North to Northampton?

I caught a one-liner this morning (The Times or Mail ?) suggesting North is being linked with a move to England. Is this new news or old? Seems to me somewhat premature for the lad to leave the Scarlets. Curious to hear if this is speculation or substance.

I AM NOT HAPPY WITH PLAYERS UNDER 25 MOVING ABROAD

I hope to god this is not true.

It was also mentioned in the Guardian. Cannot see it happening as he has time left on his contract - and any transfer fee counts towards the seasons Salary Cap.

LondonTiger wrote:It was also mentioned in the Guardian. Cannot see it happening as he has time left on his contract - and any transfer fee counts towards the seasons Salary Cap.

That is god news...

Why don't Northampton just put their money in their academy and grow their own players instead of poaching others...?

They used to have a dire academy. About 3 years ago they poached dusty Hare from tigers to rebuild their academy - but it takes time. Northampton has a small catchement area and few public schools nearby so they have to look all over the country to find entrants to their academy.

They are developing players through now, but we are talking guys who are still 2-3 years away from first team regular status.

Should a player like North be available - many teams woudl be interested.

Sounds like 'agent talk'.

LondonTiger wrote:They used to have a dire academy. About 3 years ago they poached dusty Hare from tigers to rebuild their academy - but it takes time. Northampton has a small catchement area and few public schools nearby so they have to look all over the country to find entrants to their academy.

They are developing players through now, but we are talking guys who are still 2-3 years away from first team regular status.

Should a player like North be available - many teams woudl be interested.

It is such a shame... I used to go to Franklins gardens quite a bit in the Eighties. It is a great club in a great rugby town. I am surprised to see that they cant produce enough players of their own considering their bank balance.

He was born near there so makes sense.
Remind me again how many years this residency rule ?

Kings Lynn is nowhere near Northampton but good attempt.

There are plenty of feeder clubs into Northampton. Old Scouts, BBOB, Wellingborough and Kettering are all relatively successful for local clubs. Steve Thompson and Ben Cohen both came from that environment so the talent is there...

North to Northampton?

Yes, if you are in Southampton...

Thing is Maes, with the new academy systems the clubs who have affiliations with public schools tend to get the pick of the crop. While those without have to cast the net far and wide. Sadly the days of junior clubs acting as feeder sides is on the wane, an offshoot of the professional era I guess but very few good players will go to the likes of Kettering. They will be at Premiership or Championship sides. It then is only the late developers that may come via that sort of route.

Saints were guilty of letting their development slide and it was almost non-existent 10 years ago - but they made a big commitment when they recruited Hare and built new facilities. They have decent representation in England U20/18/17 squads. and things will improve.

LondonTiger wrote:Thing is Maes, with the new academy systems the clubs who have affiliations with public schools tend to get the pick of the crop. While those without have to cast the net far and wide. Sadly the days of junior clubs acting as feeder sides is on the wane, an offshoot of the professional era I guess but very few good players will go to the likes of Kettering. They will be at Premiership or Championship sides. It then is only the late developers that may come via that sort of route.

Saints were guilty of letting their development slide and it was almost non-existent 10 years ago - but they made a big commitment when they recruited Hare and built new facilities. They have decent representation in England U20/18/17 squads. and things will improve.

That is promising news, good old Dusty... And for a Tiger to commit to Saints must take some doing, though as you mention in reference to feeder clubs it is all part of the professional era.

Great to hear how Saints academy is working well and influencing the youth sides at international level. Hopefully in a year or two they will be far more self sufficient. Hopefully many clubs will. I do not believe that imitating Soccers transfer culture is of benefit to Rugby.

Rugby is a short career... who are we to tell a player that he should stick with his current club whereas his peers are earning 3-4 times as much elsewhere.

Wingers like North tend to have a shorter career then smaller ones... the impact takes its toll and once their basic speed is gone due to ageing/operations/injuries they find it difficult to compete.

If he can fill his commitments with Wales and have it written into his contract then its no problem.

Talking about Saints and wingers - one winger who has made quite an impact is Jamie Elliott. Only 19.

6 tries in 10 matches.

If I was North I would consider Quins or Leicester too.

fa0019 wrote:Rugby is a short career... who are we to tell a player that he should stick with his current club whereas his peers are earning 3-4 times as much elsewhere.

