Newcastle Falcons Season 2014/2015 - Closed, use new one.

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UPDATED FOR 2015 / 2016

Manager: Dean Richards
Head Coach: John Wells
Forwards Coach: John Wells
Defence Coach: Graham Steadman
Attack Coach: Dave Walder

Current Squad (A= Academy):
Forwards
Props: Taione Vea, Jon Welsh, Scott Wilson, Ben Harris, Rob Vickers , Eric Fry,

Hookers: Scott Lawson, George McGuigan, Rob Hawkins,
David Nelson (A)

Second Rows: Dom Barrow, Callum Green, Kane Thompson, Josh Furno,
Glen Youngs (A), Will Witty (A), Sean Robinson (A), Harry Snowdon (A),

Back Row: Ally Hogg, Will Welch, Richard Mayhew, Nili Latu, Mark Wilson, Uili Kolo'ofai, Dan Temm,
Brian Tuilagi (A), Joe Craggs (A), Calum Chick (A)

Backs
SH's: Sonatane Tukulua, Ruki Tipuna, Micky Young,
Dan Taylor (A),  Ruaridh Dawson (A)

Fh's: Tom Catterick, Mike Delaney,
Craig Willis (A), Brett Connon (A)

Centres: Juan Pablo Socino, Adam Powell, Gonzalo Tiesi, Andy Tuilagi, Chris Harris ,
Adam Redman centre (A), Tom Penny (A)

Wing: Sinoti Sinoti, Alex Tuilagi, Giovanbattista Venditti, Marcus Watson, Zac Kibirige,
Dan Marshall (A)

FB's: Alex Tait, Simon Hammersley

Contracts yet to be agreed:
Oliver Tomaschyk
Scott MacLeod
Warren Fury
Jamie Helleur
Noah Cato
Rory Clegg - Going to Australia

Team for next season

15.Hammersley
14.Sinoti
13.Tiesi
12.Socino
11.Watson
10.Delaney 
9.Young

1.Harris
2.Lawson
3.Vea
4.Green
5.Thompson
6.Barrow
7.Wilson
8.Hogg (C)

Hope we can get Kolo'Ofia fit and firing.

Got to wonder where Josh Furno will fit in?

I don't think you'll be too far off there Driver.

Maybe tweak with Furno at 6 and Barrow at 5 but I can't imagine they'll be little change elsewhere. See Deano has stated he'll bring another TH in if Tomas can't get shake off this injury. That'll leave us with:

1. Harris, Vickers, Rogers, Fry
3. Vea, Tomas, Wilson, Orlandi?

I think you need 4 props these days.

Josh Furno is very much like Croft in my opinon. He will be used in the right occasions.

We have some serious options in most positions now.

The one im not sure is Tiesi. Think I might be tempted to release him.
Focus on :
Socino, Penny, Harris, Powell, Andy Tuilagi, and id keep Helluer.

I too would also keep barrow in the engine room at lock.

Some of the younger lads could really make a play next year...

I'd look to offload Helluer GF, he's made very little impact this season and we could focus the funds elsewhere.

Chick for number 8 is meant to be pretty good.

Chick is only a young lad but yes could be a good un in the next few years. To replace Hogg?

Its between Andy Tuilagi or Helluer. Which one offers more I guess. Maybe Andy does offer more carrying capacity.

I see young Cragg has joined the seniors now aswell.

Weren't him and chick in the recent England u18 game v Scotland?

Resigning in the morning , 

Seeing we're being linked to Vendetti, Big Italian wing.

Venditti is a good player, really powerful. Would be in a similar mould to Tuilagi but at a cheaper price (I aimagine).

Kibirige signs on for another year. Great news, he looks a real talent, hopefully he can get a good run injury free.

Glad to see Kibirige is offered a new contract. Would suggest that his injury hasn't affected him.

Is anyone else concerned by the number of foreigners?
Vendettit just adds another....

Venditti won't be classed as a foreigner GF as he's part of the EU if that's what you mean?

