[The Back Row]

The BS merchant Neil Fissler is reporting this morning that Raffi is to sign for NRB for next season.

Can't blame him given he is the antithesis of our style, but a real shame for a player who could have been a generational talent at Sale had things worked out differently.

[Alex]

This is already being discussed in the Thoughts on Next Season & Transfer Rumour Thread

Yareet @ Thoughts on Next Season & Transfer Rumour Thread

[Olyy]

Confirmation of his departure on the offy:
https://www.salesharks.com/2026/01/13/q ... ve-sharks/
Imagine the Redbull's announcement will be in the morning


Very sad to see him leave

[Evo]

Sad, good luck to him....

[Yareet]

Confirmation of his departure on the offy:
https://www.salesharks.com/2026/01/13/q ... ve-sharks/
Imagine the Redbull's announcement will be in the morning


Very sad to see him leave

Although heavily flagged, this one hits hard

[Shark in Exile]

Sad to see Raffi go but good luck to him for the future.

[SSR]

I really hoped he would end up being our Austin Healey, ie someone we kept on the
pitch in whatever role. Too valuable to lose. Gutted he is leaving, but best of luck to him
especially on their pitch.

[RinTin]

I can't put my finger on why he would do this really. Do we suspect Newcastle have really thrown that much more money at him?

He will be competing with the starting Arg s/h on an artificial pitch at a team who are promising a lot but are yet to deliver.

Surely we could have offered him an increase on his current contract to keep him if we wanted given our cash available?

Hopefully I still get a chance to cheer him on in the future as an England 9.

[Bronzbronx]

Perhaps a change in environment, as he mentioned been there since he was 15. If i was young and had a job that allowed it I would seek living in different cities for new experiences too.

[Olyy]

Do we suspect Newcastle have really thrown that much more money at him?

Yes,
Apparently Hodge is on over £250k there - which is crazy money for a bit of a glass cannon

[Yareet]

Do we suspect Newcastle have really thrown that much more money at him?

Yes,
Apparently Hodge is on over £250k there - which is crazy money for a bit of a glass cannon

Won't he also benefit from Academy credits?

[The Back Row]

The "Why" is simple. 31 Starts in 5 years.

Everyone will point to injuries, but he has been fit enough to sit on the bench for 49 games.

Players want to start - but he has been behind Faf (Understandable), then gained ENgkland recognition, and is now the clear number two behind Guss Warr. No disrespect to Gus, but that is based on tactics around box kicking - at which Warr excels.

Players dont want to sit on the bench, no matter what fancy name you give our 'Finishers' - they want to start.

[Olyy]

He's not the clear number 2 behind Warr, though - when he's been fully fit he's been the starter

Like, if he's 2nd choice why did he start the playoffs last year?
If he's so untrusted by the coaching staff why are they moving him to the wing when a winger gets injured just to keep him on the pitch?

[Yareet]

The "Why" is simple. 31 Starts in 5 years.

Everyone will point to injuries, but he has been fit enough to sit on the bench for 49 games.

Players want to start - but he has been behind Faf (Understandable), then gained ENgkland recognition, and is now the clear number two behind Guss Warr. No disrespect to Gus, but that is based on tactics around box kicking - at which Warr excels.

Players dont want to sit on the bench, no matter what fancy name you give our 'Finishers' - they want to start.

We are in the enviable position of having two academy products on the same position who have each gained a handful of Tier 1 test caps. In an ideal world, we would mix and match between them depending on form, fitness and opposition. Neither should be given the shirt.

However, Raffi has been exceptionally injury prone.

I’d question (and have elsewhere) how many of his starts are consecutive. He’s shown that when fit, he is very much trusted and picked. Most recently, he started 3 on the spin against Clermont, Quins and Bristol and then got injured.

My perception is that the problem is he then breaks down and has to earn the shirt back again. Or are you suggesting he should come straight back in at 9 as soon as he’s fit?

[RinTin]

The "Why" is simple. 31 Starts in 5 years.

Everyone will point to injuries, but he has been fit enough to sit on the bench for 49 games.

Players want to start - but he has been behind Faf (Understandable), then gained ENgkland recognition, and is now the clear number two behind Guss Warr. No disrespect to Gus, but that is based on tactics around box kicking - at which Warr excels.

Players dont want to sit on the bench, no matter what fancy name you give our 'Finishers' - they want to start.

So he goes to a team where he will sit behind the first choice Argentina scrum half? Benitez Cruz is one of the best scrummies in the league so Raffi could, conceivably, be in for less minutes as a result of the move.

The injuries are the main reason for his lack of appearances. There is no other way to skin it.

It's money and prestige of the Red Bull connection. He is likely going to be sponsored by them and become one of their athletes. That's something we can't offer.

[dinogyro]

Or he realises he's a bit fragile and NRB offer a massive three-year deal which would see him set up financially for life?

[Flumpty]

Why is their a presumtion that it's all about money ?

After nealy 10 years in one place, plenty of people fancy a change of scene.

Plus (unless your lucky enough to work for yourself), folk can get fed up of their workmates/bosses and look for something different.

In the real world, as a percentage, how many people do you know who have been in the same job for 9 years or more.

[RinTin]

Why is their a presumtion that it's all about money ?

After nealy 10 years in one place, plenty of people fancy a change of scene.

Plus (unless your lucky enough to work for yourself), folk can get fed up of their workmates/bosses and look for something different.

In the real world, as a percentage, how many people do you know who have been in the same job for 9 years or more.

How many people have a job which could disappear next week due to financial pressure on employer or injury? Comparing the job as a rugby player to, say, an accountant is not correct. A top rugby career lasts 10 - 12 years if your lucky. That's a decade to cash in and save up.

I see the point though. To my mind it's mainly financial because NRB are bottom of the pile and won't even at the top table in Europe next year. Add in Raffi committing himself to 2 years with us (25-27) and it does start to look likely.

[ageinghoody]

The chance to live on the Northumbrian coast would be a huge consideration for me!