Silly Season Transfer Rumours 16/17

First topic message reminder :

Nit before the Lions tour. Don't think any of the All Black internationals will end their career pre tour.

Robinson wasn't a 15.

Burke is good by Falcons standards.............
Lewsey was solid.

Murphy = god like.

Welly wrote: Robinson wasn't a 15.

Burke is good by Falcons standards.............
Lewsey was solid.

Murphy = god like.

Haha....yea yea.

I doubt Murphy is rated anywhere near these standards outside of Leciester. The other players are world class, Murphy never reached these standards. I think youre confusing Leicester greats with actual world class players Welly.

Lewsey "solid"???? Robinson not a FB???? Burke was streets ahead of Murphy you crazy bugger!

Murphy was a very good 15, the same level but definitely not a higher level than some of the other names mentioned. Robinson was a 15 for his Club, certainly in later years! And Piutau may only have played 1 season at 15 but there's no way Murphy can be rated as "miles ahead" of his play in the AP!

Sgt_Pooly wrote:

Welly wrote: Robinson wasn't a 15.

Burke is good by Falcons standards.............
Lewsey was solid.

Murphy = god like.

Haha....yea yea.

I doubt Murphy is rated anywhere near these standards outside of Leciester. The other players are world class, Murphy never reached these standards. I think youre confusing Leicester greats with actual world class players Welly.

Lewsey "solid"???? Robinson not a FB???? Burke was streets ahead of Murphy you crazy bugger!

Trouble is everyone outside of Leicester has no standards.

Piutau don't count he was a one season wonder at prem level nothing else.....

Harry Thacker ---> Worcester been talked about as done deal by the worcester twitter lot.

Welly wrote: Harry Thacker ---> Worcester been talked about as done deal by the worcester twitter lot.

I've heard that. If he goes that's a phenomenal waste of talent on our part. There's few players as explosive in the AP as Thacker. Worcester have a big pack but no hooker who can reliably throw in at the lineout so Thacker will be perfect for them. Give them some real dynamism.

Ruskin leaving will be a huge hole for them.

trouble is Thacker a top Hooker, does he have potential to be one?

Mears played for England. If Thacker keeps working on his scrummaging I don't see why not, his lineout work is pretty good and his loose game is miles ahead of most hookers. Unless Wuss have convinced him to move to openside...

Nears played for England and it don't work out well did it.
He is some way behind the Taylor's and George and Cowan Dickie.

Welly wrote:Nears played for England and it don't work out well did it.
He is some way behind the Taylor's and George and Cowan Dickie.

Some way behind George (best hooker in the AP for me) but the other two have flaws with their games. He can reach their level if he can get past Youngs and get some consistent starting game time. Given the relative form of our hookers and the new expansive style likely to be preferred by Mauger that could be the case by the end of the season.

Welly wrote:  Ruskin leaving will be a huge hole for them.

trouble is Thacker a top Hooker, does he have potential to be one?

We should be playing him at openside, O'Connor at 8.

Thacker would rotate well with Evans depending on game plan. They have complementary skill sets that are both useful in a 7 with both excellent in the tackle, work rate and as link men but Evans stronger over the ball and Thacker stronger ball in hand.

The coaches seeming to have an issue with the concept of Harry playing 7 but still throwing in doesn't help either. Given his stature he won't be a strong scrummager (unless feeds go in straight and hookers have to hook again), he is usually excellent at the line-out though.

If Tigers lose him I'll be very upset because I fully expect he will go onto be a success elsewhere with game time, similar to how Lewington has progressed.

yappysnap wrote:Haha

You a little upset there Geordie?

Tbh signing players isn't the be all and end all. You have to make it work too, which a lot of clubs struggle with.

Aye, had a schoolboy tantrum after the game on Friday...

Just gutted as with a bit more efficiency on the try line we could have won that game. Just hope we don't lose Watson...hes a top winger.

Mentioned elsewhere, but whispers of Booth back to Irish if we go back up. Unclear in what capacity.

Will Booth be bringing his Irish players with him along with some promising academy lads?
Imagine
Garvey
Watson
Joesph
Homer
Returning
Along with Zach Mercer, Ellis, Hastings and Ewels.

Talk about dream stuff.

If Thacker does go from Tigers that's a bad statement! Tigers were famed for bringing through their academy with a mix of top quality foreigners.

It seems recently they have moved away from this...and too many talented young academy players are being let go.

Thacker is a quality young player who just needs to establish himself. Personally I think that's in the back row.

GeordieFalcon wrote:If Thacker does go from Tigers that's a bad statement! Tigers were famed for bringing through their academy with a mix of top quality foreigners.

It seems recently they have moved away from this...and too many talented young academy players are being let go.

