Out with the old, in with the new at Edinburgh

First topic message reminder :

Former Wasps & QPR boss appointed MD

Davies seems to have a good CV with experience in rugby. Also has experience in "building" stadiums.

It'll be interesting to hear Wasps/QPR fans view of him.

cp10 wrote:

Edinburgh Rugby twitter wrote:
BREAKING NEWS: Club record appearance holder Allan ‘Chunk’ Jacobsen will retire from professional rugby at the end of the season.

Cannae say I'm surprised. What a great player he has been for Edinburgh but it seems the right time for him to call it a day.

What of Ross Ford? Do we think he'll stay on? Is he out of contract?

I'm not surprised. We'll give him a big send off on the last game a week on Friday.

Shame though, he's scrummaged really well in the last couple of games, and it leaves us with a big headache at loosehead.

Right now I'd welcome back Ali Dickinson with open arms!

Even Kyle Traynor....perhaps not so much....

funnyExiledScot wrote:I'm not surprised. We'll give him a big send off on the last game a week on Friday.

Shame though, he's scrummaged really well in the last couple of games, and it leaves us with a big headache at loosehead.

Right now I'd welcome back Ali Dickinson with open arms!

Even Kyle Traynor....perhaps not so much....

Traynor did ok in the match against Tonga. In truth he was one of the few not to damage his reputation. Most likely because he had no reputation in the first place.

You mean Tonga?

Again not surprised Chunk has called it quits - the propsect of pre-season sprints again is obviously too much to take!

Been a great servant for Edinburgh but I think it's the right time.

He did ok in that game, you're right. Exceeded all expectations by keeping his side of the scrum in order.

Knowing Edinburgh he'll turn out to be another Ryan Grant. Expect to see Bristol promoted to the Aviva season after next, with Kyle Traynor tearing up the Premiership. You heard it here first!

RDW_Scotland wrote:You mean Tonga?

Yeah, not much difference between them. They are both sunny islands with palm trees...

Fair play to Chunk, a truly great club man for Embra (and indeed Scotland back in the day)

If Embra de-bowels itself will it also forego its ERC rankings points over the next five years?

greytiger wrote:If Embra de-bowels itself will it also forego its ERC rankings points over the next five years?

Eh?

Don't go all coy on me RDW.

If the current HEC format stays in place, E(dinburg)h's freakish ripples from last year will remain undiminished for the next four years.

I genuinely had no idea what you were on about..

Just smile and nod RDW. Smile and nod and smile and back away....

Edinburgh rugby awards tonight at ghillie dhu

so far Sean Cox has won the award for iron man
WP Nel has won best newcomer
Young player of the year is Grant Gilchrist
players player is Greig Tonks
overall player of the year is also Greig Tonks

Seems about right. Although to be fair there isn't exactly much competition for the awards!

And back in the real world .........
I'm not so sure about Simon Taylor coming back. He was a very good player but bulked up beyond belief (and need) and lost his dynamism. I know a guy who was in law school at the same time who said that he was a bit strange and prone to long spells of contemplation about nothing in particular.
I don't imagine he would be very cheap salary-wise either but there is a bit of a shortage of good back-row players who are Scottish qualified.
If we were looking to blow a good chunk of our budget on a returning player, I woud lprefer it to be Hines (with a view to him kicking backsodes when he became forwrads coach) or Ali Hogg (but with Newcastle as good as back in the AP, I don't imagine he will want to come back)

Yep I'm not sure about Simon Taylor coming back either, has been playing well at Bath recently but i think there could be better options available to Edinburgh.
I'm not sure "Apollo" will continue playing next season anyway as he does have quite a few business interests outside rugby these days.

Looks like sepp visser is being released too. Surely Mike Penn (who?) Is going too - he hasn't played any official games for the club!

Any news on where Sep is going to?
Mike Penn has to go, he was only on a one year deal and there can be no chance he is offered a new one, he has even looked distinctly average playing for Heriots!

Maybe Sep is going to Dragons too? Shame he's going, I thought he might develop into a good player for Edinburgh.

Sepp isn't his brother, but he has looked a lot better this season. Big strong runner and you've got to wonder what he'd be like if he got regular game time

Correct decision though - we've got fife and farndale coming through, although it does leave us even more short staffed on the wing.

Majestic83 wrote:Edinburgh rugby awards tonight at ghillie dhu

so far Sean Cox has won the award for iron man
WP Nel has won best newcomer
Young player of the year is Grant Gilchrist
players player is Greig Tonks
overall player of the year is also Greig Tonks

They probably should have cancelled the awards this year in all fairness.

Who won coach of the year.....?

RDW_Scotland wrote:Sepp isn't his brother, but he has looked a lot better this season. Big strong runner and you've got to wonder what he'd be like if he got regular game time

Correct decision though - we've got fife and farndale coming through, although it does leave us even more short staffed on the wing.

With Tim Visser, Lee Jones, Dougie Fife, James Farndale and Nikki Walker on the books for next season and all specialist wingers, I wouldn't say that we're short staffed, more that we lack quality.

Tim Visser is the only international quality player, and even then his basics are prone to meltdown under pressure.

Quite right to let go of Sep Visser, and Mike Penn as well. I'd say Lee Jones needs a strong season next year for his contract to be renewed (whenever it expires).

We probably offered Jones an 8 year deal last year.

8 years at £500,000 per year and a clause that says tackling is excluded from the scope of the contact......

Hoyland will surely be an EDP next season, and Jones is probably in last chance saloon.

