Leicester Tigers Thread 2015/16 A New Beginning Part 1

[Welly]

First topic message reminder :


2015/16 Senior Squad ATM:
Coaches: Cockerill (DOR), Mauger (HC), Hansen (Defence + Skills Coach), Blaze (Ass. Forwards), Murphy (Ass. Backs)
1/3) Ayerza, Balmain, Brugnara, Cole, Mulipola, Pasquali, Rizzo
2) Youngs, Ghiraldini, Bateman, Thacker
4/5) De Chaves, Fitzgerald, Kitchener, Slater
6/7/8) Crane, Croft, Fonua, McCaffrey, O'Connor, Pearce, Williams
9) Harrison, Kitto, Youngs
10) Burns, Williams
12/13) Bai, Loamanu, Roberts, Smith, Tuilagi
11/14) Benjamin, Betham, Camacho, Goneva, Thompstone,
15) Bell, Morris, Tait

2015/16 Development Squad: Oliver Byrant, Jake Farnworth, George Tresidder,  Will Owen

2015/16
Greg Bateman (Exeter)
Mike Williams (Warriors)
Mike Fitzgerald (Chiefs)
Opeti Fonua (Welsh)
Brendon O'Connor (Blues)
Peter Betham (NSW Waratahs)
Lachlan McCaffrey (London Welsh)
Jono Kitto (Bay of Plenty + Cheifs Development Squad)

Transfers Out 2014/15:
Paul Burke (N/A)
Phil Blake (N/A)
Neil McCarthy (Glous)
Tom Price (Scarlets)
Geoff Parling (Exeter)
Neil Briggs (Sale)
Julien Salvi (Exeter)
Pohe (USC)
Brad Thorn (Retirement)
Peterson (Glasgow)
Hamilton (Coventry)
Bristow (Wasps)
R.Williams (?)
Whetton
Hepetema (BoP)
Allen (Retirement)

[formerly known as Sam]

Pretty sure Maori is the NZ second team with the requirement for Maori ancestry dropped now.

[nathan]

I know this is the rugby forum, but get in!!!

[Notch]

I know this is the rugby forum, but get in!!!

Most popular Premier League champions ever. Haven't heard a bad word about them from anybody!

[formerly known as Sam]

Selby wins the snooker as well.

The local basketball team is the best in the country, the Tigers have booked their 12th consecutive play off and the cricket club have actually won a game.

Fantastic stuff. Dreamland really. Be interesting to see how much of the city is still standing when I go to work tomorrow.

[LordDowlais]

Looking for a Leicester rugby guru here. Can anybody confirm that Welsh back rower Luke Hamilton is signing for your club from Agen this summer ? He has been playing well out in France and he has been having some rave reviews. Leicester's gain is Wales's loss I suppose.

[WELL-PAST-IT]

Selby wins the snooker as well.

The local basketball team is the best in the country, the Tigers have booked their 12th consecutive play off and the cricket club have actually won a game.

Fantastic stuff. Dreamland really. Be interesting to see how much of the city is still standing when I go to work tomorrow.

So the full weight of an unlikely treble rests securely on Tigers shoulders. If City were 5000/1, what would such a treble have been?

[formerly known as Sam]

LD the rumours are he's heading our way. Given we are going Aus style and playing a 7 at 8 when both open sides are fit he looks to be joining as squad filler. Hopefully he's mobile and physical and can offer us something different in back row options as we've played locks at 6 and sometimes lacked mobility round the park.

WPI the odds would have been very good on a quadruple (football, snooker, basketball and rugby).

[king_carlos]

Looking for a Leicester rugby guru here. Can anybody confirm that Welsh back rower Luke Hamilton is signing for your club from Agen this summer ? He has been playing well out in France and he has been having some rave reviews. Leicester's gain is Wales's loss I suppose.

It was reported in midi that he would be joining Tigers for next season. Others say that he has been offered a contract (without confirmation he's accepted) but nothing has been confirmed by either side.

