What's Going On at Wasps?

There's been a host of high-level players quitting Wasps in the past year which brings me to the conclusion that all is not well behind the scenes.

Since the end of last season the following higher-level players have quit:

Danny Cipriani
Jake Cooper-Woolley
Nathan Hughes
Christian Wade
Joe Simpson
Elliott Daly
Will Stuart (whilst not a top player yet, he clearly has a lot of potential)
Willie Le Roux

Wade was clearly unhappy and had become disillusioned with the game so headed off Stateside. Whilst you could, I guess, make excuses for all their reasons for going, the very fact that so many good players are leaving points to a potential issue with management for me. Daly was very clear that it was nothing to do with the training facilities not being completed. This makes me think it could be exactly that. it's also rumoured however that he's taken a pay cut to go to Sarries. But there must be other reasons - clashes of personalities? Good old plain dislike of those in charge?

It seems to me that if this continues, Wasps will hardly have any top players left if they're not careful, not ideal for any title hopes in the future. As a fan it's sad to see. What's going on????

Wasps opted not to retain Cipriani and Haskell last summer and sign the younger Kiwis Sapaonga and Shields.

This summer the exodus looks less a calculated plan. Le Roux going to be replaced by Fekitoa and Simpson by Vellacot. Some of the others though... well Daly is a massive blow. It's one thing to be out bid come contract renewal time but when a star player who came through the a academy opts out a year early. Something isn't going well.

Did youngs the flanker leave in the summer...or is he due to go to Tigers this summer?

Thomas Young? Can't see him leaving.

The one in the Welsh team? Son of dai? He's still there I believe.

Long time lurker, and Wasps fan here.

GeordieFalcon wrote:Did youngs the flanker leave in the summer...or is he due to go to Tigers this summer?

I think you're thinking of Guy Thompson, who went to Tigers last Summer - and has looked good for them when I've seen him play this season. Out of all the departures, I think his was most the case of mis-management. There was no reason to let him go, and you could put the case Wasps have been a lot more successful that Tigers recently.

I think that what we're seeing is the result of a few factors.

The relocation from London to Wasps: I think this is one of the main reasons around Daly's departure. He came up through the academy at Wasps when they were in London, is a London lad, and has friends and family in London. Wasps were apparently prepared more to keep him than Sarries were offering, but it wasn't enough to ameliorate his desire to move back to London. The lure of winning things might also have helped!

Financial & salary cap constraints: Hughes wanted more money. Wasps weren't prepared to pay it, with him being on England duty or injured (and then being rushed back by England, getting injured again...), or banned due to being stupid (that tweet..). His contribution to the Wasps season wasn't enough to justify his increased demand, and off he went. To the best of my knowledge, Jake C-W and Will Stuart also went because Sale waved more pound notes at them than Wasps would. Hask comes under the same heading of £££.

International duties: Cips was umming and ahhhing about putting pen to paper: one eye on the euros in France, and one eye on Eddie's plans for the England side. He was taking so long to make his mind up that Dai signed Sopoaga, and made Cips mind up for him. Turned out Eddie wanted him involved (although doesn't now?) so he stayed in the Prem - which could have been at Wasps. Slightly different for WLR, in that when Wasps signed him he was out of the international picture and was expected to play all season for Wasps. Unfortunately, or fortunately - depending on your point of view - his form was such that he got recalled and was away frequently, which became a source of friction (see Hughes, above). While Wasps worked with the SARFU it wasn't ideal, and WLR wants off.

The recruitment looks reasonable so far: Fekitoa looks class and will hopefully bring the best out of Sopoaga (something we haven't seen this season, for sure). The props recruited from NZ and Exeter should be at least as good, if not more so, than those moving to Manchester. Vellacott for Simpson? We'll take that. We need one, or preferably two, top quality back three players to replace Wade and WLR. I know we were linked with Naholo, but he's LI bound, it seems. I think the departures should leave enough cap space to recruit sufficiently - if the right players can be identified.

We'll also have some long-term injured returning in Gopperth, Willis (J), Reider (and probably others I forget right now), and some top academy prospects coming through too (Willis. T.) - Coventry based ones who won't hanker after "the old days in London".

I don't think the future's necessarily black, just might take a little while to get black and gold again!

(Sorry, turned into an essay!)

Nice summary. It doesn't look so bad and seems very understandable when you set it put like that. Thinks it's the amount of big names leaving.so.close together that immediately makes.you think.somethigns going on here. The Simpson news was a biggie butt then as you say vellacott coming in you'd say wasps got the better end of the deal.

The amount of changes though is likely to impact the consistency and being able to hit the ground running next year. Board will need to be patient.

Anything more to the Launchbury to sale.rumour especially with rettalick deal not going through/being true?

No 7&1/2 wrote:
Anything more to the Launchbury to sale.rumour especially with rettalick deal not going through/being true?

Wasps and Launch issued a statement saying he was staying at Wasps. Apparently I can't link it because I'm too new, but it's on the Wasps website dated 25th Jan.



Obviously, they would say that, wouldn't they... but Launch staying is a big boost in the current climate!

We do still have a lot of quality at Wasps, the likes of Thomas Young, Nizaam Carr, Juan De Jongh, Michele Campagnaro, Dan Robson, Sopoaga (he must come good at some point), Shields, Tommy Taylor etc. It's not all doom and gloom.

True.launchbury is a talisman there as well so important he stays.

Ah sorry yes I meant Thompson...