[Bucks1861]

DDP has been wonderful for us (like his brothers), however this season he’s been almost invisible thru injury.

Sad way to finish.

Always thought he’d go. Nevertheless - respect for all you always gave.

[SSR]

Good luck to DDP in his future playing career.
I think he has been a bit sub par for us for a while.
Canakaivata is a totally different player so a lot riding on his success, but hopefully
he will provide a POD to our play from the back of the scrum.
Interesting times ahead.

[FarnhamShark]

So the nationality is mildly interesting, but irrelevant.

[poyntonshark]

[Dave L]

Nicky Smith absolutely dismantled Furlong in the scrum when he came on last night for Wales v Ireland. Got right under his skin and won penalties.

Tomas Francis started. He held the scrum up well, made his tackles and was generally effective.

Very good depth for next season. I’d feel confident on rotating our props for starts.

[Olyy]

Francis has been far better than I expected this series - he looks to have slimmed down quite a lot since his move to France

[RinTin]

https://www.salesharks.com/2026/03/09/h ... ve-sharks/

Harper off at the end of the season - Newcastle the rumour.

Glad it looks like he has found another club as I feel his race with us was very much run.

[Olyy]

Yeah, wish him well wherever it is he ends up (as above, likely Newcastle)

Showed so much promise as a youngster but then a series of bad injuries really hampered that development - be interesting to see if a change of environment helps to kickstart his career, as 25 is still very young for a tighthead


Edit: Confirmed by Redbudgies
https://www.newcastleredbulls.com/en/ar ... r-signs-up

[Olyy]

Saracens have officially announced Barbeary, so based off of today I imagine we announce DDP is leaving tomorrow morning and Bath announce him arriving in the afternoon

[SSR]

The England performances have thoroughly depressed me. I am hoping for
some good news on the transfer front to cheer me up. Surely there must be some rumours
on Raffi's replacement ? Looks like the Daly rumour is a bust. Nothing more on the Lavanini
rumour. The Currys are looking dubious for next season. I think it is a bit fanciful to think
our youngsters (those left) are going to storm through next year to rescue us.
We are still short of top of the tree players to boost the squad. I think it is going to be
much the same next year as this, OK with a fully fit squad, a struggle without.

[RinTin]

Midi Olympic saying Lavanini to us a done deal.

I'd say both Curry's should be fine next season if they have rest of this season and a summer off. We have a proper 8 coming in and front row looks good to go. Loz, Marchant and the Fijian lad are good backline additions with us retaining our best talent there too.

Scrum half is the only area of concern for me. The man I would love to get is Charlie Bemand from Leicester Tigers. He's never going to be first choice there due to JVP and is currently 3rd choice behind Whiteley as well. Looks a real talent and is one we can give opportunity to.

[SSR]

I don't know much about the next-in-lines at other clubs, but looking at the quality of the
scrum halves in the French leagues, there must be some that are blocked by the top flight ?
We have our own 3rd in line but we need an experienced scrummy to fill the gap surely?
Similarly, elsewhere in the Rugby world that might want the PREM experience ( if it is
worth having at the moment). As you imply, I can't see us improving with our current
resources at scrummie, sadly.

[FarnhamShark]

I think that Gibson-Park will be moving on next season. If so I imagine there'll be a long queue for him, but I'd like to think we can push the boat out financially for him.

[RinTin]

https://www.salesharks.com/2026/03/10/s ... n-dlamini/

I know nothing at all about this lad, but hell is he a unit. Captaining the Griquas at 24 is impressive.

T/H stocks - Asher, Francis, Dlamini and Raymont. That'll do it.

[DavenportSharky]

https://www.reddit.com/r/rugbyunion/com ... e_line_to/

[SSR]

Full name Cebolenkosi Dlamini
Born 29 November 2001 (age 24)
Eshowe, South Africa
Height 176 cm (5 ft 9 in)
Weight 120 kg (265 lb)

Now he is my kind of guy !

[Olyy]

Rarely go wrong with a big lump of South African prop

Looking forward to seeing him play

[SSR]

I am copying this from V2 forum. The poster "Doctor_Grey" is a medic that works as an ER doctor and with the NFL in US. He is also an ardent fan and rugby poster.

Curry is a different animal. From the medical side I hope he decides to hang up his boots for good. I see the all too common traits of a player who can play at a high level, almost by muscle memory, but he is increasingly sloppy and is having more up and down games. To me these are signs he is approachinng the STOP sign. I think in ten years he will be struggling with normal life. If he continues to play, I hope only from the bench and has training limitations which limit the impact on his body. We all know about his femoroacetabular impingement surgery. The results were terrific, with help from stem cells, but will always be weaker.

I think we probably all know this in our hearts. I hope that the club does only use him off
the bench next Season, but it is going to leave a big hole to fill.

[poyntonshark]

Dr_Grey -

We all know about his femoroacetabular impingement surgery.

I was thinking exactly the same this only this morning.


I'm guessing that having Tom accept this situation would be much more difficult than having the club act according to it. Don't think he is likely to contemplate a slow down until after next RWC.