Wingers like North tend to have a shorter career then smaller ones... the impact takes its toll and once their basic speed is gone due to ageing/operations/injuries they find it difficult to compete.

If he can fill his commitments with Wales and have it written into his contract then its no problem.

I think everyone in Wales would agree that we would like young Welsh players to stay in Wales for as long as is possible. North is 21 in April, he could have played in this years Under 20s competition, he is a very young player.

We know we can not compete with the money abroad, the WRU have stated that they will not do so as well. But these players need time to develop for Wales and the regions need them. The regions are having a tough enough time as it is.

On top of that, I think most in Wales would rather our players were in France than England as if they do have to go abroad. I can't think of one Welsh player who has improved by playing in England, Sale Sharks killed Dwayne Peel's international career.

Also French clubs do not create as many problems with availability as the PRL do.

maestegmafia

I do understand your sentiment. I was just saying from a players point of view its difficult for them to stay at home if they're not getting a competitive salary. Most have a test career of perhaps 7 years at the top.... maybe 2 contracts length.

Shame about Peel... always thought he was a really sharp player.

I heard he wasn't automatic first choice at Sale and then given that and Phillips rise he started to get overlooked.

If you're going to go abroad... make sure you go to a HC club and will start week in week out... and get that contract water tight, make sure you can attend all matches, all training sessions etc for your country... inc. Wales' regular outside AI window 4th match.

If the player is good enough, the club will agree.

fa0019 wrote:maestegmafia

I do understand your sentiment. I was just saying from a players point of view its difficult for them to stay at home if they're not getting a competitive salary. Most have a test career of perhaps 7 years at the top.... maybe 2 contracts length.

Shame about Peel... always thought he was a really sharp player.

I heard he wasn't automatic first choice at Sale and then given that and Phillips rise he started to get overlooked.

If you're going to go abroad... make sure you go to a HC club and will start week in week out... and get that contract water tight, make sure you can attend all matches, all training sessions etc for your country... inc. Wales' regular outside AI window 4th match.

If the player is good enough, the club will agree.

Aye... Phillips, Hook and Byrne in particular have done well moving to France. Gethin is on his way home thankfully.

Got to be seriously talented to break into the Toulon squad.

He must have looked at Toulon and Sheridan and thought.... 2 consecutive lions tours as 1st choice loosehead... easy!

Do you think Lancaster has even for a moment wished his foreign player policy ruling never existed... probably around the first scrum.

beshocked wrote:Talking about Saints and wingers - one winger who has made quite an impact is Jamie Elliott. Only 19.

6 tries in 10 matches.

If I was North I would consider Quins or Leicester too.

Wage caps blight some clubs' ambitions.

And keeping the head above the water is others' problem.

greytiger wrote:

beshocked wrote:Talking about Saints and wingers - one winger who has made quite an impact is Jamie Elliott. Only 19.

6 tries in 10 matches.

If I was North I would consider Quins or Leicester too.

Wage caps blight some clubs' ambitions.

And keeping the head above the water is others' problem.

If he has to go I would rather Toulouse or Clermont Auvergne.

posted this in the club section....but think there could be something possibly in this rumour for the following reasons:

1)The Scarlets know they will be unable to compete with other French/English teams when his contract comes up for renewal next summer. I'd imagine he would be looking at a salary of £250k -£350k I think the Scarlet's could only offer him half of that at best. Next season will the Scarlet's see much of North after the Lions tour, Autumn Ints and 6 Nations? Might be worth cashing in on him now.

2)The Scarlet's are possibly playing a dangerous game and calling Roger Lewis bluff, and allowing Wales main assets leave Wales. Hoping that the WRU will realise that this will only damage the Welsh game in the long term and offer financial support. Saying this the WRU have already allowed Jamie Roberts, Lydiate etc leave Wales this summer. But the Scarlets do seem to now realise that spending a significant amount of it playing budget on Welsh players does not make financial sense - hence the rumours that Scott Williams, Tavis Knoyle and George North will be leaving this summer.

3) George North's girlfriend World cycling champion Becky James is based in Manchester and George is seen a lot up there. Northampton is a lot closer to Manchester than Llanelli I'm guessing.

4) Jim Mallinder recently told Saints fans on their rugby forum that top of his shopping list in a big powerful Winger. North definitely fits into that category

gregortree wrote:He was born near there so makes sense.
Remind me again how many years this residency rule ?

