Newcastle Falcons - Pre Season 2014 - USE SEASON THREAD NOW

[Geordie]

First topic message reminder :

Manager: Dean Richards
Head Coach: John Wells
Forwards Coach: John Wells
Defence Coach: Graham Steadman
Attack Coach: Dave Walder
 
Current Squad:
Forwards
Props: Keiron Brookes, Scott Wilson, Rob Vickers , Oliver Tomaszczyk  Eric Fry, James Hallam (On loan to London Scottish)
Hookers: Matt Thompson (On loan Darlington), Scott Lawson, George McGuigan, David Nelson, Rob Hawkins
Second Rows: Scott MacLeod, Dom Barrow, Callum Green, Kane Thompson, Josh Furno, Uili Kolo'ofai, Glen Youngs, Will Witty, Sean Robinson (On Loan to Rotherham)
Back Row: Ally Hogg, Will Welch, Richard Mayhew, Andy Saull, Mark Wilson, Chris York, Dan Temm, Ben Morris (On Loan to Rotherham)
 
Backs
SH's: Warren Fury, Mike Blair, Ruki Tipuna, Andy Davies (On Loan to Rotherham)
Fh's: Rory Clegg, Phil Godman, Craig Willis
Centres: Juan Pablo Socino, Jamie Helleur, Adam Powell, Danny Barnes, Gonzalo Tiesi, Andy Tuilagi, Chris Harris (On Loan to Rotherham)Wing: Alex Tuilagi, Noah Cato, Zac Kibirige, Sinoti Sinoti, Sean Brown, Tom Penny, Lee Smith
FB's: Tom Catterick, Alex Tait, Simon Hammersley

[Cumbrian]

Gah, Wasps are in again.

[Cumbrian]

And again, ffs.

[Cumbrian]

And Worcester have scored a try...

[Cumbrian]

Drawn it level with two more tries, what a weird game! Could go into the lead with the conversion.

[Sgt_Pooly]

29-31!!!

Wow, fair play to the lads

[Cumbrian]

Finished 44-38 to Wasps, sounds like a belter.

[Sgt_Pooly]

I'll be streaming that one tomorrow I think

[Sgt_Pooly]

We're staying up!

[HammerofThunor]

Congrats. Hopefully you can push on next season.

[Geordie]

Great stuff....now please announce a couple of decent signings!

[Sgt_Pooly]

Some big signings on the way? Richards:

"'Now we will have more time to prepare for next season knowing we have survived. I would like to bring in the right people during the summer to strengthen the squad.'"

[Hound of Harrow]

Congrats on staying up Falcons fans.

That was a weird game. I posted on the Round 21 thread that it was a game of four contrasting quarters. Both teams, despite something to play for, were incredibly sloppy in defence.

Still, it was nice to see a bagload of tries - this fixture is usually dire.

[Sgt_Pooly]

Just watched it online Harrow.

AJ & Hughes were the difference in the pack, so physical and ground through work getting you back involved.

As an England fan I was disappointed with Daly at 13. We seemed to target his defence and got a lot of joy through his channel, surely 15 is a better position for him??

[Geordie]

Interesting that Dean praised Hodgson. Give him a new contract then??!!

Sarge i wouldnt bank on any big name signings...not his normal way (well with the exception of Nick Evans to Quins).

What areas do you see as critical to sign?

[Sgt_Pooly]

It has to be 10 GF surely???

Only thing with Hodgson is the other 2 have another year to run on their contracts and we'd need to lose before signing anyone I think.

[Geordie]

Yeah a 10 is critical. Regardless of already having Clegg and Godawful on 2 year deals id still get Hodgson signed up and look for another one aswell.

Send Godawful to Rockliff or North Shields 2nds for a few games.

Despite having already signed Taulava...id' love to see us find a young raw brutal carrying back rower.

[Sgt_Pooly]

I'd love to keep Hodgson, he's really kicking on. Maybe they'll pay up Clegg and Godman and run with a new 10/Hodgson/Socino???

Hughes at Wasps is a fantastic find.

[Geordie]

Id cope with that Sarge...

Im also very interested to see which youngsters they'll be pushing on next year.

