Newcastle Falcons 2013/2014

First topic message reminder :

Manager: Dean Richards
Head Coach: Peter Russell (Leaving at the end of the season)
Forwards Coach: John Wells
Defence Coach: Graham Steadman
 
Current Squad: Underlined are new signings coming in the summer 2014
 
Forwards
Props: Grant Shiels, Oliver Tomasczyk, Keiron Brookes, Scott Wilson, Jeff Hallam, Rob Vickers , Eric Fry
Hookers: Matt Thompson, Scott Lawson, George McGuigan, David Nelson, Rob Hawkins
Second Rows:Scott MacLeod, Sean Tomes, Frasier McKensie, Dom Barrow, Callum Green  
Back Row:Ally Hogg, Will Welch, Richard Mayhew, Andy Saull, Mark Wilson, Chris York, Ben Morris, Semisi Taulava

Backs
SH's: Chris Pilrgrim (Signed for Leeds), Warren Fury, Mike Blair, Andy Davies, Ruki Tipuna
Fh's: Joel Hodgson, Rory Clegg, Phil Godman, Craig Willis 
Centres: Juan Pablo Socino, Jamie Helleur, James Fitzpatrick (Signed for Leeds), Alex Crocket, Adam Powell, Danny Barnes, Gonzalo Tiesi, Chris Harris  
Wing: Ryan Shortland, Noah Cato, Zac Kibirige, Sinoti Sinoti, Sean Brown, Tom Penny, Lee Smith
FB's: Tom Catterick, Alex Tait, Simon Hammersley

Out of contract Summer 2014:
Grant Shiells  
Oliver Tomaszczyk  
Gary Strain
Sean Tomes  
Ian Nagle (Trial till end of season)
Harry Spencer (Trial till end of season)
Chris York
Warren Fury  
Joel Hodgson  
Alex Crockett  
Ryan Shortland

Scotty scrummaging 10x better than Mercy did, really stepping up the boy

Well we let Lewington and Charlie Walker go and they are getting plenty of game time down south. I did wonder if he was off with England 7s as I think he's been in their development squad before.

Gents - I see that our own Glen Young has made the U20s team against Ireland.

How has he been playing for you?

Dear god yet another miserable display...utterly appalling....

Newcastle Falcons: 15 Alex Tait, 14 Noah Cato, 13 Gonzalo Tiesi, 12 Adam Powell, 11 Sinoti Sinoti, 10 Phil Godman, 9 Warren Fury, 1 Rob Vickers, 2 Matt Thompson, 3 Oliver Tomaszczyk, 4 Dom Barrow, 5 Fraser McKenzie, 6 Will Welch (c), 7 Andy Saull, 8 Mark Wilson

Replacements: 16 Scott Lawson, 17 Franck Montanella, 18 Gary Strain, 19 Scott MacLeod, 20 Chris York, 21 Chris Pilgrim, 22 Rory Clegg, 23 Jamie Helleur

Tasty centre pairing.

Great line-up bar bloody Godman!

When did keiron Brookes get called up for the Saxons????

So we're missing Wilson AND Brookes....what would England do without the little club on the borders eh??!!!

PS im still not happy with Vickers at 1 either when we have Montanella there and whats with Shiels? Is it injury? Strain isnt fit to lace his boots!

Rumours we've signed Leo Auva'a from Leinster

Just seen that...wouldnt be impressed. May aswell just move Fitzy to 8.

I see young George McGuigan has signed a new contract. Great news on 2 counts.

1) Hes a cracking young player.
2) Is this a sign that players are not looking to move on so quick as they used to.

GF

Pm me your email and i'll send you the vision thing aswell as somethibg else they have sent me

Good news, hopefully he'll fancy playing for England too

Cheers Driver - Sent   

Sarge, i read a bit about him, and he seems to be deeply irish. His family are all irish and he was chuffed to represent Ireland at U20 level.