Thacker is a quality young player who just needs to establish himself. Personally I think that's in the back row.  

The last couple of seasons we've managed to stem the flow a bit (since getting rid of Matt O'Connor) and actually play some of our young talent. It would be a shame to lose a player as explosive as Harry. 

I'd still like to see us think outside the box and put Harry in the backrow with Bateman at hooker. Bateman can also play prop so you'd have a pretty beefed up front row for scrum and all three front row ready to push at the lineout with Harry throwing in (Bateman struggles to hit the broad side of a barn). Could be a little tactical ploy that'd give us something extra in attack.

Well sounds like O'Conner is prob returning.

Welly wrote: Will Booth be bringing his Irish players with him along with some promising academy lads?
Imagine
Garvey
Watson
Joesph
Homer
Returning
Along with Zach Mercer, Ellis, Hastings and Ewels.

Talk about dream stuff.

Although this would be incredibly karmic, I can't see it happening! They've all signed onto long term deals - Ford is the only first team player to not have done (yet)

Welly wrote: Well sounds like O'Conner is prob returning.

Absolutely dreadful if that's the case. That's not one step back that's running backwards into the past. We'll see no youngsters and a steady stream of average SH players instead.

Your not seeing many youngsters now Sam....they're all shipped out before they're given much of a chance...

GeordieFalcon wrote:Your not seeing many youngsters now Sam....they're all shipped out before they're given much of a chance...

We've seen some come in. Wells and May (can't spell his name) in the second row. Evans has come through in the backrow, White has seen some game time as a 16/17 year old scrum half, Thacker x 2 have seen game time and Worth has come in an played a string of games at fullback. Problem is we lost a generation, with Steele,  Lewington,  Twelvetrees, Ford etc all moving on for various reasons.

Thacker is an odd one really. He's a real talented player but just needs to nail a position I can't beleive he's been left at hooker for so long tbh, he's clearly too small. I agree with Sam that he could be a handy backrow player.

Sgt_Pooly wrote:Thacker is an odd one really. He's a real talented player but just needs to nail a position I can't beleive he's been left at hooker for so long tbh, he's clearly too small. I agree with Sam that he could be a handy backrow player.

He'd be a good hooker if refs forced scrum half's to put the ball in straight. I've seen him nick a couple against the head with a quick strike. He's never going to be a beast like LCD or George though those boys are prop sized and there's only so much Thacker frame to add muscle too.

DTH van der Merwe to Newcastle Falcons next season according to Fissler

Excellent signing for Falcons that. Surely it spells either Sinoti or Marcus Watson heading elsewhere though.

Owen Williams to Gloucs is sounding more and more like a done deal.

Adam Ashley Cooper to London Irish being mooted.

king_carlos wrote:Excellent signing for Falcons that. Surely it spells either Sinoti or Marcus Watson heading elsewhere though.

Owen Williams to Gloucs is sounding more and more like a done deal.

Pretty happy with that really, he's a very solid performer. Hopefully we won't lose Watson, he's improved so much this season.

Interesting.

Well Sinoti has had some serious injuries...but it would suggest to me that Watson is on his way!

Alternatively...can he play centre? That's our Achilles heel at the moment.

SirBurger wrote:Adam Ashley Cooper to London Irish being mooted.

Yeh hamilton mentioned something last night.
Wouldn't hold your breath though.

IF Irish can pull off Hamilton, Du Plessis, Pienaar and AAC they will be looking quite good for next year. Just have to make sure they get back in the AP first.

Welly wrote:

SirBurger wrote:Adam Ashley Cooper to London Irish being mooted.

Yeh hamilton mentioned something last night.
Wouldn't hold your breath though.

Not happening.  I have from a good source that AAC will not be playing for us next season.

The Glaws CEO said last night we will be announcing signings next week. It is likely this will be Owen Williams and Fraser Balmain, but Val Rapava Ruskin may be confirmed too.

We're definitely looking at a new lock and Grant Gilchrist and Graham Kitchener are the 2 names being mentioned. This is being driven as Jeremy Thrush appears to be off to France.

We'll know in a few weeks if Altrad's takeover of Glaws is approved, in which case you can add Cruden and Etzebeth to that list

Kitchener isn't going last I heard prob Gilchrist.

Welly wrote: Kitchener isn't going last I heard prob Gilchrist.

That's a shame for us. I've always been a big fan of Kitch and was gutted when we lost out to you signing him from Wuss in the first place.

HongKongCherry wrote:

Welly wrote: Kitchener isn't going last I heard prob Gilchrist.

That's a shame for us. I've always been a big fan of Kitch and was gutted when we lost out to you signing him from Wuss in the first place.

