[StalyShark]

Given we seem to have a decent crop of youngsters coming through I think we will see a few players depart this summer. Potential candidates are:

Nield - contract due up and given that we’ve got Ross, x2 Curry’s, x2 du Preez and the likes of Dugdale as flankers I doubt he’ll be retained.

Yarde - the injury and the emergence of the likes of Roebuck and Reed mean that I think his substantial (c.250k)wages will be used elsewhere.

Sturgess - seems to be not rated at all by the coaching staff and he’ll definitely be released.


Question asked is will we get anyone else in? I don’t think we will see a raft of new signings given the seismic changes of last summer. We’ve got our big players on long contracts so unless there’s someone very special on the market I doubt we’ll break the bank.

Thoughts of the rest of you?

[Olyy]

Is Evans out of contract?

If so I'd definitely keep him on - been very good this season, and Lood will be away with SA at points in the season.

[ale shark]

Yarde on £250k!!! Where have you got that from?

[StalyShark]

Yarde on £250k!!! Where have you got that from?

From the Independent when he signed for us. I doubt he’ll have taken a pay cut.

[StalyShark]

Is Evans out of contract?

If so I'd definitely keep him on - been very good this season, and Lood will be away with SA at points in the season.

He has definitely warranted an extension if he wants one so far this year. We’ve only got the following as out and out locks:

Lood
Beaumont
Phillips
Postlethwaite
Evans

So unless we’ve got someone like Birch who could warrant that 5th spot I can see Evans re-signing.

[Yareet]

Yarde on £250k!!! Where have you got that from?

From the Independent when he signed for us. I doubt he’ll have taken a pay cut.

Couple of points but I think he was on the England radar in 2014. He definitely wasn’t when he came to us.

He was fired and looking for a new job.

Both points would (I suspect) have lowered his asking price.

[Clutch]

Nield should leave. Best for him.

Sturgess is nowhere near the level required and he’s being Warr and Quirke.

Evans depends on if we are signing a replacement lock and need the money. If we don’t need the cash we should try and keep him.

Yarde is a difficult one. Looked a bit better Friday. Not sure Roebuck is ready. He’s a big lad at a u20 level but not in seniors and he doesn’t have great pace. Reed is promising but who knows what the injury has done to him. Yarde was our best player when he got injured. I think we need to give him another year to prove himself.

[StalyShark]

Not sure where Nield will end up as it’s so long since he played any meaningful rugby; championship at best sadly I’d say. He was arguably one of our best players in ‘16-‘17.

Sturgess doesn’t even play for FC so both the club and he have given up.

I can see us going for Kruis if he’s available on reasonable money. Be quite the partnership with Lood!

Marland is definitely playing for his career over the next few months; hope he pulls through as again the bad boy came good at Sale.

[hirdyshark]

Saw this on Twitter regarding LRZ signing a new contract at Glaws...



If this is true, should we be looking to get WGJ signed up to a new long-term contract before he potentially gets called up for the 6 nations?

[Clutch]

StalyShark!

Championship at best!! What an unjustifiably strange comment. You really think Nield would struggle at championship level.

I'd say he's a Prem squad player for a lower team. Worc/Irish.

[Elgar]

StalyShark!

Championship at best!! What an unjustifiably strange comment. You really think Nield would struggle at championship level.

I'd say he's a Prem squad player for a lower team. Worc/Irish.

I read Staly's comment as suggesting that Neild might have limited offers at the end of this year, not that he'd be unable to actually perform if given an opportunity. A comment on how little exposure Neild has had rather than on his ability.

A fair point in my opinion . I hope the best for him but wouldn't be surprised if that turned out to be a year in the Championship, or in Italy, to get regular game time and more recent exposure before trying to get recruited to the Prem again. Where he has indeed proven he belongs, but three seasons ago by the end of this one.

[Elgar]

Can't see why we wouldn't re-sign Evans unless we were signing someone at the level of Kruis or with as much promise as Kpoku.

Would think Yarde would be one we'd want to keep in the long-run given Ashton's and McGuigan's age profiles. Even though they both clearly look after themselves very well.

