Newcastle Falcons - 2019 to 2020 Championship - Closed

First topic message reminder :

Manager: Dean Richards
Head Coach: Dave Walder
Forwards Coach: Micky Ward
Defence Coach: Nick Easter
Attack Coach: Dave Walder
Lineout Coach: Scott Macleod
Skills Coach: Mark Laycock

Current Squad:
Forwards
Props:
LH - Sam Lockwood, Adam Brocklebank, Trevor Davison,
Conrad Cade (Senior Academy), Phil Brantingham (Senior Academy)
TH - Rodney Ah You, Logo Mulipola, Mark Tampin, Mike Daniels,
Oscar Caudle  TH(Senior Academy & Tynedale)

Hookers: Kyle Cooper, George McGuigan, Jamie Blamire, Charlie Maddison

Second Rows: Sean Robinson, Darren Barry, Toby Salmon, Greg Peterson,
Will Montgomery (Senior Academy), Freddie Lockwood (Senior Academy), Bailey Ransom (Senior Academy)

Back Row:
6&7's: Mark Wilson, Will Welch, Gary Graham, Jon Hardie,
Guy Graham (Senior Academy), Rob Farrar (Senior Academy), Josh Basham (Senior Academy), Harry Hill (Senior Academy),
8: Philip van der Walt, Nemani Negusa, Calum Chick,
Tom Marshall (Senior Academy), Charlie Richards (Senior Academy & Tynedale)

Backs
SH's: Micky Young, Sam Stuart
Callum Pascoe (Senior Academy & Tynedale), Cameron Nordi Kelemeti (Senior Academy), James Elliott (Senior Academy)

Fh's: Joel Hodgson, Toby Flood, Brett Connon, Tim Swiel, Joel Matavesi
Will Haydon Wood (Senior Academy & Tynedale)

Centres: Matias Orlandi, Gareth Owen, Ben Stevenson, George Wacokecoke,
Charlie Wilson (Senior Academy - At Durham UNi)), Chidera Obonna (Senior Academy)

Wing: Sinoti Sinoti , Adam Radwan, Cooper Vuna
Morgan Passman (Senior Academy),

FB's: Alex Tait, Tom Arscott,

Players unconfirmed:
Seb De Chaves - Only has a one year deal
Jon Welsh - Injuries mean he hasnt played for nearly 2 years.
Connor Collett - has he signed permanently for Doncaster

Sgt_Pooly wrote:I think it's too early to tell GF.

I'd be happy if we got rid of some of the big earners for next season and then invest when we come back up tbh.

I could see the back of: logo, Welsh, Cooper, Hardie, Ngusa, Mavinga, Flood, Young, Matevisi, Goneva etc.

I agree mostly with that list mate...i know Logo is definately staying though.

Logo - is staying,
Welsh - Totally injury prone Scot. We have Logo, AH You, Could sign another championship prop and have an England U20 TH in our academy
Cooper - Miserable form as opposed to last season but if McGuigan does go as i expect, we will only have Socnio and Blamire
Hardie - Get shot immediately! We have loads cracking back rowers coming through
Nagusa - See Hardie
Mavinga - Yup pack him off back to France
Flood - I would like to see him go...but i suspect he may be kept for the championship season...i hope not!
Young - We have 3 England age group SH's. All look classy prospects. Get rid of Young
Matevisi - Has zero running threat at 12. Him and Flood are so predictable
Cavubati - Get him straight off the payroll.
Goneva - Out of contract anyway, cant see it being renewed.

I see Radwan to Quins is doing the rounds....

Well we're gone .

Not sure if I'll bother renewing my season ticket.

Wilson confirmed to sale for a season on loan.

Apparently Hammersley has signed a permanent deal elsewhere for two years. Over rated. Dont come back.

Dean needs to seriously assess his own performance let alone the players!!!!

Pascoe and Obonna are both promising 9 and 13 respectively could do well at Championship level coming off U18's.
I know Gareth Owen was linked to you guys not sure how that is coming along.