And you can keep your grubby mits off Witty, Olmstead, Green and Robinson aswell!

GeordieFalcon wrote:

HongKongCherry wrote:

Welly wrote: Kitchener isn't going last I heard prob Gilchrist.

That's a shame for us. I've always been a big fan of Kitch and was gutted when we lost out to you signing him from Wuss in the first place.

And you can keep your grubby mits off Witty, Olmstead, Green and Robinson aswell!

Don't worry Geordie, we're not after Tigers' academy players

Sione Kalamafoni ---> Tigers

A quick Wiki search shows he's only 28. Thought he was well into his 30s. Could be a decent acquisition.

We need more ball carriers throughout the pack and squad and this will help.

He's a big unit with a good work rate. Is he ever fit though? We've had him on trial previously (before he joined Glaws) so the club should know about him.

formerly known as Sam wrote:He's a big unit with a good work rate. Is he ever fit though? We've had him on trial previously (before he joined Glaws) so the club should know about him.

Think this is the first season in the AP where he hasn't played 20+ games.

So that would suggest that yes he is............

Welly wrote:

formerly known as Sam wrote:He's a big unit with a good work rate. Is he ever fit though? We've had him on trial previously (before he joined Glaws) so the club should know about him.

Think this is the first season in the AP where he hasn't played 20+ games.

So that would suggest that yes he is............

Sign him up.

Posted on here speculation that Pienaer could go to Sale.
Was told they don't need him because of Stringer, Phillips and a youngsters who has hardly played.

Well Stringer has an ACL at 39 so sadly is finished and Phillips is playing like a total drain and is probably the worst 9 in the Aviva.

Basically Sale need a 9 desperately - not saying it is Pienaer but they need someone

Coming to London Irish isn't he

Increasingly so. The Stringer injury looks to be far more serious than initially thought, there's rumours he's going to retire on the back of it. Phillips form has fallen off a cliff and Sale really need to give Mitchell game time at 9. They've gone from a position of strength to badly needing some recruitment.

According to the Glaws forum Kalamafoni is a done deal to Tigers.

He'll be a big loss to us, but my understanding is that we're having a drive to increase our EQP numbers and with the likes of Lewis Ludlow coming through the ranks coupled with the arrival of Fearns and the form of Moriarty we chose not to renew. He has been a work horse of the pack for several years, although frustrating since his 1st season he's been used in a different manner. In his 1st year, his carrying was immense and he'd smash through the gain line and anyone in the way! Since then he's been used more in a defensive capacity and or has been given the ball when the momentum has ceased to gain a few yards, but as he was static little ground is made. This is not a negative on his ability, more a reflection on Glaws' (inept) style of play. We've also been guilty of over-playing him and outside of his current injury he has had remarkably few injuries.

My only criticism of him is that his scrummaging isn't as good as it should be; he doesn't support the prop when at 6, or control the ball at the base well enough when at 8. however, if there is any team that can sort that out Tigers will be the one. Nevertheless, he's been one of my favourite Glaws players and I'm sure he'l be an excellent signing.

Yes, my memory of Kalamafoni's first year is that he was an absolute wrecking ball, but in recent seasons that seemed to have pretty much stopped. Interesting that it is more down to the style of play. On the over-playing front, I worry that we have done the very same thing with our wrecking ball, Treviranus. A reinforcement to back him up is our transfer priority this summer (at least in the fans' mind).

SirBurger wrote:Yes, my memory of Kalamafoni's first year is that he was an absolute wrecking ball, but in recent seasons that seemed to have pretty much stopped. Interesting that it is more down to the style of play. On the over-playing front, I worry that we have done the very same thing with our wrecking ball, Treviranus. A reinforcement to back him up is our transfer priority this summer (at least in the fans' mind).

Wasn't he Glaws player player of the season last year and coaches player of the season.

Tigers need another wrecking ball though to help with the pressure
Back row of
6) Williams
7) Evans (would rather play him than BOC who is alright just Evans has more potential).
8) Number 8 (honestly hope we wheel out of someone like Mafi the Japan number 8.

20) Kalamafoni


End of the day Tigers are desperate for someone who can run at bricks walls and not get marched back rows so hopefully this starts to address that.

I'd like to see us release Fitzgerald and then move Williams to more a second row that can cover six. Would give us Williams, Slater, Barrow and Kitch as the first team second rows which is a bit more physical. 

Then have backrow of;

6. McCaffery, BOC
7. Thacker, Evans
8. Kalamafoni, Hamilton

If BOC goes as well then I'd have Hamilton as more of a 6 with another 8 targeted as well. We'd still have Croft kicking about on a minimal salary as well (he took a serious pay cut to stay last time).