Hoyland?

Damian Hoyland

Who is he?

u20's winger with Boroughmuir. Scored 3 or 4 tries in the 6N.

http://www.scotsman.com/edinburgh-evening-news/rugby/top-rugby-stories/damien-hoyland-s-star-on-the-rise-as-teenager-gets-on-scoreboard-1-2532896

http://www.scottishrugby.org/scotland-u20/player/damien-hoyland

It depresses me seeing that he was born in 1994.

Strangely have never heard of him - he's pretty small but if he's got pace to burn that can be worked on.

Sounds like a talented chap, no doubt earmarked for Glasgow....

RDW_Scotland wrote:It depresses me seeing that he was born in 1994.

Strangely have never heard of him - he's pretty small but if he's got pace to burn that can be worked on.

He doesnt play like he's small though from what ive seen of him.

Imperialbigdave wrote:

RDW_Scotland wrote:It depresses me seeing that he was born in 1994.

Strangely have never heard of him - he's pretty small but if he's got pace to burn that can be worked on.

He doesnt play like he's small though from what ive seen of him.

Sounds like the man for the wing opposite Tim Visser. A small man who plays like a big man, versus a big man who plays like a midget!

Edinburgh have just confirmed that Sep, Titterrell, Penn and King are all out at the end of the seaon.

No surprises there

And that the 35 yr old Tongan hooker has signed from Worcs on a tow year deal/

Aye no surprises there. Shame for Titterall as at times this year he has put a massive shift in and often looked like the only player who was actually wanting to win.

No mention of Cairnsy which is good news…

Pretty short at 12 now, with Atiga and Scott left.

Wait – have we actually signed a 35 year old Tongan hooker??

I really don't understand this signing, but I suspect it signals that Ford is away.

I say it again – Ford is being replaced by a 35 year old Tongan?? A 35 year old has been given a 2 year contract??

RDW_Scotland wrote:Wait – have we actually signed a 35 year old Tongan hooker??

aye Alexei Lutui on a 2 year deal. 37 by the time he finishes with us. Genius signing and contract

Ford needed to move on but this is our chance to build. Lets get Alun Walker the man to beat for the no.2 jersey.

The guy sounds like he has pedigree but come on - he's 35!!

Lutui!!? Who on earth is making these signings??

We don't have a coach yet, so how on earth can we be signing up pensioners on two year deals?

I know he's a pretty chunky lump of a player, and he's experienced, but I really hope that Lawrie and Walker don't miss out on game time because of this guy.

An old veteran journeyman NSQ. Brilliant.

Whoever is making these decisions at Edinburgh is in need of a thorough head examination. Steve Lawrie, Alun Walker and George Turner are on the books. All Scottish and all who need game time. If not those three, what about re-signing Fraser Brown? He hasn't looked out of place when playing for Glasgow and looks like he is over his injuries.

Instead they have opted for a 35 yr old. Sure, he has experience and a good pedigree but come on! Have they not learnt one thing from this season?

Completely agree. No disrespect to Lutui intended here, but this is going completely in the wrong direction.

If we are going to have NSQs in the squad, they have to considerably improve upon the SQ options we have. This signing fails on that criterion.

There should also be a prohibition on signing NSQs over the age of 28! This is just a guy picking up one last pay check before he retires. Meanwhile Glasgow sign players like Strauss, Maitland and Matawalu!!

We should not be signing any new players until we have a head coach in place. The new guy should be picking his own players, and we save on budget until he arrives. If that means a transition season where we replace players who leave with young Scottish players, then I really don't mind. We hardly have far to fall in the league, and the less said about us in the HC this season the better. At least that way the new guy can see what there is in terms of young Scottish talent, and then build on it in his own way.

Think it's fair to say there isn't an overwhelming reaction to this on the Facebook page!

Reckon I should sign up to the Facebook page - yet another avenue through which to vent my rage!!

Really bad decision, and I just can't understand it at all. We need to get a new coach, a quality one, and fast.

Can't believe I've already signed up for a new season ticket. We are directionless!

funnyExiledScot wrote:Completely agree. No disrespect to Lutui intended here, but this is going completely in the wrong direction.

If we are going to have NSQs in the squad, they have considerably improve upon the SQ options we have. This signing fails on that criterion.

There should also be a prohibition on signing NSQs over the age of 28! This is just a guy picking up one last pay check before he retires. Meanwhile Glasgow sign players like Strauss, Maitland and Matawalu!!

We should not be signing any new players until we have a head coach in place. The new guy should be picking his own players, and we safe on budget until he arrives. If that means a transition season where we replace players who leave with young Scottish players, then I really don't mind. We hardly have far to fall in the league, and the less said about us in the HC this season the better. At least that way the new guy can see what there is in terms of young Scottish talent, and then build on it in his own way.

Indeed, i'm sure Lutui is a good pro, and he does have good experience, but this signing sounds like panic buying, and is exactly the same sort of signing that has got Edinburgh into this mess in the first place. Edinburgh need a clear out, and to have a coach in place who can start putting into place a coherent signing policy.

If that means a season of poor results, then so be it. I would argue that Glasgow's rotten season two years ago has directly benefited them now. Harley, Wilson, Fusaro, Dunbar, McArthur and more were all asked to play a part and gain valuable experience. Let's be brave enough to let the young Scottish guys get that chance at Edinburgh, a few years down the line, it will pay dividends.

Out with the old, in with the old at Edinburgh.