[LondonTiger]

In the standard session with BBC Radio Leicester and other local media today, Cockers confirmed that the club have spoken to Hamilton and are looking for one more back rower for next season. He also confirmed that Sam Harrison has multiple facial fractures and will be out for the rest of the season.

[formerly known as Sam]

Feel sorry for Harrison he was having a good game and one slip on the wet turf has left him with a nasty injury.

I wouldn't be surprised if Hamilton's agent is fishing for a better deal. Being able to credibly link the Tigers to his client won't hurt his negotiating stance.

[Welly]

Comment about a big clear out of academy players (Guessing the senior ones) on Tigers fan page (Facebook)

[king_carlos]

Do they specify any in particular Welly?

It's a big academy squad this year so it wouldn't be surprising.

Levi Davis - Bath rugby
Harry Simmons - Is very highly rated so won't be going anywhere
Jacob Umaga - Apparently leaving for pastures new
Ben White - promotion to development squad
Alex Worth - promotion to development squad
Sam Yawayawa - promotion to development squad

Those are the bigger names from the squad who jump out at me.

Tom Hardwick also impressed in the A-league game against Worcs he started at FB - a goal kicker too which is always useful.

Lewis Winterbottom and Matt Riddington have bench appearances to their name for the A-team but along with the list above that's it for A-team appearances from the big academy squad.

A few from the development squad who are unlikely to progress further as the squads currently stand would be better served by lower league contracts to continue their development at this stage as well.

[Welly]

Nah but suspect it is mainly the older players to make way for the U18 players.

Prob I don't the 20 years olds etc.

[Welly]

Tresidder to Titans.
Will Owen to Titans

[king_carlos]

If we were in a position cap wise (and with players out of contract) to sign a decent number 8 then I'd have happily have kept Will Owen as a blindside behind Williams and Croft with Locky covering the whole back row.

It looks like a new starting 8 isn't going to happen so Cockers and Mauger are instead favouring 2 opensides and a big tackling blindside in the back row, hence the Hamilton rumours. It's a back row balance which has worked well this season but I do worry that it won't hold up against the best teams - most of whom have outstanding number 8s - in the biggest games.

Hopefully Owen will head back after a season or two in the Championship a better player and still play an important role for Tigers. I do fear that he could be another who we lament letting go though.

Tressider is a player I've always liked but is a victim of stiff competition. The 3 first team scrum halves are all quality players and White/Simmons in the academy are excellent prospects. I hope he does well with Rotherham and eventually gets a Prem contract as he's certainly talented enough to.

[Welly]

Think I might of gotten the wrong Will Owen now.

[king_carlos]

Looking around online the 'Rotherham Rugby News' twitter page is reporting that Tressider will be announced tomorrow amongst 22 signings for them for next season. Given the links with the club I'd guess that a couple of the 'academy clear out' might be heading there too.

Where did you hear the Will Owen rumour Welly? If Hamilton comes in I could absolutely see Owen leaving, not that I want to see it happen.

[Welly]

Nah I saw Will Owen Rotherham but it is a different Will Owen.

[king_carlos]

Glad to hear that. I still hope that he'll stay on. If we are looking at two opensides as our go to back row balance then he's certainly a useful player to keep in the squad.

6.Williams, Croft, Hamilton
7.BOC, Evans, Owen
8.Locky, BOC, Fonau, Milne/Grant

If Crane goes and Hamilton signs then our back row stocks would potentially look like that. Not perfect but the 2 openside plan has worked this year, having Mike Williams back makes a huge difference to our balance as well.

I still think we need a stronger option at 8 to challenge the best sides but finding one, tempting them and fitting it in the cap is easier said than done I do admit.

[formerly known as Sam]

To find a big, mobile 8 with great hands and ability at the breakdown would cost a fortune. I think we've made bigger packs look ponderous when both 7s have played. Trying to fight fire with fire and field a big back row has not gone well for us and we've been overpowered. We only looked like scoring against Racing once we introduced Croft to give some more pace to the back row. If we'd have had both sevens available we'd have won that game.

[Welly]

Odogwu apprently off.