Kibirige, Scott Wilson and McGuigan have really come through this season...and i suspect will play much bigger parts next season.

Brown on the wing might get more games. Harrison Collins the back rower...Wade the young 7 at Blaydon, Full back Hammersley?

Penny looks a prospect at 13/ Wing.

I'd like to see if young Harris can become the big boshing 12 i'd like to see us find aswell.

[Geordie]

Well its the last game of the season...lets have another attacking game....nothing to lose now...id like to see quite a few of the kids get a game...even if its off the bench, and more than 5 mins here or there.

1 Vickers
2 McGuigan
3 Brookes
4 McCleod
5 Barrow
6 R.Mayhew
7 Welch
8 M.Wilson

9 Blair
10 Hodgson
11 Sinotti
12 Tiesi
13 Powell
14 Brown
15 Tait (Hammersley coming off the bench)

16 Shiels, 17 S.Wilson, 18 Youngs, 19 Lawson, 20 A.Davies, 21 H.Collins, 22 Hammersley, 23 Clegg

[Driver]

Great signings in Tuilagi brothers!

[Cumbrian]

Wow, didn't see that coming!

[Driver]

Backs look tasty for next season all of a sudden

9.Blair
10.Hodgson
11.Sinoti
12.Powell
13.Tuilagi
14.Tuilagi
15.Tait

[Welly]

I'm shell shocked, gonna be sad seeing him against us at Welford.

[Sgt_Pooly]

Socino & Tualgi as 12 options? I'm starting to think Socino is going to be used as a 10.

Alesana is a great capture, our wings will be scary next season.

[HongKongCherry]

Well this certainly puts Richards' David Lemi quote into context! I've not seen enough of him since he left Tigers to comment whether he is still at the top of his game, but either way it's still an excellent signing.

[Cumbrian]

Impresed with the signings of the Tuilagi's and I want Falcons to become successful, but I'm getting a little worried about the number of EQP in the squad. Would prefer to keep a core of English (and if possible) players from the region. Might be easier to bed guys like that in when the team starts winning though.

[Geordie]

WOW!!!! Thats a bit of a shock.

But ill ask..is Alesana not past his best and Andy was never all that great anyway?

[Sgt_Pooly]

I've seen Andy have some great games for the Dragons but he's very up and down. He's a fantastic carrier but reminds me very much of Fitzy in his handling skills are not great. I'd say he's a slight upgrade on Fitzy but not outstanding. Alesana is a great capture though.

Centre options are getting a little crazy tbh

12. Socino, Tuilagi, Helleur (3 x NEQ)
13. Powell, Tiesi, Barnes (2 x NEQ)

Only 1 EQ in the centres....

[Geordie]

I just hope that the likes of young wingers Kibirige, Brown, Penny etc is enhanced by these signings via working and training with them...and Alex offering coaching...rather than him taking their spot.

[Sgt_Pooly]

Andy isn't really a winger from when I've seen him, more a 12/13. With Shortland off I imagine they'll still be chances for the lads.

[Geordie]

Do you think this means Shortland is not getting a new contract. Certainly looks like it.

Im not doubting Alex per say...he was brilliant and at times unplayable...but that was a few seasons ago.

Certainly in training having him charging at you will sort out the kids defences   

[Sgt_Pooly]

I think he'll be a great signing GF, Socino/Tuilagi on the wings is top of the league stuff really. We'll be really hard to defend against if we get the ball out and it'll free up space elsewhere.

I wonder if we'll sign Henry Tuilagi too? He'd be fantastic.

[Geordie]

Socino? You mean Sinotti on the wing .

We've already signed our version of Henry....its Taulava.

Going to be interesting to watch next season.

[Sgt_Pooly]

Socino/Sinoti lol......too many similar names floating about!

EQ in the backline isn't looking great. Could we see:

Socino/Powell??

I pray we haven't signed Socino as a 10.

[Geordie]

Im thinking we have signed him as a 10 Sarge, unless we get Joel re-signed

Hopefully they will be managing Alex...and swapping him with Kibirige, Brown etc.

9 Blair
10 Hodgson (Get him re-signed please!)
11 Alex Tuilagi
12 Socino
13 Powell
14 Sinotti
15 Tait

Looks a useful backline...with Kibirige, Brown, Hammersley, Tiesi, etc all interchanging gaining experience.