You could ask a number of the recent England international players if you are unclear on the residency qualification criteria

fa0019 wrote:Got to be seriously talented to break into the Toulon squad.

He must have looked at Toulon and Sheridan and thought.... 2 consecutive lions tours as 1st choice loosehead... easy!

Do you think Lancaster has even for a moment wished his foreign player policy ruling never existed... probably around the first scrum.

Probably not. Sheridan has a reputation way bigger than actual performances (just my opinion of course)

North to Northampton? To my Saints?
After careful consideration, it is the decided opinion of the great and wise that this would not suck.

Seems a sensible move for Scarlets, to cash in and though North is still a young man, with his size and weight unless he has the genes of Usain Bolt, his acceleration and general pace won't last forever.
Banahan might not have quite the same skill set but he has already made the move to centre where he won't be exposed to outright acceleration of a proper winger.

Sheridan / Jones, who are about the same age, would have been fun to watch but alas that scrum has now sailed.

George North's agent has confirmed talks are taking place over a possible transfer from the Scarlets to Northampton.

The 31-times capped Wales wing North, 20, has one year to run on his contract with the Welsh region.

His agent Christian Abt says North doesn't want to leave the Scarlets, but confirmed talks had begun.

"There has been an approach between the two clubs to discuss a possible transfer," he said.

Good move for Scarlets. They'll get some decent money for him and he only has a year left on contract, besides he spends majority of time injured or with International set up so not a huge loss

Agent being a nob. He'll do a Shane. He's happier at home and will forgo big money until after his international days are over.

Agent confirms George North talks between Scarlets and Saints
Scarlets and Northampton are holding talks over the possible transfer of George North from the Welsh side.

The Wales international winger, who has won 31 caps, has one year left on his contract with the Scarlets.

North's agent Christian Abt says the 20-year-old doesn't want to leave the Scarlets, but confirmed: "There has been an approach between the two clubs to discuss a possible transfer."

The Scarlets said they would not discuss players' contracts publicly.

However, his current contract with the Welsh side runs out at the end of the 2013/14 season, and though insisting North was not actively seeking a transfer, Abt warned one could take place soon.

"I don't think it will drag on too long," he said.

"I think these things need to happen quite quickly if it's going to happen so that each party knows where they stand.

"It's counter-productive to sort of drag on and for the player as well to know where he will be, so ideally I'm sure it will resolve itself in the next couple of weeks."

North was a key member of the Wales team the clinched a second consecutive Six Nations title with a 30-3 win over England in Cardiff and is also expected to tour Australia with the British and Irish Lions this summer.

If North was to join the Saints, he would be the latest in a long line of high-profile players to leave the Welsh domestic game for England or France.

Fellow Wales stars Jamie Roberts and Dan Lydiate have already confirmed they will be playing outside Wales next season.

And in recent seasons Mike Phillips (Bayonne), James Hook (Perpignan), Luke Charteris (Perpignan), Aled Brew (Biarritz), Lee Byrne (Clermont) and Paul James (Bath) have all left the Welsh regional game.

Abt claims the financial difficulties facing the Welsh regions is a factor in the talks over North's future.

"Unfortunately it's been well documented it's been difficult time for some of the Welsh regions financially," he said.

"They are looking at ways to find to work within a business model which makes financial sense for themselves to go forward and be sustainable in this current market.

"George is under contract for another year at the Scarlets and as far as I'm aware there's ongoing discussions between [Scarlets] and possibly a few other parties with regards to a possibility of George moving on from the summer.

"There has been interest from [other] Premiership outfits as well as French clubs expressing an interest as to when he might be out of contract.

"It's not something that we've really actively pursued, it's very much a case of understanding where he is in terms of the situation in Wales and trying to ensure that whatever happens in going forward is in his best interest in order to progress his career."

See, as I said.

Glas a du wrote:

North to Northampton?

Yes, if you are in Southampton...

no decent top level rugby here, best Premiership club nearby is the Quins, Chiefs too far and pricey and the Rec is a Wreck.

Glas I agree with you that North is happy in West Wales. What I'm not sure about is it the Scarlets that's actively trying to find a buyer for one of it'smore valuable assets? I'd be pretty disappointed if it was us who initiated this approach.

And me. I always thought it would be Foxy or Scott who would be going.

Tavis is nearing the exit door too.

That's no great surprise/shame though.