[formerly known as Sam]

That's a shame though slightly unsurprising considering how bright a talent he looked, someone was bound to offer him game time. Any news on who? If it's a Billy style move to the Championship for a year that wouldn't be a bad thing, if it was another AP side that would be a loss.

[formerly known as Sam]

Bryant and Brugnara on the bench for Doncaster for their second round play off game with Yorkshire.

[Welly]

That's a shame though slightly unsurprising considering how bright a talent he looked, someone was bound to offer him game time. Any news on who? If it's a Billy style move to the Championship for a year that wouldn't be a bad thing, if it was another AP side that would be a loss.

We Released him by the sounds of it rather than him leaving.

From what is being said on Facebook at least.

Only 3 players being kept from the development squad according to it.

Evans
Worth
Bryant (?)

[formerly known as Sam]

Be am unusual move to dispense of both the props given Hills and Hogan both look to have bright futures. Unless they are academy players and not yet in the development transitional squad. Evans is only 18 so he might count as academy as opposed to development.

Be a shame to write off so many of the development squad so quickly. They are an excellent way for adding depth to he squad and some of those guys could develop into first team starting options. Unless we're being very clever and releasing them to lower league clubs but retaining first option clauses like we did with 36.

[king_carlos]

Hills and Hogan are both development squad.

As are Maksymiw, Beckett, Charlie Thacker, Will Owen, George Nairn and Jake Farnworth. Fred Tuilagi jnr and Stone Priestley-Nangle as well.

I guess that some might be getting added to the senior squad, others could perhaps be going to championship clubs for a full season. If that number of them are just being let go it will be surprising and very frustrating though. There's a lot of talent in the current development squad.

[LondonTiger]

Shocking start for us, appalling midfield defence.

[Welly]

That was soooo lax

[Welly]

Genge is a beast

[LondonTiger]

Genge will be a treasure. Wave after wave of attack by us, but just poor composure close to the line.

[Welly]

Imagine Genge and Logo coming on together with 20mins to go

[king_carlos]

Genge should definitely have leapfrogged Balmain as joing Logo on the bench for the semi on current performance.

[LondonTiger]

On current form should be Genge and Balmain

[Welly]

Evans is some prospect

[Welly]

Genge has some step on him for a big guy.

Good try for Balmain

[LondonTiger]

Nice body position by Balmain for that try

[LondonTiger]

Do we have Genge for next season?

[king_carlos]

Logo has looked good for short bursts I've thought. His fitness just simply hasn't been up to more due to his knee. Hopefully this short break will have helped that though.

Evans is a brilliant player to watch. He's just everywhere.

[LondonTiger]

What is it with us and restarts?

[Welly]

Do we have Genge for next season?

Well according to some the wheel are his sponsor next season so yes hopefully

[king_carlos]

Do we have Genge for next season?

Nothing confirmed but Andy Robinson hasn't asked for him back for the play-offs and rumoured he isn't interested in working with Genge again due to off field issues.

Plus I read somewhere that Genge already has a sponsor for next season in Leicester which bodes well...

[LondonTiger]

Silly from Croft to play that once on ground, however pretty sure he woul dhave had it while standing if Bath not holding on.

Maxwell-Keys being bossed by both skippers.

[Welly]

Good try.

Crane isn't flashy but he is solid

[LondonTiger]

Crane doing a damned fine impression of his best atm.

[Welly]

Crane doing a damned fine impression of his best atm.

Crane always does better later in the season.

[LondonTiger]

Holy f, Ellis Genge is just..........

[Welly]

I know he is like Logo but mobile

[king_carlos]

It's a long time since we've seen a Crane turnover

[formerly known as Sam]

I've got radio coverage and it sounds like we're all over Bath. Evans sounds like he's everywhere and the two props are getting stuck in with the carrying. We quite simply have to keep Genge.

Ben Youngs playing himself back into form at the perfect time. Good to see the boys doing their thing and giving the coaches a headache ahead of next weeks selection.

[LondonTiger]

Fantastic comeback bty Bath.

Cannot say what I think about the penalty against Genge - which should have been reversed in any case following Garveys punch to the head.

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