Rory Clegg

I think it's time for him to find a new club. He didn't get off the bench again on Friday and, whilst you can understand why Quins keep Evans on the pitch whenever they can, I think Clegg needs to be somewhere with more game-time where he can compete for the no.1 slot. Enough being 'mentored' (whatever that means).

LI, Wasps and Sale seem plausible options, with Sale perhaps the most interesting proposition. Then with Burns, Heathcote, Ford and Farrell getting fairly regular game-time at 10 next season England should be ok in that position going forwards.

Might be too early for Ford to take over from Flood but he should be getting a bit more action. A try off the bench yesterday should hopefully forward his case a bit.

I could see him going to Sale being a northern lad

He seems perfectly happy where he is, but if i'm going to complain about Tigers treatment of 36 then I should be against Clegg getting so little time.

He does seem like a bright prospect and I do actually wish he came off the bench more. Maybe if/when we hit form he'll be played a lot more. I trust O'Shea to get the best from him.

As to being mentored, i can guess he must learn a lot in training, but it doesn't mean diddly if he isn't actually playing...

Sale are going to be running short on fly halfs for next season what with McLeod heading to Cardiff (not sure if that's a done deal or just a rumour). Miller has been playing full back but prefers 10 so he could step up but they'd probably need to bring in somebody else as well.

Its tough on Clegg since he is a former Lancaster favourite but if you arent as good as an aging foriegn reject with a suspect knee then its not like hes going to beocme the English Dan Carter overnight even if he was in a team where he was keeping Billy Twelvetrees on the bench.

I would expect next season he will get increasing gametime, and Quins will have to manage their resources better with the playoffs pretty much garaunteed this year. Next seaosn maybe they wont make such a mes of qualifying for the knock out HC games too, again he will have to be used unless they are planning on running Evans into the ground.

Ford at Tigers ..has stuff to prove still. Tigers will be forced to sign another player who can cover 10 next season ( Clegg? ) with 36 going and Flood presumably continuing to be ruined by England.
Ford may or may not get the chance this year to prove he should be Floods first choice replacement. if he does get some starts and does show enough in those games then Tigers may look to save some cap and sign another Staunton level player as 3rd choice, if he doesnt Ford could find himself frozen out again next year as a bit part player with Tigers signing a more established player ( like Goppeforth) whod play ahead of him.

Theres certainly no shortage of potential England FHs who will be getting gametime around the league this seaosn and next. Its tough on some of these wonderkids ( including Farrell) that by being at a big club it means they may not be getting the starts in their first choice positions thatthose at lower clubs are.
It doesnt seem to bother Lancaster too much when picking Saxons players though. How many games has Micky Young played for Tigers this year for example? Making the jump to the senior side would be more difficult youd think though for players who arent club regulars.

gowales wrote:I could see him going to Sale being a northern lad

Or he could come back to Falcons please!

He could spend a year slumming it in the Championship with us, get his confidence and game awareness up to speed... and then somebody else can take him off our hands again!

I think Clegg is a perfect example of a young player getting starry eyes and moving too quickly (probably due to his agent).

He should have stayed at us and he would have been a first choice probably....getting loads of gametime...

He's not the only one mind...lots of youngsters rush to get away from us...only to gain spelks....someone needs to be taking these kids round the scruff of the neck and saying...IGNORE THE AGENTS...learn the game..

I agree, Clegg does need to move on. But I thought that he had just re-signed a long contract with Quins.
He's been mentored by Wilkinson, Flood, and Nick Evans. If all that exposure hasnt shown through by now then perhaps it wont!

In the recent games that hes played in he has been good 'ball in hand' but his kicking has been well off par.
Last season he was really showing promise and I thought that he might at last have been trhrowing off that 'Calamity Clegg' label - but that seems to have been sneaking back a bit.

There is a huge difference in the team confidence levels when Evans is starting vs when Clegg is there.

Get him to Gloucester.

Yes, then he can be mentored by the younger Freddie Burns.

People get a bit worked up over Rory. Is it really a shock that a flyhalf who's not Dan Carter isn't as good as Nick Evans, and therefore isn't getting as much game time as he might?

Leaving aside his place-kicking, which I hope is a blip, his running of the game against Exeter was as good as I've seen from him. He looked a bit out of sorts against Saints, but then so did most of the Quins players.

He will get game time in the LV, and potentially after that as Evans looks to have picked up a knock. He came to Quins knowing he would be second fiddle to Evans but with the expectation that he would be the long term replacement. None of that has changed.

GeordieFalcon wrote:I think Clegg is a perfect example of a young player getting starry eyes and moving too quickly (probably due to his agent).

He should have stayed at us and he would have been a first choice probably....getting loads of gametime...

He's not the only one mind...lots of youngsters rush to get away from us...only to gain spelks....someone needs to be taking these kids round the scruff of the neck and saying...IGNORE THE AGENTS...learn the game..

Was he first choice at Newcastle? Would he have been this season?