Falcons could do with pinching some either younger players who are project signings or some older experienced players just for the championship.
Looking at the positions lacking potentially.

Ehize Ehizode - Young lock leaving Bristol
Kiearan Myall - leaving Wasps
Would be good pick up for the lock positions.
Jack Lam could help in the back row.
Waters the Quins 9.
James Wilson and Ken Pisi would do a job in back coverage.
Mason Tonks would be an interesing pick up.

According to twitter Falcons are getting a number of Sharks players on loan.

Looking at Sale squad guess
Dolly (England U20 Hooker)
Nott (England U20 Lock/Back rower)
Wilkinson (England U20 10)
Odogwu (England U20 Wing)
Would be potentials.

I dont want us to be Sales feeder club, they can keep them.

Guess it is more depth rather than feeder.

Basically Falcons would get free players pretty much.
Instead of having to sign as many players on 1 year deals.

We've got our own academy Welly, I dont want us to develop another sides future stars. What kind of message does this put out to our lads?

I'd be very unhappy if this is true.

Sgt_Pooly wrote:We've got our own academy Welly, I dont want us to develop another sides future stars. What kind of message does this put out to our lads?

I'd be very unhappy if this is true.

True.
I understand what you are saying.

I don't 100% know who in your senior development side are promising I know the academy a couple years ago and a down turn of class.
I know you don't really have many front rowers coming up though.

Taking in loan signings wouldn't really makes sense unless they were really prioritising costs

It really doesn't help you build a squad for a premiership return. Much better off working with the existing squad and academy, supplemented with some value signings. Some of LI's best performers this season were guys they bought in either in the summer or half way through the season (Stephenson, Tuisui, Veitokani, Ioane, Rogerson, Keatley etc)

Yeah I agree Sgt...why on earth develop other teams academy players when we have some quality young players of our own to develop.

What sort of player is Tom Marshall guys?

I see he has been selected for Scotland for this summers U20 WC.

Is he a prospect?

Hes a number 8 mate

But similar in stature to Wilson , Welch etc. So about 6'1 16/17 stone. Real potential. He will get games next season for us.

I see Hammersley is off on a 2 year deal but the destination has not be revealed.

Mavinga confirmed to Stade Francais.

Thanks GF

Hopefully he will compliment our U20 back row. He sounds like a big solid lad, just what we need!

Yeah we seem have a conveyor belt of back rows at the moment.
I

Squad is updated in OP with current leaves and arrivals (added, deleted)

Commiserations for the results over the weekend. At least you'll get to see you walk the league next season.

Do you know the frsutrating thing 7.5

The A team is loaded with young pacy, creative adventurous players and they play with a cavalier go for it attitude ball in hand, and like a brick wall in defence.

Why then does the 1st team play with such dour, shackled, predictable instructions.

I dont think we should be playing a team of kids next season as the championship is a grizzled tough league but i firmly expect to see Dean trying to develop many of them and play with a style that gets fans off their seats as the A team have this season.
Whilst i would rather not be getting relegated we have an opprtunity to really move our style on and bring in match winners.

If they dont and continue on with the tripe we've been forced to watch then i will consider my season ticket next the season after.

A bit of an odd one. When Newcastle.play best for me is when they play that looser quick style. I asked a question earlier in the season around the seemingly reluctance of Dean to start Kibirige as it just seemed odd. Did the threat of telegation paint his thoughts?

I think it massively paints his thoughts. But ironically its the playing safe wh8ich has got him relegated.

Kibirge played a few games near the end of the season and scored a boat load of tries.

Radwan last night was up against Exeters Short...and had him in his pocket. He showed up brilliantly last season , in his breakthrough year, and yet this season i dont think he's actually played a premiership game.

Its like Dean just doesnt trust youth unless they are absolutely ready in his eyes. Which i dont buy into masively.

