[Narbia]

Leavers ; the official comment

Hasta la vista amigos. Many thanks for your contributions, and sincere good luck for the future.

[Stevie J]

Leavers ; the official comment

Hasta la veusta amigos. Many thanks for your contributions, and sincere good luck for the future.

Not sure the last time I saw a leavers list with so little impact on a first choice 23. OHC obviously but I think we have plenty there. Simmons is a big loss given both his abilities and his availability. Just a rock and an inspired bit of business.

Poor Tom Parton. So many injuries but I’m sure he’ll do fine at Sarries, albeit I wonder if his role might be more backup than leading man. Gigena too has actually developed a lot with us into a valuable player, albeit one with a penchant for a yellow, but I liked his attitude.

Weirdly I do not think we ever announced Kyle Cooper as cover? But I saw him at the GTech at games and here he is announced as a leaver. Odd.

[MattM]

Agree with all of that Steve.

[LKR]

New academy signings: Rory Taylor(fly half), Ralph McEachran(prop), Finn Worley-Brady (back row), Toby Maddock (wing) and Charlie Moss (lock from the Midlands academy)

[M_W]

Moss and Maddock the interesting ones there.

Moss at lock is a regular for Scotland U18. Assume Maddock has been injured as he only featured in the first couple of academy league games last summer.

Surprised not to see Cam Ellis included

[Iron Lung]

Any more rumours on new signings. Usually we're done by now but I guess the proposed buyout has stalled things. We may be a bit behind in signing new players but given the lack of first teamers going we should cope.

Plus we've done well with mid-season signings recently.

[MattM]

Moss and Maddock the interesting ones there.

Moss at lock is a regular for Scotland U18. Assume Maddock has been injured as he only featured in the first couple of academy league games last summer.

Surprised not to see Cam Ellis included

I assume there will be a few more to come, whether because they turn 18 after the end of the season or just because the announcement is delayed.

[M_W]

Yeah, it will be interesting to see the official announcement when it comes. Although I'm assuming most announcements will be on hold pending the takeover now.

Either way we usually end up with an initial tranche and then a few extra later in the summer on the academy intake side (Makepeace-Cubitt and Kirkham last season for example)

[Stevie J]

As of 9th May 2023:
Confirmed Leavers - Isaac Curtis-Harris, Facundo Gigena, Ollie Hassell-Collins (Leicester), Isaac Miller, Hugh O'Sullivan, Tom Parton (Saracens), Rob Simmons (Clermont Auvergne), James Stokes, Mike Willemse, Giosuè Zilocchi (Bennetton) (All Senior).
Jamie Jack, Patrick Harrison, Kyle Cooper, Logan Trotter (All Short Term / Loans).
Louie Kirkham, Oran Murphy, Oliver Stirling (All Academy).

Confirmed Joiners So Far (incl midseason) – Coco Ruiz, Eddie Poolman, Tom Collins (All Senior); Ralph McEachran, Charlie Moss, Finn Worley-Brady, Rory Taylor, Toby Maddock (All Academy).


Props
Senior LH – Fischetti, Goodrick-Clarke, Haffar.
Senior TH – Hoskins, Chawatama, Parker, Green.
Academy – Fasogban, Summerfield (assuming Haffar will get a senior contract).
Outgoing – Gigena is leaving, rumours are for France. Giosue Zilliochi, we hardly knew you. Oran Murphy leaves the Academy.
Incoming – TBC.


Hookers
Senior – Creevy, Cornish, Ruiz.
Academy – Vajner, Scott.
Outgoing – Slightly surprisingly, Mike Willemse is leaving for parts unknown so far. Isaac Miller is leaving after a single season.
Incoming – Ruiz joined midway through the season as a permanent signing.


Locks
Senior – Coleman, Ratuniyarawa, Munga, Caulfield, Scragg.
Academy – Gleeson, Moss.
Outgoing – Simmons is leaving for Clermont.
Incoming – Charlie Moss is joining the Academy from the Midlands Academy, and is an U18 international for Scotland. Rumours previously of Fergus Lee-Warner (Bath) and Cameron Jordan (Gloucester).


Back Row
Senior – Rogerson, Basham, Donnell, Cooke, Pearson, Gonzalez, Moore-Aiono, Smart, Fa'aso'o, Cunningham-South, Atkins
Academy – Brooke, Worley-Brady. (Assuming Cunningham-South may get a senior contract this offseason.)
Outgoing – Curtis Harris is leaving, after failing to get much gametime. Stirling and Kirkham are leaving the Academy after one year.
Incoming – Finn Worley-Brady joins the Academy after captaining he U18s to their Premiership Academy title.


Scrum-Half
Senior – White, Powell, Englefield.
Academy – Allan.
Outgoing – Hugh O’Sullivan leaving is slightly surprising given the runs of games he had towards the end of the season.
Incoming – TBC.


Fly-Half
Senior – Jackson, Jennings, Atkins.
Academy – Bradbury, Taylor.
Outgoing – None.
Incoming – Rory Taylor joins the Senior Academy.


Centres
Senior – Janse Van Rensburg, Joseph, Morisi, Hitchcock, Poolman, Williams.
Academy – Walsh, Cross, Shortland.
Outgoing – Curis Rona left midseason to Mitsubishi Dynoboars.
Incoming – Eddie Poolman joined midseason from Sydney University.


Wings
Senior – Loader, Rowe, Cinti, Collins, Dykes.
Academy – Harmes, Maddock.
Outgoing – Ollie Hassell-Collins joins Leicester Tigers.
Incoming – Tom Collins joins from Northampton. Toby Maddock is joining the Senior Academy.