No he'd be sat behind another New Zealand reject. Speaking of which, will Gopperth be residency qualified if he stays in England another season?

No he'd be sat behind another New Zealand reject. Speaking of which, will Gopperth be residency qualified if he stays in England another season?

Was Gopperth at Falcons when Clegg left?

formerly known as Sam wrote:

No he'd be sat behind another New Zealand reject. Speaking of which, will Gopperth be residency qualified if he stays in England another season?

Was Gopperth at Falcons when Clegg left?

OK they might not have signed Gopperth isf theyd kept him Ill give you that, but theres no garuntee he wouldve been given the starting shirt on a regular basis. He certainly wouldnt have been the only "first team" fly half they had on the books. He'd only played 9 games for them ( including sub appearences) when he left, it wouldve been a leap to put him straight in as first choice the next season even for a dustbin team like the Falcons.

Anyway his moving on has left it open for another young English fly half to come through the Newcastle factory gates, which is presumably why they signed 2 New Zelanders.

From memory Clegg played well for a bit at Newcaslte but then May took the 10 shirt for most of the season.

Peter Seabiscuit Wheeler wrote:

formerly known as Sam wrote:

No he'd be sat behind another New Zealand reject. Speaking of which, will Gopperth be residency qualified if he stays in England another season?

Was Gopperth at Falcons when Clegg left?

OK they might not have signed Gopperth isf theyd kept him Ill give you that, but theres no garuntee he wouldve been given the starting shirt on a regular basis. He certainly wouldnt have been the only "first team" fly half they had on the books. He'd only played 9 games for them ( including sub appearences) when he left, it wouldve been a leap to put him straight in as first choice the next season even for a dustbin team like the Falcons.

Anyway his moving on has left it open for another young English fly half to come through the Newcastle factory gates, which is presumably why they signed 2 New Zelanders.

I think he and Miller would have shared the duties if they had both stayed until one proved to be the best...but this wasnt to be...

Oh and ask any Newcastle fan...we DONT WANT Gopperth there...he rubbish. We have Catterick and Joel Hodgson who should be playing...indeed Joel played against Lyon on the weekend and showed more creativity than Gopperth has shown for two seasons!

Newcastles problems have arose through a consession of attrocious managerial appointments. When we finally get a quality manager in you will see how good this club can be.....

When we finally get a quality manager in you will see how good this club can be.....

Please God - let it be so (Smiley of someone lighting candles whilst on a prayer mat)

I agree. I think Newcastle are the ultimate example of poor coaching in the AP. Improve that and I think they will bounce back quickly.

Ill be interested to see what Gold and Ford can bring over the next few months....

GeordieFalcon wrote:

Peter Seabiscuit Wheeler wrote:

formerly known as Sam wrote:

No he'd be sat behind another New Zealand reject. Speaking of which, will Gopperth be residency qualified if he stays in England another season?

Was Gopperth at Falcons when Clegg left?

OK they might not have signed Gopperth isf theyd kept him Ill give you that, but theres no garuntee he wouldve been given the starting shirt on a regular basis. He certainly wouldnt have been the only "first team" fly half they had on the books. He'd only played 9 games for them ( including sub appearences) when he left, it wouldve been a leap to put him straight in as first choice the next season even for a dustbin team like the Falcons.

Anyway his moving on has left it open for another young English fly half to come through the Newcastle factory gates, which is presumably why they signed 2 New Zelanders.

I think he and Miller would have shared the duties if they had both stayed until one proved to be the best...but this wasnt to be...

Oh and ask any Newcastle fan...we DONT WANT Gopperth there...he rubbish. We have Catterick and Joel Hodgson who should be playing...indeed Joel played against Lyon on the weekend and showed more creativity than Gopperth has shown for two seasons!

Newcastles problems have arose through a consession of attrocious managerial appointments. When we finally get a quality manager in you will see how good this club can be.....

No no no while Tigers are interested in him it's " we can't lose Gopperth he's the only thing keeping the club going, god among insects, and mortals can not look directly at him or they shrivel up and die. Horribly".

You can't scare them off!

Is Gopperth really that bad?
Everyone was singing his praises in his first season.

Yappy...unfortunately its Goppeth we're talking about and no amount of bluffing can hide the fact....

Peter, the problem with Gopperth is his over reliance on his boot....in fact thats ALL he uses...im sure he can pass...its just Falcons fans have rarely seen it

Thats why,even in defeat against Lyon at the weekend, with a very young team out playing, it was a pleasure to see young Joel Hodgson acutally playing some rugby at 10, and players like Mark Wilson absolutely rampaging from No.8

To be fair, would you bother passing to the Newcastle backs?

Yeah with Fitzy boshing up the middle, helleur outside him and Catterick when he plays....

In the championship id be looking at:

9 Hodgson (excellent 10 ability but too small)
10 Catterick
11 A.Tait...but a flyer to challenge
12 Fitzy
13 Helleur
14 ? - A flyer
15 Manning / Goosens - But would like to find another cracking FB...