I can understand it to an extent but a few of these closer to 50 50 for me should always go the way of the younger player especially if they've been brought through the system so should know the ethos of the club etc.

Our style has always suffered when there is something on the line. Last season we got a fair number of wins on the board early and because of this, we started to play with more freedom. We get to the playoff semi and we fall back in to this conservative style of play.

This season, we start off by playing this conservative game again and the wins just don't come. Because of this, we never get away from the threat of relegation and this style continues.

The only time we've cut loose and played with freedom was the the earlier round in Europe. The rest of the season it's been pretty tough viewing.

I do think Joel Hodgson has a lot to do with too, he really adds to our attacking game.

The fixture list did not help you.

By the time Europe started you had hosted Last years Top 3. While putting on decent performances all three were lost. Securing one win on the road to Wuss, Tigers and Sale was not appalling, but left you rooted to teh bottom of the table.

Last season you hosted Sarries as well but also the two worst teams that year. Winning two home games followed by two away wins both by a single point gave you a buffer. Small margins but it then meant Deano could target games. I seem to remember some selections that indicated he had conceded some matches. Falcons were the first team to make the Top 4 with a negative points difference. They also conceded more tries than they scored.

i think one of the issues which has not been focused on is the lack of attacking threat from 10 and 12 this season.

Toby Flood is stationery, whilst Matavesi has shown barely any attacking threat ball in hand.
This means the defences can organise easily...and is why we've played so much side to side tosh.

Jp Socino was quality because he was a threat at breaking the line when he was with us. Williams is a threat at breaking the line, yet has been benched for Matavesi.
When you have that threat at 12 (or 10 which Connon and Hodgson offer) then it causes Defences to hestiate.

You need players to break the line at speed with support players going hell for leather beside them.
This has barely happened this season.

Yet the A team have played this way all season.

A new signing being announced tomorrow and 2 new signings next week.

Gareth Owen, Welsh Centre from Leicester announced on a 2 year deal.

Apparently another injury prone 30 year old.

GeordieFalcon wrote:Gareth Owen, Welsh Centre from Leicester announced on a 2 year deal.

Apparently another injury prone 30 year old.

At least he can run. Cannot pass, tackle or kick though.

Its pathetic LT.

Dom Waldouck was better than this and he was so past it, its unreal.

LondonTiger wrote:

GeordieFalcon wrote:Gareth Owen, Welsh Centre from Leicester announced on a 2 year deal.

Apparently another injury prone 30 year old.

At least he can run. Cannot pass, tackle or kick though.

In his first season his defence was good and he liked an offload. After another injury he came back this season as a liability. Championship level player.

Well hopefuly its just support for the likes of Penny, Stevenson and Charlie Wilson to be blooded.

Maybe we will be keeping Matavesi Snr and Jnr.

Harris to Gloucester for a season loan might have substance then.

Such an odd signing, I just don't get it.

Cheap, and with Goneva leaving maintains the ex-tigers quota.

Theres talk of Goneva being given a contract extentions LT

Sgt_Pooly wrote:Such an odd signing, I just don't get it.

Agree Sgt.

He'll be cheap, but is there no other centre in the world that we could look at. Hell, a Fijian unknown from the Islands or something...a bulldozer.

Is there no local lads playing at Blaydon etc that can perform a better job than this guy.

Why cant we scout players well.

GeordieFalcon wrote:Gareth Owen, Welsh Centre from Leicester announced on a 2 year deal.

Apparently another injury prone 30 year old.

If I was you I'd hope he stays injured - the bloke is a total liability in defence

GeordieFalcon wrote:Theres talk of Goneva being given a contract extentions LT

 
On reduced wages I assume.

Accepting that Hammersley is off, I would quite like to see Josh Hodge get a run at full back. He is a young lad, but a year in the Championship learning his trade should be good for him to start as a relatively experienced 20/21 year old when (if!) we bounce back next year.