I suspect he would probably choose to represent Ireland if he had the option....though might attract the big boys like Leinster, Munster etc...

I'll send you the invite to the Northampton pre-match as well where you get to be involved with the whole pre-match build up with coachs etc.

Excellent, thanks very much Driver...much appreciated.

Driver,

Cheers for that.

NOw i have seen bits of that already ...certainly the traingle of ability etc.

What interested me was the Heineken CUp vision (Or what ever the new version will be)

–Premiership playoffs annually from 2015/16
–Heineken cup final stages from 2016/17
–Majority of players in the squad came through the academy



3 World Class

7 Current Internationals

15 Past/Budding Internationals

15 Quality Club Players

10 Academy Players 18-21yrs

25 Academy Players 16-18yrs

Well......

It's 2013/14 and we have:

0 - world class (3 short)
1 - current Int (6 short)
4 - budding/past Ints (Brookes/Wilson/Hogg/Blair) (11 short)
? - Quality club players

A fair bit of recruiting needed!

Ah...but we do have:

10 Academy Players 18-21yrs - Promoted at the start of the season

25 Academy Players 16-18yrs

And thats where the above will come from..  

Have faith...   


And Also

4 - budding/past Ints (Brookes/Wilson/Hogg/Blair) (11 short)

Do you view McGuigan and Glen Youngs (Ireland U20 and Scotland U20 respectively as budding internationals?) Or is that pushing it a bit too far...

I think thats pushing things a little too far GF lol....playing Saxons level would strike me as a budding Int.

Yeah ...ha ha

Looks like we've got a bit of work to do....!!

Newcastle Falcons v Bath:

1 Rob Vickers
2 Matt Thompson
3 Oliver Tomaszczyk
4 Scott MacLeod
5 Fraser McKenzie
6 Will Welch (c)
7 Andy Saull
8 Mark Wilson

9 Warren Fury
10 Phil Godman
11 Sinoti Sinoti
12 Jaime Helleur
13 Gonzalo Tiesi
14 Noah Cato
15 Alex Tait

Replacements: 16 George McGuigan, 17 Franck Montanella, 18 Kieran Brookes, 19 Sean Tomes, 20 Ally Hogg, 21 Chris Pilgrim, 22 Rory Clegg, 23 Adam Powell


Dom Barrow out again with a dislocated ankle! Pah

What an awful HB pairing

I'm going for Bath 37-3 Falcons

GeordieFalcon wrote:Newcastle Falcons v Bath:

1 Rob Vickers
2 Matt Thompson
3 Oliver Tomaszczyk
4 Scott MacLeod
5 Fraser McKenzie
6 Will Welch (c)
7 Andy Saull
8 Mark Wilson

9 Warren Fury
10 Phil Godman
11 Sinoti Sinoti
12 Jaime Helleur
13 Gonzalo Tiesi
14 Noah Cato
15 Alex Tait

Replacements: 16 George McGuigan, 17 Franck Montanella, 18 Kieran Brookes, 19 Sean Tomes, 20 Ally Hogg, 21 Chris Pilgrim, 22 Rory Clegg, 23 Adam Powell


Dom Barrow out again with a dislocated ankle! Pah

Is there a reason we are not starting Brookes? The scrum? If Deano think's he's not up to it he needs to get him up to speed because as improved as OT is, I just don't think he's go half the potential.

Another miserable defeat.

I hope this utter rubbish this season is worth it for improvments over the next few seasons.

And judging by Wuss performance v Leicester ...i'd like another victory or 2...

Busy day.

Del Fava retires.

Lee Smith & Ian Nagle sign up

Totally underwhelmed by Smith.

Who is Nagle?

Shame about Fava...leaves us a little short in the second rows. Barrow out for a while. McCleods age going against him now. Leaves us McKensie, Glen Youngs, Tomes and Will Witty.

GeordieFalcon wrote:Totally underwhelmed by Smith.

Who is Nagle?