If you mean not English, then yes it is a problem but we struggle to attract players to the NE. It's a bit of a catch 22 situation as to attract better English players we need to be higher up the table but we're unable to get there without signing foreign players....

I guess, but it just seems we are signing a load of non English.

Hopefully once the kids are blooded more, it wont be an issue.

We've signed John Welsh.

Great signing imo. Good scrummager and probably a step up from Brookes in the set piece, very happy with this one.

Sgt_Pooly wrote:We've signed John Welsh.

Great signing imo. Good scrummager and probably a step up from Brookes in the set piece, very happy with this one.

I replied to your request for more info on the 'transfers' thread Pooly, but in summary it is a great signing for you and I'm royally p!ssed from a soapdodger perspective that he's being allowed to go.

Cheers George

Good signing.

Nice to see they are addressing our front row issues....and more importantly keeps our famed Anglo - Scot history going....

We'll be a difficult team to beat next season.

Next Seasons team will not pick itself as we should have some real competition...but if you had to choose one it would be something like:

1 Ben Harris
2 Scott Lawson / Mcguigan
3 Jon Welsh
4 Barrow
5 Green
6 Wilson
7 Welch
8 Hogg

9 Tipuna
10 Catterick
11 Tuilagi
12 Socino
13 Powell
14 M. Watson
15 Hammersley / Tait

I'd love to bring in a monster 6 (kolo'ufai if he stayed fit) and move Wilson to 7.

Also makes us wonder what will happen with Furno.

I see that Venditti is on his way after the WC if the rumours are true.

No Sinoti GF?

I see the Chronicle put him down as a LH?

Ah how could I forget Sinotti.

I also forgot about Vea. He's supposed to be an excellent TH Sgt, so he could battle for that spot.

We have options every where ...except Loosehead now...

Its such a shame Fry cant scrum...hes good elsewhere ...

Unless Welsh is to be used as a LH?

Sgt_Pooly wrote:Unless Welsh is to be used as a LH?

Purely selfishly, I hope not. We are fine at loosehead for Scotland, it's on the tight that we are struggling.
It is quite telling that he was specifically described as a loosehead in the offy press release.

The reporter has quite a tight link with the Falcons also George and we're not too low on TH options.

It certainly looks like he's been signed as LH, they mention it about 4 times on the offy.

http://www.newcastlefalcons.co.uk/news/story/falcons-sign-scottish-international-prop

TH - Vea, Tomas, Wilson
LH - Welsh, Harris, Vickers

Good stable of props and a problem area has certainly been addressed. Welsh is a genuine LH/TH which gives us good options.

Orlandi and Fry also Sgt.

Orlandi might just need a good pre season etc.

Fry well he would be useful against teams that cant scrummage....or alternatively move him to the back row?

In his defence i can see why Dean signed him. He is a big mobile guy who is good at tacklng, the breakdown etc...in otherwords a modern, mobile prop. He probably thought he could fix his scrummaging, but i just don't think that can be fixed unfortunately.

To be honest I would like to see us bring in a real good scrum coach.

Orlandi hasn't signed as far as I kniw GF.

Fry is just awful, a prop should scrummage first and he is a dreadful scrummager. I don't even think he's that good in the loose either tbh, not good enough to hide his scrum work anyway.

Well regardless we have a decent stable of props for next season. I think the difference will be turning some close defeats this season into wins next season.

Hopefully we can at least gain parity.

It's been a huge Achilles for us this year with so many points conceded. If not for the skills of Lawson, Hogg and Wilson getting the ball out so fast I think we'd have been in deeper trouble.

Very true Sgt.

Imagine what Wilson, Hogg etc can do with a bit of front foot ball from the set piece...

Things are looking promising with some sensible/shrewd signings!

Would hazard to say there looks to be a settled spine to any potential side next season.

Team for the Weekend?