From the suggestions above, I wouldn't mind seeing what Ehizode could do for us. I reckon he is a rough diamond, big guy too. We definitely need somebody, because we are losing practically all of our second rowers!

Hopefully we can keep most of our promising young players and form a spine out of young(ish) local lads.

If Flood is for the knackers yard we are going to need a new 10. I don't trust Brett Connon/ Joel Hodgson to improve us.

i think we need a nice mix of experience and youth marra, as the Championship can still be a physical unforgiving league. They'll love nothing better than clattering a few lightweight England U20 players.

Fh is definately a concern. Flood will play this season but is so past it, Swiel isnt good enough, Connon is a work in progress and Hodgson is an impact player off the bench.

We have lots of kids coming through in the backs

Hodge - Flying young Full back. England U20
Charlie Wilson - Centre, pacy and creative
Radwan - Winger (why he hasnt played this season ill never know)
Kibirige - Must be a guarenteed starter
Obanna - A big unit with skills at 13
Joel Matavesi - a 12 built like his brother.
Kelemeti / Pascoe / Elliott - 3 England age group 9's
Haydon Wood - England U20 FH
Tom Penny - Can he recover from a double ACL
Wakeocoke - A lean fijian centre (could he be a FH??)
Stevenson - A tall pacy outside back
Passman - 19 yo much bigger powerful winger who as scored tries for fun with Blaydon.

Forwards:
Uzokwe must get gametime
Collett is a non stop tackling 7
Montgommery is a real talented lock
We even have a couple of England U17/18 props coming through.
Josh basham - the very talented back rower
Blamire - A hugely talented hooker who has been a revelation playing at flanker recently.
Forar - A much bigger unit at 6. Strong and potentially the beast we are looking for.
Marshall - Another young 8/7/6 coming through like Calum Chick.

Mix all those with some of the old heads like Welch, Cooper, Robinson etc and surely we can put out a strong side and can change the tactics to be a real entertaining yet physical team.

Lock Toby Salmon signed from Exeter...

Wow...inspiring.

Well you did Ulster a favour by taking Ah You off our pay role - so you have form in doing other teams a good turn

Ironically, Ah You has looked very good in his few appearances.

At last a good signing in Salmon, can get behind that one.

Ah You has been fantastic Geoff. He's helped transform a poor scrum and has carried/hit like a monster, very happy with him.

Funny Sgt, an Exeter fan has just said that Salmon has barely played for Exeter, but should do a job in the championship.

Well i just hope that the coaching team can get the best out of them, do the job in the championship then rebuild properly.

So final game...

No sinoti, Goneva, Wilson, Hammersley etc...that backline should have had a run out this season!!

Falcons v Bristol

15 Alex Tait
14 Zach Kibirige
13 Chris Harris
12 Johnny Williams
11 Adam Radwan
10 Joel Hodgson
9 Michael Young (captain)

1 Sam Lockwood
2 George McGuigan
3 Logovi’i Mulipola
4 Calum Green
5 Sean Robinson
6 Callum Chick
7 Gary Graham
8 Nemani Nagusa

Replacements
16 Santiago Socino
17 Trevor Davison
18 David Wilson
19 Evan Olmstead
20 Jamie Blamire
21 Sam Stuart
22 Toby Flood
23 Josh Matavesi

Surely the likes of Cavubati etc are leaving...what a waste of money...

Well Gary Graham confirmed to be staying. That's some good news even if he hasn't hit the heights of last season.

Well swathes of Falcons fans now demanding the sacking of Dean and the coaches.

Season tickets not being renewed.

To be fair that performance today was as bad as I've ever seen.

Heads do have to roll or massive changes have to be made.

One concern is that Dean's standard response to every interview was slightly changed In that he said he wanted players who wanted to be here...

Sgt

I see it's still not allowed to criticise the Falcons on the unoffy.

I've been told I'm a whinger and need to crawl back under my rock...

Radwan confirmed staying next season...well that's good.