Shame about Fava...leaves us a little short in the second rows. Barrow out for a while. McCleods age going against him now. Leaves us McKensie, Glen Youngs, Tomes and Will Witty.

Nagle is the 2nd row from Munster I persume...He was very impressive against Aus and NZ when they played in Thomand and was built as the next best thing, but a dip in form and being behind POC and DOC amongst others has hindered his chances at Munster.

Yeah that's who it is Leinster...oh well nice to see we've signed someone decent.

Deano type of signing , rep in tatters and brings him on cheap and hopes to build him back up.

Driver wrote:Deano type of signing , rep in tatters and brings him on cheap and hopes to build him back up.

Hasn't got much of a success rate of late!

I'm not sure if Nagle is on loan, be a decent acquisition if perm.

He's on loan.

Im just not getting all these signings...trying to rebuild players with potential.

So we've signed Lee Smith? Why not give Kibirige the spot! Hes class.

I hope Wells can bring out the best in Nagel...but we dont have a great track record of it. Powell hasnt found the form he had at Sarries. Cato has come on a bit but nothing special...

The only one has been Brookes...but he never gets a feckin game!!!!
                

It sucks being a sports fan in Newcastle!!!

Team is up:

Newcastle Falcons: 15 Noah Cato, 14 Alex Tait, 13 Gonzalo Tiesi, 12 Jamie Helleur, 11 Ryan Shortland, 10 Rory Clegg, 9 Mike Blair, 1 Rob Vickers, 2 Scott Lawson, 3 Kieran Brookes, 4 Scott MacLeod, 5 Fraser McKenzie, 6 Will Welch (c), 7 Andy Saull, 8 Mark Wilson

Replacements: 16 George McGuigan, 17 Gary Strain, 18 Oliver Tomaszczyk, 19 Sean Tomes, 20 Ally Hogg, 21 Warren Fury, 22 Joel Hodgson, 23 Adam Powell

Pleased to see Tiesi in there, back-row looks decent too. However the loosehead is just... Rob Vickers starting with Gary Strain as back up and Cato at fullback???   

Serious issues at LH, the boys must just not be fit. Luckily Vickers has done a top job there.

Good side, it would be nice to build a consistent starting XV, I don't think we've put the same team out 3 times in a row??

12-9 to Quins just after HT, looks like we're making a bit of a fight of it

Worcester are beating Saints....uh oh

We're winning with 10 to go!

Come on boys, this could change our season!

Spoke too soon.   

You're kidding me

15-14 and lawson has been yellowed.

Great, a LBP would be nice but so close to the win!

On the plus, Saints have pulled away. No LBP for Worcester

18-14 FT

To be fair I'd have taken a LBP at the start of the day. Northampton came back and humped Worcester too.

Agree Cumbrian, I'd have def took that.

Another point ahead of Wuss

It is so frustrating though!

Is that 11 clear now? Reckon something would have to drastically wrong to slip back into trouble now.

11pts clear with 8 games to go.

Win against Wuss and we stay up imo.

Wuss are certainly starting to pick but hopefully it's too late.

Reading the report we were supposed to be the better team!

Sgt_Pooly wrote:Reading the report we were supposed to be the better team!

In the second half, yes. First half, Quins made two very good tries and restricted Falcons to two kickable pens, only one of which was converted.

Sgt_Pooly wrote:11pts clear with 8 games to go.

Win against Wuss and we stay up imo.

Wuss are certainly starting to pick but hopefully it's too late.

I guess I would start to look at the number of wins necessary to stay above Worcester and the number of wins they need to climb past.  Right now, Worcester is three wins behind Newcastle.  If Newcastle win just one more game, Worcester will need to end the season with at least 4 wins out of 8 matches.  If Newcastle manage two more wins, then Worcester must go 5 up and 3 down.  Based upon the season so far, that seems exceedingly difficult.  I don't think I would bank the season just yet, but Newcastle is in the home stretch.