Im forgetting Cato who has looked much better recently aswell

[Scrumpy]

Alesana and Anitelea Tuilagi = Mercenaries   

[Geordie]

Are you Guns n Germs in disguise?

How are they Merceneries? Maybe they have been offered a decent salary and also an intro to coaching...as we have some seriously talented kids that would relish the chance of working and training with someone like Alex?

[Sgt_Pooly]

It's a bad state of affairs if all foreign workers are labelled mercenaries.

[Jimpy]

WOW!!!! Thats a bit of a shock.

But ill ask..is Alesana not past his best and Andy was never all that great anyway?

While very useful, Alex had passed his peak by the time he left Tigers for Japan. I think he posed more of a threat to opposition phsyche than anything else. Playing in Japan wont have prepared him to return to the intensity of the AP. Could be a good signing, might be an expensive mistake.

Not seen his brother play, but as Tuilagis go, he's hardly a contender for top of the pile.

[Jimpy]

It's a bad state of affairs if all foreign workers are labelled mercenaries.

Economic migrants surely?

[Sgt_Pooly]

Another signing next week?

[Driver]

Who knows? I think we had a few lined up for when we sealed safety.

[Driver]

15 Phil Dollman
14 Fetu'u Vainikolo
13 Ian Whitten
12 Sam Hill
11 Matt Jess
10 Henry Slade
9 Dave Lewis

1 Ben Moon
2 Luke Cowan-Dickie
3 Hoani Tui
4 Dean Mumm (capt)
5 Damian Welch
6 Ben White
7 James Scaysbrook
8 Kai Horstmann

16 Jack Yeandle
17 Carl Rimmer
18 Alex Brown
19 James Phillips
20 Tom Johnson
21 Haydn Thomas
22 Gareth Steenson
23 Tom James

[Sgt_Pooly]

There is one apparently

[Driver]

Newcastle Falcons: 15 Alex Tait, 14 Noah Cato, 13 Gonzalo Tiesi, 12 James Fitzpatrick, 11 Sinoti Sinoti, 10 Joel Hodgson, 9 Mike Blair, 1 Gary Strain, 2 Scott Lawson, 3 Oliver Tomaszczyk, 4 Ian Nagle, 5 Dom Barrow, 6 Richard Mayhew, 7 Will Welch (c), 8 Mark Wilson

Replacements: 16 George McGuigan, 17 Kieran Brookes, 18 Scott Wilson, 19 Scott MacLeod, 20 Andy Saull, 21 Warren Fury, 22 Phil Godman, 23 Lee Smith

[Geordie]

Ive just heard Phil Vickery is coming out of retirement   

I suspect a couple more will come through...i just want to see Joel signing a new contract.

I actually quite like the look of the squad they are developing. Think we will be more competitive next season.

Something like:
1 Vickers
2 McGuigan / Lawson
3 Brookes / Wilson
4 Barrow / Nagle
5 McLeod / McKensie
6 Green / Wilson
7 Welch
8 Hogg / Taulava / York

9 Blair
10 Hodgson

11 Alex Tuilagi / Kibirige
12 Socino / Andy Tuilagi
13 Powell / Tiesi / Penny
14 Sinotti / Cato
15 Tait / Hammersley

Theres lots of options there (except 9 & 10 worryingly) from skill and pace to bludgeoning and power.

[Geordie]

Not sure on the front row Driver. But the rest of the team is not bad. Nagle starting? Interesting. Infact i like the back 5 of the pack.

Joel starting yet again....why no new contract??!!!

Fitzy gets his big farewell!

[Driver]

I think we'll sneak a win!

[Geordie]

Im with you there...i think we will.

[Geordie]

Watching the Bristol v Rotherham game in the build up the commentators have said two interesting things...

1) "Socino at 10..hes very physical but its interesting as he'll either kick or run...cos he doesn't like to pass! Really?!!"

2) "Socino at 10 where has started in the last 3 games but its stil an interesting decision. "

He sounds like a 12 to me.

But doesn't like passing!!!

Also get a chance to see Tipuna at scrum half for Bristol..as he starts.

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