If he did join on the above quoted money, I think the club would have reasonable leverage for negotiating that down a bit on renewal.

[StalyShark]

StalyShark!

Championship at best!! What an unjustifiably strange comment. You really think Nield would struggle at championship level.

I'd say he's a Prem squad player for a lower team. Worc/Irish.

No I don’t think he’s a championship player just that he has not played any meaningful rugby in at least three seasons. The last being when he had that shocker at hooker against Falcons at home. He’s just been injured/out of favour constantly so his wares have not been on show for anyone to see sadly.

[Clutch]

That was 2 years ago. Fafs debut. He played after that. In fact there was a period when he was first choice. But Webber hit form and he got injured I think. So probably a year and a half ago. Don’t see why that means he can’t play for a lesser premiership side.

[StalyShark]

That was 2 years ago. Fafs debut. He played after that. In fact there was a period when he was first choice. But Webber hit form and he got injured I think. So probably a year and a half ago. Don’t see why that means he can’t play for a lesser premiership side.

Not saying he can’t just that the awareness of his talents has waned.

[Clutch]

That’s true.

[Thekeg]

To add to the discussion on Evans, we don’t know whether he’s had enough and is ready to retire. It was suggested he might last year and he then agreed a late one year extension. I suspect this might be his last year, going out on a high...

[Rich E]

Would it beyond the realms for Bryn to be integrated into the coaching team, assuming of course he doesn't want to retire back home? His appreciation of the line out is second to none for Sale in recent times.

[poyntonshark]

My own inference was that Bryn had been persuaded to sign for another year, the implication being (in my mind at least) that he was returning home. His undoubted worth to the squad and apparently renewed enthusiasm may persuade him to stay for another. I would certainly welcome it.

[Olyy]

Have heard Haley is leaving Munster (hence their chasing of Matt Gallagher).

Any room at the inn, you reckon?
Release Yarde, Ashton back to wing, Haley to fullback?

Though I suppose he is a non-EQP player these days

[Thekeg]

Have heard Haley is leaving Munster (hence their chasing of Matt Gallagher).

Any room at the inn, you reckon?
Release Yarde, Ashton back to wing, Haley to fullback?

Though I suppose he is a non-EQP player these days

I’d definitely have him back, I still don’t think we’ve really replaced him properly, not hugely impressed by hammersley so far

[poyntonshark]

If it were straight swap for Hamersley, or indeed as a supplement, then probably would do it. Haley could add considerably to attack without giving away too much in defence. But, I wouldn't discard Yarde to take him back. It would be something of a gamble after the injury, but I think the risk-reward is higher with Marland.

[Elgar]

Perhaps he's eradicated this from his game at Munster but I used to find watching Haley terribly frustrating. I guess it was a concentration issue. I can't think of another player that was capable of producing the quality that he was at the same time as making so many frequent basic, basic errors.

I'd still be keen on him coming back if we was still an EQP but I think he'd be a step down compared to the non-EQPs we've signed in the last couple of years. And I can't find any material faults in Luke James as a 15 at present.



(Would take back Addison without question).

[ale shark]

How many players have left us in the last 10-15 years to supposedly improve their international selection and have it pay off? Ben Foden is the only one I can’t think of who has more than about 5 caps since leaving and that was a positional thing. Wigglesworth maybe, Burrell?

Miller no, Gaskell no, Taylor no, Thomas no, Haley no, Addison no, Fearns no. Any more?

Have more done the reverse? WGJ, Byron, Cipriani, Faf, JO’C. Admittedly some of those are a bit tenuous but still….

[Olyy]

Charlie got a few caps after leaving, so did Wiggy.
Burrell's whole international career came at Saints.

Not sure if any of those specifically mentioned international honours as a reason for leaving, though.

Think Addison is too early to call, as well - he's been involved with the Ireland set up whenever he's been fit, it's just that he rarely is.

[eBike]

Addison's in the Ireland 6N squad

[Elgar]

I can see Addison going on to get a reasonable number of Ireland caps. If, fingers crossed for him, he can stay fit.

[Flumpty]

(Would take back Addison without question).

& I'd buy him some longer studs for his boots. I always enjoyed watching him play.