Hammersley , Sinoti , Powell , Socino , Tuilagi , Catterick , Blair; Orlandi , Lawson , Brookes , Green , Barrow (Is he back yet???) , Wilson , Welch amd Hogg

Your not far off Driver. Maybe Furno might be in with a shout, he was playing very well....but I do like Green and Barrow in the engine room...some real power and grit in there.

Green seems to have dropped off a bit.

I'd go Brookes/Vickers for the front row and Furno in for Barrow.

Has Green been injured...

He's been on the bench for the last couple I think GF

He's done well since he came maybe just a little tired Dean just giving him a rest.

Deano on Welsh:

Richards said: “Jon is a hard, uncompromising guy.

“He plays on the right-hand side of the scrum, he has international experience and will be a guy who puts in 100% every time he plays."

So he's signed as a TH then?

So he's a TH.

Well we have competition there next season...Vea and Wilson will both be pushing to start also.

Just lacking a bit at LH....Harris will start but Fry and Vickers aren't great back up.

Ill re-emphasize my thought on Tiesi. He should be shuffled on as well. Does he have another season left on contract?

I think we have better options.
Socino, Powell, Penny, Andy T, Harris

Harris looks class every time i see him to be fair.

This season Harris looks like one of those players who just seems to create or find space.

Tiesi just looks like an average joe journeyman.

Jamie Hueller joins Whitley Bay Rockcliffe.

Well currently the squad for next season is looking like this (Borrowed from the unoffy)

(A) = Senior Academy players who train with the seniors and will be available for selection.

Scott Wilson prop 2016
Taione Vea 2017
Rob Vickers 2016
Eric Fry 2016
Ben Harris 2017
Jon Welsh 2017

George McGuigan Hooker 2016
Scott Lawson 2016
Rob Hawkins 2016
David Nelson (A)

Dominic Barrow lock 2016
Calum Green lock 2016
Josh Furno lock 2016
Glen Young (A)
Will Witty (A)
Sean Robinson (A)
Harry Snowdon (A)

Mark Wilson Back row 2017
Will Welch Back row 2017
Ally Hogg Back row 2017
Richard Mayhew Back row 2016
Uili Koloafai back row 2016
Ben Morris (A)
Dan Temm (A)
Brian Tuilagi (A)
Joe Craggs (A)
Callum Chick (A)

Ruki Tipuna Scrum Half 2016
Warren Fury scrum half 2016
Micky Young scrum half 2017
Tane Takulua scrum half 2016
Andrew Davies (A)
Dan Taylor (A)
Ruaridh Dawson (A)

Tom Catterick Fly Half 2017
Mike Delany Fly Half 2018
Craig Willis (A)
Brett Connon (A)

Juan Pablo Socino centre 2018
Gonzalo Tiesi Centre 2016
Andy Tuilagi centre 2016
Chris Harris centre 2017
Adam Powell centre 2017
Tom Penny 2017
Adam Redman centre (A)

Sinoti Sinoti Wing 2016
Alex Tuilagi wing 2016
Zach Kibirige 2016
Marcus Watson wing 2016
Sean Brown (A)
Dan Marshall (A)

Alex Tait Full Back 2017
Simon Hammersley full back 2016

Players out of contract in Summer:
Scott Macleod Lock 2015
Andy Saull back row 2015
Chris York back row 2015
Phil Godman Outside half 2015
Rory Clegg Outside Half 2015
Danny Barnes Centre 2015
Noah Cato Wing 2015
Lee Smith Wing 2015
Kane Thompson 2015

Driver wrote:Jamie Hueller joins Whitley Bay Rockcliffe.

Seriously ?

Its too late for April fools. As a Percy park man I think the rats have done a cracking deal there!

Tom Penny has been given a new 2 year contract. Think that's a good move. Lots of potential.

I notice on the unoffy they are saying Latu would be brought in for a replacement for Saull who it looks like is on his way?

I would prefer to keep Saull and give him more of a chance than he has had.

I wouldn't be overly disappointed if Saull went tbh, he'll be on decent money I imagine.

Latu would be good if he can still hack it. Physical and good at the breakdown is something we need in the backrow.