Full Back
Senior – Arundell.
Academy – Makepeace-Cubitt.
Outgoing – Tom Parton leaves for Saracens. James Stokes leaves for parts unknown. Logan Trotter is also not staying.
Incoming – TBC. Have been linked several times with Anthony Watson (Leicester).

[M_W]

I guess we have to assume that Vajner, Harmes and Brooke will all be on senior contracts next season as their 3 years in the academy are up along with Haffar.

Makepeace-Cubitt is more of a utility back than wing. Primarily full back, but also appeared at 10 and 13 for the U18s last season.

Squad building starts to get interesting with the increased EQP requirements that are approaching. Whether it ends up being Jordan or not, I expect we'll add an EQP player there to replace Simmons for example.

[GC89]

The squad looks decent to me. There are always going to be areas we would want to strengthen, but if we have to go into next season with the above group and then pick up a few extras post WC then that wouldn't be the end of the world given the recent upheaval. I think the big question marks for me are at hooker, where you have to assume Creevy will gradually fade and it isn't quite clear whether Cornish or Ruiz (who I have high hopes for) are ready and scrum-half where after White we look a bit average (I personally liked HoS so it's a shame to see him go).

[Iron Lung]

Centre is an area for reinforcement I'd say. BVR plays better at 12 but with his "body on the line" style of playing probably needs a bit of looking after, can't expect him to play every game. Rona is a miss for us, Joseph is a huge prospect but after that we fall away fairly quickly. No doubt the rest can do it for the odd game but I'm yet to see evidence that they could play 5-6 games in a row and be 7/8 out of 10 in each one. (I really hope Williams can prove me wrong and overcome his injury jinx)

I haven't included Jennings in the centres because we've been hugely lucky with Paddy's injury record. Can he really go another season with barely an injury? If not Jennings pops into the 10 slot.

[M_W]

Agree on BJVR at 12, despite the good results with him at 13. I just like the idea of still having a strike runner at 13. Williams is one of those players who looked like they had the raw ingredients to do okay. He was superb in that last Championship season, but the injuries have been crippling for him. Guessing he's in contract for next season or he may also have been released. Prem Cup (or whatever they call it) will probably be last chance saloon for him next year.

Joseph is a real talent, but seems similarly fragile, so wouldn't surprise me to see another centre come in.

Fundamentally though the squad is in a pretty good place though imo

[GC89]

Agreed on Joseph. He seems to be picking up quite a few injuries. I hope he can come through them and string some games together as BJVR-Joseph looks like it has a higher ceiling as a partnership than Jennings-BJVR. Someone on the other forum mentioned Proctor just before Collins was announced. I don't know if that was a misplaced guess or if that is actually on the cards, but he would be a perfect fit.

[M_W]

Yeah, saw that. Other than not being EQP, Proctor would definitely work. Leaving Saints with no destination announced anywhere that I can see, so could be something in it.

[Florida]

It was me, nothing in it apart from I think he'd be a good fit.

[Lazyboy346]

On the X player is free and would be a good fit, I see Glasgow have announced Simon Berghan is off. He'd be a good replacement for Zillochi, although we do have four tightheads already and only two looseheads (plus Haffar presumably stepping up as third).

[M_W]

James Lightfoot Brown off to Gloucester to be their attack coach. Would possibly have been in line to stand in for Brad Davis whilst he's away with the Wallabies if he'd stayed.

[GC89]

Big loss...although an academy coach in name, I think he worked very closely with the senior backs.

[SixNineOne]

Big loss...although an academy coach in name, I think he worked very closely with the senior backs.

Equally concerning is that he knows our academy lads very well and may start poaching them…

[Florida]

Here's a new rumour for you - Liam Marshall of Wigan Warriors

[GHA]

Here's a new rumour for you - Liam Marshall of Wigan Warriors

Bevan French first choice, Jai Field second

[M_W]

Here's a new rumour for you - Liam Marshall of Wigan Warriors

Yeah, saw that randomly on Twitter from a Wigan fan yesterday.

Something to talk about, but don't really see it. Cross code rarely works out and is usually more effort that it's worth.

I guess the ones that do work out tend to be outside backs like him, so there is that.

[Lazyboy346]

Do we need another winger though, especially a cross code one making the transition? Maybe if he is seen as a 13 but otherwise it'd be odd given numbers of players and positions.

[Florida]

While I agree cross code rarely works, I'd counter it with one club that might make the transition easier is us. We've got Kiss and Davis as the two main coaches, both from a league background and there's a real league feel to some of our attacking shape and plays.

As to do we need another winger. I don't think so, but according to the other board we do.

[Stevie J]

Here's a new rumour for you - Liam Marshall of Wigan Warriors

Sounds really random - for one thing he only late last year signed a fairly long term extension with Wigan. I'd file that one under "Ruck will use this - so probably will never happen".

[Florida]

It certainly is, but it beats dwelling on all the other carp in the papers at the moment

[Narbia]

London Irish scrum-half signs for Newcastle Falcons

Good to see him quickly sorted as he was playing at the standard of Ben White in the games before he (HO'S) left. Or did he choose to go?

[M_W]

Probably a good time for him to be released. He got a decent head start on some of the other squad players.

[Stevie J]

https://www.therugbypaper.co.uk/feature ... emiership/

We might never know but it seemed we were looking at Lions lock Pieter Jansen Van Vuuren.

[Stevie J]

Sad to see (i saw it on LinkedIn earlier) but Monty Bradbury has announced his retirement from rugby due to a knee injury sustained last May.

As @MattM pointed out to me earlier, thats a lot of young fly halves that wound up having to retire from Irish - TBC, Smerdon and now Bradbury.