[AndaleManito]

Dr_Grey -

We all know about his femoroacetabular impingement surgery.

I was thinking exactly the same this only this morning.


I'm guessing that having Tom accept this situation would be much more difficult than having the club act according to it. Don't think he is likely to contemplate a slow down until after next RWC.

Yeah...

Too me it seems relatively obvious that the punishment that the Currys put themselves through is something that the human body isn't built for. They play an unbelievably physical game, putting their bodies into vulnerable positions. They obiovusly have a very high pain tolerance. These, combined with their clearly fanatical dedication to their musculature and cardio makes them simply too fit, strong, and brave for their own frames. They also burst onto the top-level scene at a very young age for their position, and have a huge amount of high intensity minutes under their belts.

Joints, bones, and the brain can only take so much punishment.

Armchair analysis and perhaps hyperbole on my parts, but I recall Warburton, who is of a similar sort, saying that he was having to struggle walking up their stairs when he was 28, and retired at 29. Will be much harder for them to accept the reality of the situation though, I can appreciate they give their all to the sport.

[ejndavid95]

I am copying this from V2 forum. The poster "Doctor_Grey" is a medic that works as an ER doctor and with the NFL in US. He is also an ardent fan and rugby poster.

Curry is a different animal. From the medical side I hope he decides to hang up his boots for good. I see the all too common traits of a player who can play at a high level, almost by muscle memory, but he is increasingly sloppy and is having more up and down games. To me these are signs he is approachinng the STOP sign. I think in ten years he will be struggling with normal life. If he continues to play, I hope only from the bench and has training limitations which limit the impact on his body. We all know about his femoroacetabular impingement surgery. The results were terrific, with help from stem cells, but will always be weaker.

I think we probably all know this in our hearts. I hope that the club does only use him off
the bench next Season, but it is going to leave a big hole to fill.

Couldn't disagree with any of that...think TC in particular probably goes until 30 before it's too much. He will however need some considerate management, the like of which he hasn't got from the England setup in particular.

[JohnJ of HM]

I remember saying after Tom's first Lions' tour that there was a danger of him burning himself out by the time he was 26. He played almost every minute of the tests on that tour.

Sadly it is no surprise.

[Surbiton_Shark]

I agree (sadly) with a lot of the other posters comments on the Curry twins.

The days of both of them being available and on the pitch at the same time for Sale seems minimal. Tom barely gets through one game without incurring another injury....Ben seems to get through a few more but then comes a cropper.

Not only is it a real shame as both players make a huge difference, Ben especially. It also provides Sale with a big problem, to be quite blunt about it......we're paying decent coin and not getting much in return - in these days of wage caps - for me - it's real concern.....hate to say it...but can't escape the fact

[SSR]

Puff piece on Lavanini on RugbyPass
https://www.rugbypass.com/news/tomas-la ... per-rugby/
No mention of any impending move to Sale, but some mention of his kids settling in at
current club.

[RinTin]

Puff piece on Lavanini on RugbyPass
https://www.rugbypass.com/news/tomas-la ... per-rugby/
No mention of any impending move to Sale, but some mention of his kids settling in at
current club.

Hmmm the kids thing makes me doubt he'll come across the world. I had no idea about them.

If he leaves his family behind will we have another homesick big name who just disappears?

[SSR]

My thoughts exactly.

[FarnhamShark]

According to Fissler (!) Kane Douglas is leaving La Rochelle. At not far off 37 he's hardly a long-term option, but as a mentor for Burrow and Hogg he could be valuable.

[ledzepsfr]

Just says that his kids are picking up English well, complementing the Spanish and French that they already speak. I don't see that as any kind of hinderance to a move to the Prem.

[SSR]

The implication is that they have just moved his family to a new home and they are settling in.
Lavanini is nearing retirement age and it is not unknown for families to be a bit of a problem
when moving across the world.

[RinTin]

Just says that his kids are picking up English well, complementing the Spanish and French that they already speak. I don't see that as any kind of hinderance to a move to the Prem.

My point was that he has kids, something I didn't realise. Of course that impacts an aging players decision on clubs to play for. If Pampas in Arg offer something I'd imagine it would look very tempting.

[JohnJ of HM]

TNT commenters were saying today that Tshiunza may be headed this way.

[SSR]

I would hope we can set our sights higher than Tshiunza.

[RinTin]

I would hope we can set our sights higher than Tshiunza.

We tried, no one wants us.....

[SSR]

Was going to mention Dillane Ultane being let go by La Rochelle but I just read that Munster
are interested in him, so I expect we were outbid on that possibility. A big gnarly powerful
Irish second row would have been nice.

[Olyy]

Yeah if we're going non-EQP then i would've hoped we'd aim a bit higher

[RinTin]

https://www.rugbypass.com/news/christ-t ... ug-of-war/

Confirmed - welcome Christ.

Article also says: "The Sharks have already confirmed eight new signings for next season, including Welsh international loosehead Nicky Smith, who is moving from Leicester Tigers, Puma enforcer Tomas Lavanini, and England centre Joe Marchant."

