'.

Toss up between Nacewa, Contemponi and Hines.

For Munster, Howlett coming was vital to establishing the club's credibility.

For Glasgow, Stortoni filled an enormous gap at the back.

For Edinburgh, his Mighty Timness of Orange.

by Guest Tue Dec 27, 2011 9:20 am

For the Blues I'm going for Xavier Rush, hasnt been at his best this season but a few seasons back when he was on fire, he got us going forward every time.

by SecretFly Tue Dec 27, 2011 11:14 am

George Carlin wrote:

For Munster, Howlett coming was vital to establishing the club's credibility.

Hate to nitpick at Christmas but...well, I suppose nitpicking is what I'm doing.

I'm a great admirer of Doug Howlett, but even he would shiver at the idea that HE was vital to establishing Munster's 'credibity'. Enhancing it? Most definitely. But establishing? No.

By the time Doug showed up Munster had already won the Heineken Cup once and had been runners up twice.

by **George Carlin** Tue Dec 27, 2011 3:07 pm

SecretFly wrote:
George Carlin wrote:

For Munster, Howlett coming was vital to establishing the club's credibility.

Hate to nitpick at Christmas but...well, I suppose nitpicking is what I'm doing.

I'm a great admirer of Doug Howlett, but even he would shiver at the idea that HE was vital to establishing Munster's 'credibity'. Enhancing it? Most definitely. But establishing? No.

By the time Doug showed up Munster had already won the Heineken Cup once and had been runners up twice.

SecretFly - you couldn't let one go? boxing

It's Christmas.

by Gibson Tue Dec 27, 2011 3:29 pm

Rocky Elsom left a legacy at Leinster also. Albeit he only spent one year with us. But, what a year it was. His biggest legacy was to show us what it took to win a HC. And Sean O Brien(as well as others) learned greatly from him and has now possibly surpassed him. He was a huge influence.

Stan Wright and Ollie le Roux deserve special mentions for their input also.

by Cari Tue Dec 27, 2011 5:53 pm

Wouldn't Leinster's most important signing be BOD? and Munster's would be ROG?

by **LondonTiger** Tue Dec 27, 2011 5:59 pm

BOD & ROG are not really signings as they are insiders, in my view any way.

by SecretFly Tue Dec 27, 2011 7:01 pm

Cari is absobloominlutely right though. Those two are signings... they did sign contracts, they could have gone elsewhere at many different periods of their lives along the way. So even if you believe they were insiders in the beginning, neither of them had a shotgun put to their head to stay but stay and re-'sign' they did.

I guess a more apt way to put it might be to say neither province Needed a foreign signing but benefitted greatly from quite a few. But just looking at O'Gara's European record, and looking at some special moments from O'Driscoll in the Leinster shirt... yep, Cari is spot on.

by Guest Tue Dec 27, 2011 7:03 pm

I (and I might be the only one) interpreted the original thread as a player who has come into the squad and made a difference.

by Feckless Rogue Tue Dec 27, 2011 7:17 pm

Stan Wright and Ollie le Roux deserve special mentions for their input also.

Yep. Contepomi and Nacewa are brilliant, but Leinster could always play fancy rugby. The tough pack was something we had to acquire. And we forged one in the Magners League winning year of '08. le Roux was a big part of that. We didn't actually play our prettiest rugby in this period under Cheika but winning ugly is something all the best teams have to learn.

by **LondonTiger** Tue Dec 27, 2011 8:01 pm

IronMike wrote:I (and I might be the only one) interpreted the original thread as a player who has come into the squad and made a difference.

That was the way it was intended - but people are allowed to treat any thread as they see fit. But yeah I was hoping to see people nominated who had not grown up with the club.

by SecretFly Tue Dec 27, 2011 8:16 pm

Leinster - Contepomi "Let's try this one" Not actually his blueprint for Leinster but nevertheless, he was a natural at it. He challenged his team mates to be always turned on, always alive to a possibility. They needed to be because if he had the urge he was away by himself anyway. Yep, a little of Leinster's headlights on full approach decends from him.

by MrsP Tue Dec 27, 2011 8:46 pm

I think it is a bit too early to say about Ulster just yet as we have only really started to acquire "quality" signings.

From a player point of view it could very well be Johan Muller. The guy had had a huge influence on the whole squad. Ruan Pienaar has already been credited with changing the kicking practise discipline of iHumph and you can see how much Paul Marshall has come on under his tutelage.

However I would have to say that David Humphreys has been the greatest signing we have made. He was a fantastic OH who would have made pretty much any international side who weren't coached by EOS and he has been chiefly responsible for the fantastic signings we have made recently.

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