So we have confirmed Lavanini??

[SSR]

I thought we were beyond signing players with poor injury records. It has not worked out well
in the past.

[Olyy]

DDP confirmed as leaving:
https://www.salesharks.com/2026/03/16/s ... ve-sharks/

[SSR]

All rugby transfer page this morning.
https://all.rugby/transfers/sale
No mention of Tshiunza but Lavanini in the IN column ( and has been for a while ).
The glaring omission is a replacement for Raffi.

[RinTin]

All rugby transfer page this morning.
https://all.rugby/transfers/sale
No mention of Tshiunza but Lavanini in the IN column ( and has been for a while ).
The glaring omission is a replacement for Raffi.

Give the guy a break - Tshiunza has literally only just been confirmed in a news article, not even Sale. All Rugby can only do so much!

[Olyy]

https://www.rugbypass.com/news/christ-t ... ug-of-war/

Confirmed - welcome Christ.

Article also says: "The Sharks have already confirmed eight new signings for next season, including Welsh international loosehead Nicky Smith, who is moving from Leicester Tigers, Puma enforcer Tomas Lavanini, and England centre Joe Marchant."

So we have confirmed Lavanini??

“He is out of contract at the end of this season with us, and we haven’t re-signed him. The tough one with Christ, really, I don’t mind saying, our EQP numbers are quite tight.

So are ours!

Off the top of my head:
SiMac (presumably) --> Nicky Smith (+1)
WGJ (presumably) --> Francis (==)
Harper --> Dlamini (+1)
Andrews (presumably) --> Lavanini (==)
Tshiunza --> new addition (+1)
Canakaivata --> DDP (==)
Lozowski --> RdP (-1)
Marchant --> New addition
Loganimasi --> new addition (+1)

be interesting to see what our first choice 23 will end up being considering how non-EQP heavy the pack will be

[SSR]

I really don't see the context for Tshiunza signing. Looking at the backrow depth, if we expect
the Curries to keep playing, then we have a lot of younger depth waiting to come through.
If we are expecting the worst about Tom C, then signing a possibly broken flanker does
not make a lot of sense ? Are we signing him as a cover for 8 ?

[RinTin]

Oh he's 100% in as a hybrid covering 4-7. He can play lock effectively. Andrews will now leave so locks are Bamber, Lavanini, Burrow, Tshiunza/ E VR and Hogg coming through.

He or EVR will focus on second row, the other back row. He's an athetlic carrier and a good lineout forward too.

EQP players in the 15 you'd have 1-3, 4 (Bamber), 1 Curry in the back row and all backs save for SH. Bench is very non EQP heavy though....

[Yareet]

DDP confirmed as leaving:
https://www.salesharks.com/2026/03/16/s ... ve-sharks/

The 30-year-old fans’ favourite joined his twin brother Jean-Luc and younger brother Rob

Isn’t Rob the eldest?

[SSR]

Yep, Iffy strikes again.

[Bucks1861]

Some good news if realised

Fissler

“ Sale Sharks have won their tug-of-war with Cardiff to sign Exeter Chiefs’ Wales international openside Christ Tshiunza when his deal with the Devon club ends later this year.

Cardiff, who had Tshiunza, 24, in their academy before he moved to the University of Exeter, had been confident of taking him back to the Welsh capital until the Sharks hijacked their move.

Tshiunza, born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo but educated at Whitchurch High School in Cardiff, returned to the Chiefs side for Sunday’s humiliating 66-14 PREM Cup Final thrashing at the hands of Leicester Tigers.

The 23-minute cameo was just his fourth appearance in a season marred by a recurring foot problem and was his first since coming off at half-time in the draw at Northampton Saints in the opening game of the PREM season in September.

The Sharks have already confirmed seven new signings for next season, including Welsh international loosehead Nicky Smith, who is moving from Leicester Tigers, and England centre Joe Marchant.

Tshiunza, who last played for Wales in the defeat to South Africa in November 2024, had been earmarked by Cardiff to replace Ben Donnell, who is heading to United Rugby Championship rivals Ulster next season.

[Olyy]

DDP now confirmed by Bath

[RinTin]

All the clips of DDP used by the Bath social media team are from at least 2-3 years ago. I'm at peace with this.

Went down a real rabbit hole last night on BBC - The Dan leaving article had a link to when he and JL joined, then that article from 2019 had a link to another 2019 article about Coenie joining. Coenie's article had a link to the 2019 annoucement that we nabbed Lood De Jager. There's also a link to the 2019 Akker signing.

Hell we took some big names back in the day. December 2018 Faf signed a contract extension as well, Jono joined for 18/19 season, as did RJVR. God what a time to be a Sale fan.

[Olyy]

Confirmation on the offy that Obi Ene is leaving,

I know it's been discussed before, but I'm disappointed at that/how little game time he's had - he looked promising when dropped in last minute in whichever Champions Cup game it was

[RinTin]

Personally I think he has more potential than Wills. Another Shark off to Red Bulls.